What the perfect CV looks like

An Australian job site says it's finally found an example of the perfect CV. Photo / 123RF

After analysing tens of thousands of job applications, an Australian job site says it's finally found an example of the perfect CV.

Using CV valuation technology, job site Adzuna analysed 50,000 recently submitted CVs.

It found that 91 per cent of job applicants were letting themselves down by making easily avoided mistakes while applying for a job.

More than nine in 10 resumes contained at least one of the four most common errors: incomplete employment history, incorrectly formatted file names, CVs that were too long or too short and spelling mistakes.

CVs were given a score out of 100 based on 10 different criteria and using technology that was the same as applicant tracking systems used by large corporates to screen applications, according to Adzuna.

Out of all of those analysed, only one CV achieved a score of 100.

Removing the personal details of the applicant and their references, Adzuna shared the "perfect" CV, which runs for three pages, contains no unexplained gaps in work history, includes zero spelling mistakes and is comes with a clear file name that includes the applicant's name and "CV".

Of all the most commonly made errors, Adzuna CEO Raife Watson said, spelling mistakes stuck out to employers the most.

Western Australians job applicants were found to be the worst offenders when it came to making spelling mistakes, with 73.15 per cent of CVs from applicants in the state containing at least one error.

Queenslanders were close behind with 71.34 per cent followed by Northern Territory, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria. Candidates from the ACT were found to be the least likely to commit the job application sin, but still, 61 per cent of applicants had at least one mistake on their CV.

"Spelling mistakes in a CV give the first impression that you are careless and do not have pride in your work," Watson said.

CV length was another big problem for Australians, with a third of candidates going over or under the two to three page optimal length.

"Many Australians go overboard with information and forget that a CV is a snapshot, a highlight reel of your skills and work history," Mr Watson said. "Employers do not need to know anything about every aspect of your life."