Hardwin Jones, 14 February 2005
Tips for application by CV – play the ‘numbers game’, ensure style and accuracy are perfect, and be patient.
A survey by Forum3, a recruitment conference organiser, has revealed that the average graduate sends out between 61 and 78 CVs in obtaining their first job.
The company’s conference project director, Debbie Hockham, advises graduates to play the ‘numbers game’, saying “unless the applicant has really exceptional exam results or can be seen to offer something extraordinary - which is very rare - then the search for a job is very much a numbers game.”
“The more applications you fill out and CVs you send relates directly to the number of interviews you will be offered”, she advises.
Encouragingly though, the survey found that many applications are rejected because of factors which candidates have control over – namely style and accuracy. Good reason then to get your application checked by a friend or a spellchecker if you’re not completely confident in these areas. Illustrating the point, the survey found that candidates sending CVs and letters without spelling mistakes were 61% more likely to receive a reply, and 26% more likely to get an interview.
Other reasons for rejection included using coloured paper, including photographs, “trying to be amusing”, and overusing the first-person pronoun – one respondent noted that over usage “tends to suggest the person is not a team player”.
The survey also suggested that 60% of CVs are mailed to the wrong person, often the managing director - instead of the human resources manager.
Once CVs and covering letters have been painstakingly prepared and sent to the correct person, candidates are naturally anxious to hear a response and even feedback. Disappointingly though, they only received an average of 7 responses, with three to four of them being polite rejections.
And when a response was forthcoming, the average wait was around 6 weeks. Large multinationals and private firms with over 50 employees were the worst offenders for not replying to applications, with SMEs and charities being better.