New research from leading independent job site, CV-Library, shows that 48.1% of UK workers do not know how to write a stand out CV that would boost their chance of an interview, with a further 16.4% admitting that they would not be able to write a good CV at all.

The study, which surveyed over 3,000 UK workers, also found that 23.8% do not know how to tailor their CV and make it relevant to different job roles. The research also asked workers who, if anyone, had taught them to write a CV. It showed that 18.3% taught themselves to write their first CV, while 39.7% of workers said that they learned at school or college. However, 31% stated that this did not give them enough insight to confidently write their CV when it came to applying for their first job

 “In order to get ahead and nab the best jobs out there, candidates are increasingly having to do all they can to get noticed and this starts with writing a stand out CV,” Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, said. “However, it’s clear that many job hunters are not being given the support they need to do this, with some even resorting to teaching themselves. While this is not unusual in the digital era, it has resulted in many workers not knowing the best ways to write and tailor each application, potentially damaging their chance of landing a job with organisations who expect more time and effort to be put into job hunts.”                                                                                         

The research also shows that 93.7% of respondents believe that more job-hunting skills, such as application writing and interviewing, should be taught at school, but a 34.2% of those asked said that their college or university did not provide advice on CV writing. When asked what could be a solution to the problem, workers cited more support at school (40.9%) and better access to career advice whilst in education (31.5%) as the top solutions, followed by more guidance from recruiters (6.8%) and employers (5.4%).

According to the research, 12.5% of workers admitted to lying on their CV, with nearly a quarter (22.4%) stating that they believe people looking for their first job should lie to help them get their foot in the door.