Wretched résumés (or CVs) can cost job seekers dear, says Acting Director of Labour and Training Wayne Smith.

And he urged applicants who land an interview to get clued up on their employer or risk being overlooked.

He said: "People don't spell check résumés there are typographical mistakes and poor grammar and syntax.

"People just cannot string together a proper sentence and write something that is grammatically correct. It's the basics."

Résumés should reflect the job and skills that are required and make the employer think the applicant can do the job, advised Mr. Smith.

"Too many people don't take the time to update their CVs to ensure that their skill sets are highlighted to that particular job."

In other words failing to customise your résumé can harm your chances of being invited to an interview. Your résumé should be designed to entice a prospective new employer to interview you.

Layout is important. Dull doesn't do it, but too flashy is also a mistake, so organise the information clearly.

Mr. Smith said employers also complained about people being unprepared for interviews. "They haven't done any research on the company in question," he said.

Some hopefuls turn up without really having the skill sets they are boasting about, said Mr. Smith, adding: "Employers in general have complained about the standard of students coming out of high schools and sometimes the Bermuda College we have to provide a better educated population.

"It's a question of reading, writing and arithmetic."

SOS Ltd. human resource manager Maryanne Scott said nervous employees fearing the boot should register with a variety of employment agencies before they hear the worst.

"Get your résumé and references ready. Get a plan in place, don't leave it to the last minute although a lot of people do."

When preparing a CV for an employment agency list everything you have done, you might have some experience which you have long forgotten about but which can help you get placed.

Ms Scott said: "I want to see everything you can do because there might be something there which can make you more marketable, to get your foot in the door. I would rather see a three-page résumé than someone trying to squeeze everything onto one page."

However CVs sent for specific jobs should be succinct and tailed to the job advert.

And Ms Scott agreed with Mr. Smith that companies with vacancies are now being hit with stacks of résumés so applicants should make sure theirs are word perfect if they don't want them binned as recruiters ruthlessly weed out careless candidates.