85% of Jobseekers Cannot Write CV

According to a leading job-search engine, Jobberman, the reason jobseekers don't get jobs has been attributed to applicants’ CVs being the major setback for getting jobs.

The research was carried out based on the observation that only a handful of job-seekers get interview calls for every  application made while the larger percentage make several applications yearly and are still without jobs.

Arguably; the economic shift, rise in demand for technologically inclined professionals, proliferation of online startups and surge in employment  mismatch leave many job seekers stuck in the job market because they lack the requisite skill set to adequately provide value to employers. Regardless, job-seekers overlook the importance of a resume being a candidate’s first pitch to recruiters.


A research by The Chronicle showed that most employers have little regard for fresh college (or University) graduates because they lack basic workplace proficiencies like adaptability and communication – to mention a few. This, we have come to believe, happens on either of both assumptions that; job-seekers do not possess the required skills, or they do not sell their qualifications to meet (and surpass) employers’ expectations.

Evaluation in the Jobberman research was carried out using specific criteria; candidates were scaled based on candidates’ qualification, industry and years of experience; and a random sampling of applications, ranging from fresh entry to 15 years of experience were measured using the following:
- Less than 4 errors (word-misspellings, wrong grammatical structures and misplacement of technical terms)
- Good presentation (unprofessional font type and size,  inappropriate format)
- Availability of some metrics or quantifiable data (professional achievements)
- Ability to sell one’s self (poor use of keywords, projection of value to recruiters, passive statements)

Results

On a scale of 1-8;
85% of applicants with 1-5 years experience scored less than 3
63% of candidates with at least 9 years experience scored above 4

What this means
Results from the research showed that;
- Most job candidates are rather careless with their applications.
- Job-seekers make little efforts to acquire and update their skills to meet the requirements for today’s employers.
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Presentation and level of qualification are the major factors employers consider when scrutinizing candidates’ CVs; hence denting the already widened  job-skills gap.
- Candidates who get several interview invites have their CVs targeted to specific employers – expressing in-depth knowledge of the organisation in their CVs