Contractors warned of 'fine line' on CVs

Posted by Alex Turner

Contractors looking to make their CVs more attractive to prospective employers should be careful not to make out they can carry out certain tasks that are beyond their capabilities.

Answering contractor queries on advice website Contractor UK, IT coach John Waine, said there was tendency for contract workers to think "once I get in there, I'll pick it up - no problem".

However, the expert warned that there is a "delicate and fine line between lying and being economical with the truth".

Mr Waine explained that it is sometimes difficult to strike a balance as some clients are too quick to disregard CVs out of hand.

"They may well be missing some great candidates, just because they don't have this or that version of software or experience in that industry," he said.

"Clients can be short-sighted in that respect."

The expert advice follows news that demand for IT contractors is picking up again.

A recent jobs report from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation revealed that demand for temporary and contact staff in the IT sector had grown considerably over the last 12 months.

On an index scale where figures below 50 indicate a fall and those above 50 denote a rise, the demand for IT staff increased from 31.5 to 58.7 between January 2008 and last month.