Around 50% of CVs have spelling or grammatical errors according to a survey of recruitment professionals.
In the study by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), 47% of respondents said that out of all the CVs they received, half contained grammatical errors.
Worst offenders were in in the 21-25 year old age group, and men were said to be much worse than women, with seven out of 10 recruiters surveyed saying that a CV from a man was more likely to contain errors.
Other key findings include:
Basic errors – Misspelling ‘Curriculum Vitae’ is one of the most common mistakes
Typing Pool ‘Typos’ - Candidates looking for secretarial and clerical roles are most likely to include mistakes according to 27% of respondents
Top of the class – Teaching professionals have the least errors on their CVs
Extra-curricular activities – Other interests and hobbies are seen as a waste of space by employers according to 59% of recruiters
Marcia Roberts, chief executive at the REC, said that many employers won’t even consider job candidates who make basic grammatical mistakes on their CVs.
“The findings show that jobseekers should first pay more attention to getting the basics right,” she added. “There are a number of steps that can be taken, for example, seeking advice and guidance from recruitment professionals or making sure your CV and covering letter has been proofed and reproofed by friends and relatives before sending.”
