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Survey: Majority of Managers Pass on Job Candidates for One or Two Resume Mistakes

TORONTO, May 15, 2014 /CNW/ - Even in an era of typo-ridden texts and tweets, making a goof on your resume can still prove costly, according to a recent survey by Accountemps. Fifty-six per cent of Canadian senior managers said just one or two resume typos would eliminate an applicant from consideration for a job. The results show that despite the times, employers' tolerance of errors hasn't changed much in the past five to eight years: 25 per cent said a single snafu would land a resume in the "no" pile now, compared to 23 per cent in 2009 and 27 per cent in 2006.

The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals, and conducted by an independent research firm. It includes responses from more than 300 Canadian senior managers.

Senior managers were asked, "How many typos in a resume does it take for you to decide not to consider a job candidate for a position with your company?" Their responses:

"Job seekers should draw a clear line between professional writing for the job application process and the text message or social media shorthand of today's communication methods," said Dianne Hunnam-Jones, Canadian district president of Accountemps. "Attention to detail is as important as ever when it comes to crafting, proofreading and submitting resumes to prospective employers, regardless of the method by which they are being submitted."

Hunnam-Jones added, "A level of care and precision is required for most jobs and failing to demonstrate that skill on a resume can impact the chances of landing a job."

The following real-life resume blunders collected by Robert Half, parent company of Accountemps, serve as cautionary tales of what not to do when applying for a job. These are actual excerpts from job application materials:

• "My last employer fried me for no reason."
• "I am graduating this Maybe."
• "I am looking for my big brake."
• "Referees available upon request."
• "My talent will be very a parent when you see me work."
• "Objective: To secure a challenging position and accell in the accounting industry."
• "My three biggest hobbies are cars, racquetball, golf, and reading."
• "Work experience: academic tudor."
• "Earned a diploma from a very repudiated college."
• "Looking for a bass salary of $40,000."

Find more amusing resume mistakes on Robert Half's Resumania blog.

About Accountemps
Accountemps, a Robert Half company, is the world's first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. The staffing firm has 340 locations worldwide. Follow Accountemps at twitter.com/RobertHalf_CAN or visit the Accountemps blog for workplace news.

SOURCE Accountemps

Image with caption: "Accountemps Survey: Majority of Managers Pass on Job Candidates for One or Two Resume Mistakes (CNW Group/Accountemps)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140515_C8551_PHOTO_EN_40338.jpg