Disclaimer: I know times are hard and shitty right now and a lot of people are desperate for work so probably chucking out CVs left right and centre at anything and everything.
BUT. I have worked in HR for nearly a decade now and it has always been the same. The general standard of CVs is bloody awful. I'm recruiting for a mid level role at the moment and I have seen the following:
- people using little hearts and stars instead of bullet points
- massive glamour model style photographs taking up the whole first page of a CV
- people's dates of birth and marital statuses written up at the top. Just no!!!
- wacky, colourful borders and fonts. Comic sans. Enough said.
Also - this last one is possibly controversial but when women have had a break to look after DC, there really is no need to list all the skills gained as a SAHM - e.g. "excellent time management skills etc". You can just say you had time out to raise children. That's all you need to say. I'm not going to think any the worse of you for it.
I am desperate to implement application forms rather than have CVs and cover letters but my CEO is old fashioned and will not have it.