Nearly half of UK workers can’t write a stand-out CV

Nearly half (48.1%) of UK workers do not know how to write a stand-out CV that would boost their chance of an interview, with 12.5% admitting that they’ve lied on their CV to get a job.

A recent study by CV-Library, which surveyed over 3000 UK workers, found that nearly a quarter (23.8%) of candidates do not know how to tailor their CV and make it relevant to different job roles, potentially scuppering their chances of securing their dream job. Other key findings were that nearly a quarter of respondents (22.4%) believe people looking for their first job should lie to help them get their foot in the door, while 16.4% admitted that they wouldn’t be able to write a good CV – and almost a third (31%) said that they weren’t given enough insight to confidently write their CV when it came to applying for their first job.

Lee Biggins, Founder and Managing Director of CV-Library, said: “It’s worrying that many job-hunters are making mistakes because they do not have the necessary insight to embark on a confident job search. In order to get ahead and nab the best jobs out there, candidates need to do all they can to get noticed and recruiters should be on hand to help. As an industry, it is important that we help to educate candidates on the best ways to write and tailor each application, as well as creating a stand-out, truthful, CV that will boost their chances of finding the right job.”

Furthermore, despite a staggering 93.7% believing that more job-hunting skills, such as application writing and interviewing, should be taught at school, a third (34.2%) of those asked said that their college or university did not provide advice on CV writing, while nearly 1 in 5 (18.3%) admitted that they’d taught themselves to write their first CV. When asked what could be a solution to the problem, workers cited that more guidance from recruiters (6.8%) and employers (5.4%) could help.

Biggins continued: “It’s clear that more direction is needed to help candidates feel confident in their job search, and our research suggests that recruiters and employers bear some of the responsibility in ensuring that all candidates have the basic skills required for securing a job. We all know how difficult it can be to get on the career ladder, but with a little help throughout their education and into their working lives, we can ensure that candidates embark on a happy and successful job-hunt.”