Past achievements central to job application success

Jobseekers could be compromising their applications by omitting a history of workplace achievements on their CV, according to a new study.

Lying on a CV was recently advised against by Anne Fairweather, Head of Public Policy at the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, but iProfile.org research suggests that remembering to list workplace successes is equally crucial.

In its survey, over half of recruiters admitted that if candidates sell their existing accomplishments properly, they may be able to demand starting salaries of 5% more, Online Recruitment reports.

On the other hand, 73% employers said they have rejected applicants for interviews due to vague CVs with an absence of relevant achievements.

Despite this clear message from recruiters, the website found that the majority of jobseekers tend to list their general responsibilities rather than personal successes in the workplace.

It suggested that this may be because of what it called 'achievement amnesia,' where people are unable to recall past accomplishments on the spot.

'Addressing this issue could significantly boost people's chances of getting through to the interview stage, as well as getting the salary they deserve,' Karl Gregory, a CV specialist at iProfile.org stated.