Dan and Tim Barfoot, the identical twins behind CMD Recruitment, lift the lid on the CV mistakes, interview fails, and missed chances that cost candidates jobs.
Identical twins Dan and Tim Barfoot have spent two decades helping people land jobs – and now they’re calling out the mistakes that could be costing you your dream role.
The 45-year-old brothers run CMD Recruitment, a Wiltshire-based firm they launched 20 years ago.
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It’s a gamble that’s paid off, earning them millions and cementing their reputation as go-to recruiters in the South West.
But after seeing thousands of applications cross their desks, the duo say too many candidates are still tripping over the basics.
“The biggest issue is people not listening,” Dan told Hype Daily.
“You’ve got to be able to take on feedback. It’s a two-way street. The relationship between us and the candidate is make-or-break.”
And when it comes to applications, the pair say laziness won’t cut it. “People don’t change their CV to match the role, even when they have the skills,”
Dan explained. “And failing to prepare for interviews is a killer.
As my favourite saying goes: fail to prepare = prepare to fail.”
CMD Recruitment prides itself on what the brothers call “national standards, local excellence”.
Sticking close to home has its perks – their network is made up of old school friends, neighbours, and business contacts built over decades.
“Everyone knows everyone in this region,” said Tim. “That knowledge sets us apart from bigger agencies. We often work with the same people multiple times, and they know exactly who they’re dealing with.”
The company now employs 18 in-house staff and has 240 contractors working daily, boasting a combined 200 years of recruitment experience.
The twins’ own career paths have been as unconventional as their advice. Dan originally joined the army with plans to serve for 22 years, before realising after a decade it wasn’t for him.
Tim, meanwhile, was kicked out of sixth form “for being the class clown” and ended up in retail before a family friend nudged him into recruitment. When Dan came home from working abroad, he jumped in alongside his brother – and they’ve been building CMD ever since.
Despite their success, both say staying hands-on is key. “We work like everyone else on the team, which is rare nowadays,” Dan said. “If you’re confident, easy to talk to and can tell a cracking joke, as well as being willing to put the graft in, you can achieve anything.”
For Tim, the biggest challenge was the family trade-off. “I had to sacrifice seeing my kids grow up, which was tough,” he admitted.
“But now it’s paid off. With Dan’s impulsiveness and my methodical mind, we’ve made a great team.”
Their advice for job seekers is simple: listen, prepare, and put in the effort. Do that, and the Barfoot twins say you’re already ahead of most of the competition.
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