Employers prefer two-page CV with no mistakes: Study

NEW DELHI: Most employers prefer a two-page Curriculum Vitae (CV) with no grammatical or spelling mistakes while a CV with no specific details related to the job applied for gets a quick rejection, reveals the TimesJobs study. TimesJobs surveyed over 1,100 employers to reveal the most crucial elements that make or break that crucial first impression which makes a CV matter so much in getting the job.

“Your CV should be looked at as your elevator pitch – it is that small window of opportunity that you have to get the employer interested enough to call you for a detailed discussion. It is a good practice to get an outside expert's help to highlight what you do best. As they can identify your areas of excellence, that you may not have identified yourself, and which could be crucial in turning things to your advantage,” said Nilanjan Roy, Head of Strategy, Times Business Solutions.

According to the majority (55%) of employers surveyed, avoiding grammatical errors and spelling mistakes are essential in making a decent first impression. Secondly, almost half of the employers feel a CV should reflect the candidate's competencies and skills in performing the functions that the job requires. As 46% employers say a CV which doesn’t have details specific to the job role a candidate has applied for is the biggest let down for the recruiter.

In addition, recruiters are simply not interested in a CV that is longer than two pages. Nearly 43% say the length of CV matters the most, according to the findings of the survey. Almost 80% employers find a two-page to be the ideal length and 20% even preferred a single-page CV.