Spelling and grammatical mistakes are cited as two of the most irritating faults found in CVs and a substantial reason for candidates being excluded from job shortlists, according to a study of HR professionals  by Pitman Training, Ireland’s leading provider of Business, IT, Secretarial, Web Design and Book-keeping Diploma courses. With over 125 training courses to choose from, and with Genesis Business College centres in Gorey, Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford,  there is a Pitman Training course for everyone’s learning needs.

With only five seconds to make the right impression, errors immediately distract and tempt recruiters into looking for more mistakes rather than assessing the applicant’s suitability. Such inaccuracies create an un-professional view of individuals and their attention to detail.

Gimmicks are also frowned upon. Personnel managers generally dislike photos, coloured paper, fancy envelopes and folding the document in interesting ways – while grabbing attention, they do not influence interviewing decisions. Some organisations go even further with a policy of not accepting photographs with CVs as this may tempt them into making subjective decisions.

Job applications can fail by being too all-purpose. HR departments believe that candidates spend time tailoring their CVs to the vacant position, they would improve their chances of securing an interview. They recommend researching the company first as a good starting point.

The Pitman Training study highlights the importance of setting out the right information in the right order. Too often, contact information is left off the first page and age is omitted completely – a deliberate mistake that tends to irritate as it forces recruiters to calculate it from the education history.

The study suggests that there appears to be two different sets of rules to follow which need merging together. One is the classic mini autobiography in which candidates write, often endlessly, about themselves. The other takes account of the needs of the HR person reviewing the applications.

Anyone who has ever been faced with dozens or even hundreds of CVs to read knows that clear, well presented applications get through the first round filter much more easily than the War and Peace epics.

Fleur Creed, Genesis Business College commented; “We can teach people to type and use word processing software, but it’s core with the content and detail-like spelling, punctuation and grammar – that helps them make it to the interview stage. All Pitman Training Diplomas include core modules on effective communication which give Pitman Training students the edge when it comes to quality CV and workplace preparation”.   

Based on HR professionals’ comments, Pitman Training has compiled a ten point ‘better CV’ checklist.

·         Check the CV for accuracy of information, spelling and grammar.

·         Respect the recipient. Recruiters receive hundreds of CVs so keep it short. Two pages is ideal but a 10 page life history will head straight to the bin.

·         Customise it. Use the CV to promote the skills and achievements that match the job you are applying for.

·         Keep it simple. Avoid jargon – the recruiter may not understand them.

·         Pay attention to layout. Make it simple by good use of headings, line spaces, bullet points and a readable font size.

·         Never hand-write your CV or use coloured type. It doesn’t scan, photocopy or e-mail well.

·         Use good quality white.

·         Put the most important first. This includes name, contact details and address. Follow this with a profile of yourself which should include your skills, experience and immediate career goals. After this you can insert your career history followed by education, interests and references.

·         Make sure all dates match up and any gaps are explained.

·         Ensure the information flows in a logical order.