Job seekers are penalised for poor spelling and grammar

12 March 2007

Job seekers are increasingly being penalised before interview because their CVs contain spelling mistakes or grammatical errors, according to a new survey* published today by the Department for Education and Skills.

Research shows that as many as one in four CVs are submitted containing spelling mistakes, with candidates regularly mixing up ‘their’, ‘they’re’ and ‘there’.  Job seekers were also criticised for using ‘ain’t’ and ‘gonna’ in CVs and application forms.

Chewing gum, flirting and poor presentability were also highlighted by employers as irritations that would count against prospective candidates.

Commenting on the findings, Skills Minister Phil Hope said:  

“Job application forms and CVs are designed to showcase people’s talent and experience, but of course many employers will be put off as soon as they see that a candidate struggles with spelling or grammar.

“Brushing up your skills can make a huge difference to your chance of finding and keeping a job. Anyone wanting to improve their skills can call 0800 100 900 and find out about the free courses in their local area.”

Job seekers in the capital need to be the most diligent when checking their applications for spelling and grammar: 58% of employers said they would turn down candidates who made such mistakes. 

This compares to a more relaxed approach in the West Midlands, where only 37% of bosses penalise candidates because of poor use of English.

Employees with poor skills can expect to earn around 11% less than average – this could mean as much as £50,000 less over their working life.  To add to this, 50% of jobs are closed to people with literacy, language and numeracy skills below Level 1**.

Top tips for job seekers as given by employers surveyed:

• Check your CV, application form and covering letter for spelling and grammar
• Don’t chew gum during an interview
• Be friendly, but not flirty
• Brush up on your basic skills before applying for a new position – call 0800 100 900 to enrol on a free course

-Ends-

*The survey was conducted by The Survey Shop in January 2007 and surveyed 1,000 employers 

**Level 1:  broadly equivalent to a GCSE at grades D to G.

For further information please call Vanessa Montero/Julie McGuckian/Victoria Smith/Alex Pearmain on 020 7544 3130 or email firstname.lastname@fishburn-hedges.co.uk.   

Notes to editors

1. The Department for Education and Skills’ “Get On” campaign was launched in 2001 and is part of the Government’s Skills for Life Strategy.  The campaign encourages the millions of people in England who experience difficulties with literacy, language and numeracy skills, or would benefit from ‘brushing up’ on these skills, to enrol on a free course by calling 0800 100 900. It aims to help create a society where adults have the basic skills they need to find and keep work and participate fully in society.

2. The Government recently met and exceeded the target to ensure that 1,500,000 adults improved their skills and gained a qualification by 2007.  The Government aims to increase this to 2.25 million achievements by 2010. So far, 1,619,000 learners have achieved a first Skills for Life qualification. Further details are available on the web: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2007_0027

3. The Prime Minister launched the Skills for Life Strategy in 2001 to tackle the legacy of adults with poor literacy, language and numeracy skills within England.   The strategy aims to help create a society where adults have the basic skills they need to find and keep work and participate fully in society, through:

Boosting demand for learning

Ensuring capacity of the learning provider delivery system

Improving standards of teaching and learning

Increasing learner achievement

4. The Skills for Life National Needs and Impact Survey of Literacy, Numeracy and IT skills, published in October 2003, estimated that in England, 5.2 million adults aged 16-65 have literacy levels below Level 1 (the level expected of 11 year olds), and 14.9 million have numeracy skills below this level. The full survey is available at www.dfes.gov.uk/research.