Survey highlights top 5 most common CV errors

PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 25, 2007 – The CVs submitted by IT professionals as part of the job application process still contain a number of common and easily avoidable errors, a survey by specialist IT recruitment firm, NESco has found.

Based on its findings the company, which places IT personnel within both the public and private sectors, has issued five top tips for maximising the impact of a CV:

1.   Tailor your CV to a specific role: Over two-thirds of NESco consultants cited failure to tailor a CV to a specific role as something they most frequently came across, making it the most commonly cited CV error. “Composing a CV that is related to a particular vacancy produces far better results than mass-mailing a standard CV to a large volume of recipients,” says Tina Holt, operations director at NESco. “It might seem like a time-consuming process to adapt a CV for each vacancy you’re applying for but tailored CVs generate a far greater level of interest from employers,” she adds.

2.   Check (and double-check!) for spelling and grammatical errors: These remain high on the list of mistakes identified. Despite wide acknowledgement that such errors are simply unacceptable within a CV, 50% of the recruitment consultants surveyed regularly encountered this type of error. “It appears as though candidates understand that CVs must be flawless in terms of spelling, grammar and punctuation but, having become either over-familiar with the contents of their CV or over-reliant on spell checkers, are failing to spot mistakes,” says Tina. “The easiest and most reliable way to address this is to ask someone else to read over the CV – errors aren’t always obvious to the person who made them,” Tina concludes.  

3.   Document the responsibilities of previous positions: not doing so was another frequently encountered CV error, according to almost a half of respondents. NESco consultants advise candidates to be specific about the responsibilities of each role and wherever possible, tie in responsibilities to achievements. They insist that, when composing your CV, there is no time for modesty: self-promotion is imperative.  

4.   Explain gaps in work history: another common mistake identified through an analysis of the survey results was leaving gaps in work history. Just over 40% of NESco recruitment consultants cited this as a hindrance to progression onto interview stage. Tina says: “Applicants who leave gaps in work history are automatically questioned by the employer. If you took a year out of employment to travel, then state this clearly on your CV.”

5.   Avoid technical jargon and reference acronyms: another finding from the survey was that IT professionals frequently use jargon or non-referenced acronyms in their CVs. Says Tina: “IT personnel often assume that the recipient of their CV will be familiar with role or sector-specific terminology. By doing so, they limit the effectiveness of their CV which, if reviewed by a non-technical member of staff (HR, for example) for initial selection purposes, might be difficult to interpret.” To ensure that a CV is fully comprehensive, NESco consultants advise candidates to ensure that technical terms are fully explained within the CV.  

All too often, candidates underestimate the effect that CV errors can have on the success of their job application. The guidelines above illustrate ways in which IT professionals can increase their chances of securing an interview.