The ten most common CV mistakes
Mistakes are easy to make and you only get one chance at a first impression on your CV. Companies will see hundreds of CVs every day, of which only a small handful stand out from the crowd. Improve your chances of avoiding the ‘no’ pile by avoiding these common pitfalls.
1. It's too long
As a general rule two pages is plenty. Be succint. Your reader most likely doesn't have all day. Write to be skim-read. Keep paragraphs short and avoid long passages of prose. Short, succint comments or descriptions are fine.
2. There's unnecessary detail
No-one needs to know what you've done every day of your working life. Stick to the highlights. Where have you made the most impact? There are a lot of jobs with fairly standard sets of responsibilites; how you managed a certain task or helped the company increase their profits will be of more interest than a dull list of duties. You may need to include some context on the company you worked for, but again; not too much detail!
3. Your language sucks
Be prepared to tailor your CV to each role you apply for. Scan the job spec for keywords and be sure to incorporate them. And whatever you do, avoid dull language. If you're going to use an overused word like 'passionate', make sure you add colour in the form of an example; show rather than tell. Avoid repetition wherever possible. Your Thesaurus is your friend. Spice up your CV with an interesting verb or two; 'I transformed/remodelled/investigated' sounds more interesting than 'I worked on'.
Don't sit on the fence. Banish indecisive language (I think/believe/could etc); instead be assertive and bold; 'I am an ideal candidate because...'
4. You undersell yourself
Despite the need to be succint, you will need to fully highlight your achievements. Without arrogance, take care to match your experiences and achievements to the job specification.
5. No link between education, experience and aspiration
It can be beneficial to connect your educational background, experience and career aspirations. Even if there is no direct link, there may be skills or knowledge that could be beneficial in your new role or to the company you are applying to work with. If you've had a career break or a career change be clear about why. Put a positive spin on any potential question marks.
6. Not including relevant but less professional experience
Voluntary work, family projects and part-time, low-paid roles can all be valid. Running a school or University club or society could show leadership skills, voluntary work shows initiative and a strong work ethic, working part-time in a fast food restaurant whilst studying shows good time-management skills. Looking after children or elderly parents shows empathy, responsibility and an ability to multi-task.
7. You bend the truth that bit too far
You might think that one or two over-exaggerations will help your application but what good is this if you can get caught out during an interview? Plus, you may be surprised how easy it can be to spot a bare-faced lie. No employer looks for a dishonest employee...
8. Including incorrect contact details
Double-check you've put the right number, address and email on your CV, as a simple typo could mean you miss out on the opportunity for an interview!
9. Over-formatting your document
You want your CV to jump off the page. Format it too much and it may do just that... but in a bad way! You're best to keep it clean and simply, using a standard font such as Arial.
10. Using an unclear file name
As it's likely you will be submitting your CV by email, ensure it has a clean and easy-to-read file name, such as 'Bob Turner CV Control Engineer', because it makes it easier to find and suggests your CV is specific for the role you're applying for. Calling it something like 'MYCVv4', or even worse, leaving it 'Untitled-4.doc', will make it harder for your CV to stand out.
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