It’s no secret that writing a standout CV can be very time consuming, especially if you have a lot of experience or have had a number of different job roles. It can also be stressful if you have left it until the last minute and are in urgent need of a new job. Whatever your situation, it might be a good idea to keep a ‘general’ CV saved on your laptop that you can change and recreate to suit the job role you are applying for. This way, you don’t have to write a brand new CV every time you apply for a new job.
Already done this? Perfect! It is worth looking over your CV however for little mistakes, or if it’s tailored to the job you’re applying for. Not sure what to look for? We can help with that! Take a look below at the most common CV mistakes:
Formatting
Messy fonts, lack of space and confusing layouts are all issues that could put a recruiter off reading your CV. Why? Because you’ve made their job more difficult for them.
A neat, tidy CV where every section is split out accordingly will attract a recruiter’s eye. It isn’t uncommon for employers to quickly scan a CV for the information they need, so if the formatting has issues, they will most likely just toss it off to the side.
Use clear, bold text for the header of each section, and then use an easy to read font (not Comic Sans, this is a huge pet peeve on a CV). Ideally you’ll also bullet point your skills, experience and education section too.
Spelling errors
We all make spelling mistakes, whether it’s from rushing the document you’re typing out, or a simple slip of the hand. We are all human – we all make mistakes.
However, this could cost you an interview if it’s frequent. Do not be afraid to use a spell checker (although beware if Americanisation’s if in the UK), or a grammar tool like Grammarly. If there are spelling mistakes on your CV, the employer may get the impression that you haven’t paid attention to detail.
Do not lie
There is never a good reason to lie, and lying on a CV can prove very costly to your career. You wouldn’t say you were a qualified pilot when you weren’t, and you wouldn’t say you’ve had plenty of experience fixing an aircraft either – why? Because you would be putting people’s lives at risk!
Whatever job role it is though, your lie could still prove detrimental to the company – so you should avoid this at all costs. It could also be harmful to your career if you’re found out.
People lie on their CV for many different reasons. It could be to hide the fact that they got fired from their previous job, or that they were out of work for a long time. Whatever the reason is it is not acceptable.
Let’s think of it this way, you wouldn’t want an employer to lie about what your job role entails, so you should be very honest about the skills you have. Not everyone has every single skill required for the job role so do not feel any pressure to tick all the boxes.
Lack of evidence
Employers like to see you evidence any bold statement made on your CV so they can evaluate your potential worth to their organisation. You may think it’s not essential to include on your CV, but presenting hard figures and facts is a great way to get their attention.
Back up statements in your CV as much as possible.
Too much information
This is probably one of the most common mistakes made when creating a CV. Recruiters don’t have the time to spend reading your CV word for word – so giving them more to read will just make them want to read it less.
Limit your CV to two A4 pages max, and only include information specific to the job role – don’t waste the employer’s or your own time.
