Be a CV saint over festive period

Scots recruitment firm names top ten cardinal CV sins

Scottish accountancy recruitment firm Byrne Cliffe is urging Scots looking for a new job in the New Year to get their CV right or risk missing out on the buoyant jobs market in early 2004.

Last year, Byrne and Cliffe saw a 47 per cent increase in jobs registered and a 49 per cent rise in candidates registering on its books, compared to an average month. The firm expects a similar increase in January 2004.
But without a perfect CV thousands of Scots risk losing out in a competitive market.

Lisa Byrne, director, Byrne Cliffe Recruitment said: For many the festive period is a time when they reassess their careers and decide on a change of direction. January is a good time to look for a new job with many companies setting their budgets for the coming year while some public sector organisations have budget to spend before the end of the financial year in March.

But candidates should think long and hard before dusting off their old CV and sending it out to potential employers. A CV is a candidate’s most important sales tool and if you get it wrong you may as well save yourself the time and effort.

Byrne and Cliffe directors Lisa Byrne and Helen Cliffe have more than 20 years’ experience in the Scottish recruitment marketplace. And they have used this experience to compile a list of ten cardinal CV sins.

Use of photographs, clip art, borders or graphics
Handwritten CVs
CVs prepared on an old-fashioned typewriter
Misspellings and poor grammar
Extensive narrative
Unexplained gaps
Abbreviations
Negative language
Exaggeration
Photocopied CVs

And Byrne gave the following advice to those developing a new CV over the festive period: The purpose of a CV is to get your foot in the door. Concentrate on the positives, always list your most recent employment first and tailor your CV to the particular job you are applying for.
Established in February 2002, Byrne and Cliffe employs six at its St Vincent Street, Glasgow, HQ. The company’s client base ranges from owner-managed businesses to blue chip clients including Invitrogen, Scottish Power, Stiell and William Grant.