What your CV says about you

1. Spelling or grammatical mistakes - 49 per cent
2. Choice of words or expressions - 22 per cent
3. Candidates hobbies - too boring or too strange - 15 per cent
4. The tone (over confident, smug, too familiar) - 9 per cent
5. The typeface (too hard to read, too small) - 5 per cent

'We manage CV selection for our clients and only forward CVs of candidates who have the right skills and experience for a particular job,' says Paul Jacobs, Managing Director of Office Angels.

Top tips for writing your CV

Never lie on your CV - companies are increasingly checking up on candidates' backgrounds and following up references - if they discover you've lied, you've blown your chances straight away
Be clear and concise - lay out your skills and experience in a clear and easy to read format - they don't want an essay about your life history
Don't try to be funny - humour can be misinterpreted
Check and double-check for spelling and grammatical mistakes - they make an immediate bad impression
Tailor your CV - try to tailor your experience, skills and qualifications towards the requirements of the job advert or description. If it stresses that you need a certain skill, such as a language or IT skills, put this up front

On average an employer spends less than five minutes reading a CV. Candidates should take a professional approach to job hunting by, 'ensuring their CV is clear and easy to read, highlighting the experience and qualifications relevant to the job description on the first page,' says Paul Jacobs, Managing Director of Office Angels.'By doing so they will be giving themselves the best opportunity to stand out from the crowd.'

For all you need to know about creating the perfect CV, visit the iVillage CV centre.

Why not chat to other iVillagers about job hunting on the Life In The Work Place message board. Take a look at some of the LIVE discussions taking place on the message board right now: