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Resumé Mistakes
How many typos in a resumé does it take
for you to decide not to consider a job
candidate for a position with your company?
One
typo
2014* 2009** 2006^
25%
31%
22%
23%
28%
22%
27%
34%
16%
16%
19% 15%
6% 8% 8%
Two
typos
Three
typos
Four
or more
typos
Don’t know/no answer
Sources:
* Accountemps survey of more than 300 senior managers in Canada.
** Accountemps survey of 100 senior executives in Canada.
^ OfficeTeam survey of 100 Canadian senior executives.
CNW Group/Accountemps
Accountemps survey: majority of managers pass on job
candidates for one or two resumé mistakes
“We know that having a clearly articulat-ed
purpose and values is vital for business
success, and our research among SMEs
shows that they wholeheartedly agree,” said
Jill Miller, Ph.D., with the CIPD. “However,
there is a danger that if these values are not
a living part of daily operations, they can
become diluted or even disappear as the
business changes and the workforce grows.”
The CIPD recently published the re-port,
Keeping culture, purpose and values at
the heart of your SME. The report can be
downloaded by visiting bit.ly/1hH1cP4.
EMPLOYERS SHARE MOST
MEMORABLE INTERVIEW
MISTAKES
Most job seekers know that making a good
first impression in a job interview is cru-cial,
but they may not realize how little
time they have to do it. A new survey from
CareerBuilder.ca finds that nearly half of
employers say they know whether a can-didate
is a good or bad fit for the position
within the first five minutes of the inter-view.
By the 15-minute mark, 87 per cent
have determined if the job seeker is a good
or bad fit. The national survey included a
representative sample of 406 hiring man-agers
and human resource professionals
across industries and company sizes.
Common mistakes
The top most detrimental blunders em-ployers
frequently see from candidates
include:
■■ Appearing arrogant
■■ Appearing disinterested
■■ Appearing uninformed about the
company or role
■■ Answering a cell phone or texting
during the interview
■■ Dressing inappropriately
■■ Talking negatively about current or
previous employers
■■ Not providing specific examples
■■ Not asking good questions
■■ Asking the hiring manager personal
questions
■■ Providing too much personal
information
Body language can play a big role in a
job interview. Employers cited the biggest
non-verbal mistakes candidates common-ly
make:
■■ Failure to make eye contact
■■ Bad posture
■■ Failure to smile
■■ Fidgeting too much in his/her seat
■■ Crossing their arms over their chest
■■ Playing with something on the table
■■ Handshake that is too weak
■■ Playing with hair or touching one’s face
■■ Using too many hand gestures
■■ Handshake that is too strong
“Employers want to see confidence and
genuine interest in the position. The inter-view
is not only an opportunity to showcase
your skills, but also to demonstrate that you’re
the type of person people will want to work
with,” said Rosemary Haefner, vice presi-dent
of human resources at CareerBuilder.
“Going over common interview questions,
researching the company and practicing with
a friend or family member can help you feel
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ SEPTEMBER 2014 ❚ 13
