Will Your CV be Used as Wrapping Paper this Christmas? 9 Out of 10 Will Be

Many people will use their time off over the Christmas period to look for a new job, but not enough will spend time fine-tuning their CV, which professional CV writing service The CV Squad say could be preventing them from securing the position they deserve.

Researchers quizzed recruiters and found nine out of ten CVs are sent straight to the recycle bin.

Some of those surveyed went so far as describing the level of CVs received as “fundamentally awful”, with the top reasons – in order – being:

1.Not relevant to the job applied for
2.Key skills not clearly listed
3.Bad spelling and grammar
4.Too long
5.Badly presented

Ben Muir, Director at The CV Squad and professional recruiter for over 20 years said:

“It is easier than ever to search and apply for jobs online, with some sites even offering a ‘one-click application’ option. But this means candidates are applying for jobs willy-nilly, leaving recruiters spending hours each week sifting through hundreds and hundreds of irrelevant CVs. This makes it all the more important to ensure applicants spend time making sure their CV is professional, relevant and stands out.”

Some of the more unusual applications recruiters reported included:

1. A candidate whose CV included a photo of himself on a horse – no, he was not applying for a job in the equine industry
2. A CV with the opening objective “I really don’t want a job, but I’ve been told I must apply to 10 this week. No contact details given, for this reason”
3. A CV with only a name, telephone number and the text “Call me, I do anything”

We’re living in a time where it’s not just a recruiter your CV has to impress. Technology plays an ever-increasing role in CV pre-screening. It’s critical that a CV is not only eye-catching, but is also 100 per cent application tracking technology (ATS) friendly.

“Almost all large employers and recruitment agencies now use ATS in some form. The computer then says yes or no first. If your CV passes through this pre-screening phase, it then needs to be attractive, easy to read and relevant, in order to instantly grab the attention of the human recruiter.” said Muir.

Ben’s top tips:

1. Try as best you can to keep your CV to two pages
2. Write your name and contact details at the top of page one and in the footer of all pages
3. Have a strong opening summary with the first sentence explaining exactly what you do. For example, if you are a ‘Sales Manager’, put this in the first sentence to enable the recruiter to instantly connect you to the job
4. Use the rest of page one to provide the reader with as much “high-line” information about you as possible. Key skills, attributes/soft skills, major achievements, education and voluntary work are vital
5. Use page two for a short, sharp career history and create a journey for the recruiter.
6. Make it easy to read and include your job title, the name of the organisation, time in position and your key responsibilities and achievements
7. Only ever go to three pages if the content is especially relevant to the position you are applying to OR if you are a contractor/ freelancer and need to detail the projects you have worked on
8. Never put referee contact details on your CV as some recruiters will use this information to contact your ex-boss (or even current boss!) and sell their services to them