Copywriting - Well-written CVs crucial to employers

Writing a good CV is the first step in securing that interview. A recent survey* conducted on behalf of the Department for Education and Skills found that nearly 50% of employers would throw a poorly-punctuated CV straight into the bin.

20% of the 1000 bosses surveyed said that more than half of the CVs they receive have not been properly checked, with erroneous uses of "they're", "there" and "their" being the most common howlers. 18% of the employers even reported seeing "ain't" and "gonna" in applications they'd received.

Job seekers in Berkshire should pay particular attention, as the survey revealed that companies in London are most likely to turn an applicant down without an interview because of mistakes on their CV.

If you're in the financial services sector, beware. A whopping 77% of bosses in this category said that mistakes on CVs would count against the candidates.

Your CV is your sales pitch, and it needs to be perfect in order to do you justice. Phil Hope, Skills Minister, says: "CVs are designed to showcase people's talent and experience, but of course many employers will be put off as soon as they see that a candidate struggles with spelling or grammar."

It's clear that a polished and proof-read CV stands a far better chance of getting you an interview than one containing even a single mistake.

Next time you're sending your CV out, why not get a professional CV writer to take a look at it first? Whether you simply want it proof-read to eliminate mistakes or you think it could do with an overhaul, a CV health-check is money well-spent if it leads to you getting that dream interview!

Nicola Joyce at Lexicon, a freelance copywriter and CV writer, regularly compiles and checks CVs for a range of candidates, from school-leavers to senior management. Before you next circulate your CV, let her check it over. Don't be one of the 50% whose application ends up filed under "B" for bin.

*The survey of 1000 employers was carried out by The Survey Shop in January 2007.

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[ "Sort Your CV" An article Nicola wrote which appeared in "Working Abroad" magazine ]

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