Writing a strong CV

New research has revealed that recruiters take less than 60 seconds to make up their mind about a CV.
In a study of 860 recruiters by the New College of Humanities, researchers noted that 20% of respondents discard a CV before even reaching the end, with employers revealing that they spend an average of just 3 minutes and 14 seconds in total looking through a job application.

Unsurprisingly the top complaint of employers was typos and grammatical errors, followed by the use of an overly casual tone in correspondence.

“Some misguided candidates think it is acceptable to sign off an email with a phrase like ‘Cheers’, and confusion around the correct usage of words like ‘there’ and ‘their’ is also commonplace,” explained Norfolk accountancy jobs specialist Sam Holt of Big Sky Additions. “Employers are also easily irritated by the overuse of jargon and clichéd quotes like ‘thinking outside the box,” continued Sam, who specialises in recruiting for full time and part time accountancy jobs in Norfolk. “Be cautious when it comes to the use of jargon which may not be widely understood outside of your current employment, such as unusual job titles or abbreviations which are very specific to one company,” noted Sam.

The survey highlighted that the most hated phrase seen on CVs was ‘can work independently’, with 47% of jobseekers rolling out this old favourite. “It can be difficult to avoid clichés – that’s where the support of a recruitment professional can be really useful to help you craft a successful CV,” added Sam, who helps to place qualified and part qualified candidates into accountancy jobs in Norfolk.

Another employer grumble was candidates who lie in their application – 10% of candidates confessed to being creative about their length of employment in previous roles. “Lying is an absolute no-no – you will get found out soon enough and the consequences are simply not worth the risk,” concluded Sam.

For further advice and support in writing your CV contact Sam Holt today :-

t: 01603 516254
e: sam@bigskyadditions.co.uk