How to keep your CV out of the bin

AN ESTIMATED 92 per cent of CVs received by potential employers go straight into the bin, according to talent management and recruitment firm Hudson.

Recent research by the group indicates a high proportion of CVs are discarded after a brief glance because of poor grammar, spelling, punctuation and irrelevant content. Only 8 per cent of 500 CVs received from candidates would pass the basic test without including the more detailed requirements needed in a good application.

The research also notes that an employer takes on average about 30 seconds to read a CV.

In addition, 70 per cent of jobseekers are unaware of all the avenues available when seeking employment and more than half are ill-prepared for competency-based interviews.

Hudson managing director Peter Cosgrove said it was critical a candidate presented applications in the best possible way. “Recently we have seen more than 4,000 people applying for just 280 jobs at the new Ikea. This highlights the need to concentrate on the details and understand what it takes to get the next job.

“In our candidate workshops, we have been trying to help our candidates learn how to prepare for an interview as well as utilise all the non-traditional methods of securing a new role.”

He added that it was surprising how many people lacked these skills. “It is mainly down to the number of people who have not had to look actively for a job for many years.”

Mr Cosgrove suggested that candidates should be careful with spelling and grammar, and should recheck their application before applying. He added that the layout must be easy to read and said the most important thing a prospective employer wanted to know was what an applicant did in their current or previous job.

Mr Cosgrove suggested most CVs should be about 1,000 words in length and that content should be read as achievements, not duties.