A poll recently conducted by leading recruitment agency, Select Appointments, has revealed that misspelt words are top of the chart when it comes to employersí pet hates.
Select, part of Randstad - the worldís second largest recruitment and HR services company has lifted the lid on the factors most likely to irritate a potential employer when considering an applicantís C.V.
Spelling mistakes were by far the biggest pet hate with 54% of employers polled citing this as their biggest irritation. 17% admitted to being annoyed by a bad layout, and 16% said they are turned off if an applicantís resume is too long.
At the other end of the scale, only 1 in 10 employers identified the use of ëbuzz wordsí as a pet gripe.
This research demonstrates that employers expect exacting standards when considering applicantsí CVs. However, according to the Spelling Society, a great many of us struggle with basic spelling. Recent research commissioned by the society revealed that around half of British adults are unable to spell commonly used words such as embarrassed, liaison or millennium.
Nicola Severn, spokesperson for Select said: ìAlthough it is obvious from the research commissioned by the Spelling Society that many individuals are not as competent at spelling as they would like to be, when constructing a CV attention to detail is vital. Basic spell check facilities are available on the vast majority of modern computers and as such there is no excuse for sloppy spelling. A CV should be seen as a chance to shine. It is a direct reflection of the applicant and if the CV is considered inaccurate or badly organised, there is a danger the applicant will be too.î
Selects Top 5 Basic CV Tips:
1. Always, always get someone else to read through your CV before submitting it to a potential employer ñ its easy to miss an obvious mistake if youíve read through the same document many times.
2. Keep your CV precise and to the point by highlighting your previous positions, responsibilities and, where appropriate, key achievements ñ the idea is to create an interest in your abilities, not a novel for the self-appreciation society!
3. Keep the font type and colour the same throughout the CV - keeping your resume easy on the eye makes a good impression.
4. Use a CV template as its far easier than creating your CV from scratch ñ to access one such template visit www.select.co.uk
5. Include a well thought out cover letter ñ it is often as important as your CV!
Potential employers spell it out
Research from Select Appointments highlights top CV gripes
