Many people will use their time off over the Christmas period to look for a new job, but not enough will spend time fine-tuning their CV, which professional CV writing service The CV Squad say could be preventing them from securing the position they deserve.

Researchers quizzed recruiters and found nine out of ten CVs are sent straight to the recycle bin.

Some of those surveyed went so far as describing the level of CVs received as “fundamentally awful”, with the top reasons – in order – being:

1. Not relevant to the job applied for
2. Key skills not clearly listed
3. Bad spelling and grammar
4. Too long
5. Badly presented

Ben Muir, Director at The CV Squad and professional recruiter for over 20 years said:

“It is easier than ever to search and apply for jobs online, with some sites even offering a ‘one-click application’ option. But this means candidates are applying for jobs willy-nilly, leaving recruiters spending hours each week sifting through hundreds and hundreds of irrelevant CVs. This makes it all the more important to ensure applicants spend time making sure their CV is professional, relevant and stands out.”