Recruiter James Reed has revealed the top five CV mistakes that could warrant a candidate’s application being dumped in the reject pile in his new book ‘The 7 Second CV: How to Land the Interview’.
The Chairman of REED Recruitment explained that avoiding these mistakes and, more importantly, understanding how to highlight your strengths on a CV can mean the difference between acing a job interview and not. He exclusively told Recruitment Grapevine:
“Employers don’t want to hire people who are likely to make mistakes, and there’s no easier way for them to draw the conclusion that you’ll be error-prone than if your CV is littered with glitches.”
“It turns out that what recruiters think most makes a CV stand out is relevant work history, closely followed by a clear visual layout that’s easy to read. However, spelling mistakes and frequent job changes are likely to land it in the reject pile.”
In his book – which recently launched, Reed shares his top five worst CV mistakes – in order of importance:
A lack of relevant work history – If someone is applying for a job but their history suggests this role isn’t a reasonable move, it’s likely to go straight into the bin.
Spelling mistakes – Proofreading is critically important – nobody wants to hire someone with no attention to detail!
Frequent job changes – Unless there’s a very good reason for ‘job-hopping’, this could indicate the candidate will leave soon.
Not enough information – A CV should tell you why the candidate is perfect for the job, but missing info leaves hiring managers guessing.
Poor visual layout – making a CV look appealing may not be as important as the content, but if it is an eyesore it probably won’t get a second glance.
He explained: “My research showed that the presence of spelling and grammar errors on a CV is the number two reason for it to land in the reject pile, and it’s also a clear indication that an applicant isn’t capable of paying attention to detail. This is incredibly easy to put right. “
Reed added that attention these tips will ensure that candidates stand out from the crowds.
You can read the full article in Recruitment Grapevine here