Common CV mistakes and how to avoid them

Are you looking for your perfect job with a ‘new year, new me’ mindset? Do you wonder why you aren’t being shortlisted? Sick of getting little or no feedback on your application? We asked our Admin Manager, Vicky Evans to give us some hints and tips to help you with your CV writing. Here are the top 5 common mistakes that she sees on candidate’s CVs. These can be the difference between securing an interview or your application being overlooked and leave a positive impression.

Typos, Grammatical Errors & Inconsistent Formatting on your CV

In today’s world, there are no real excuses for typos, errors, poor formatting, inconsistent fonts, or using an unprofessional email address. Even the smallest of mistakes can make a candidate seem careless or lack attention to detail. Spell check, proofread, get someone else to look over the CV before it is sent out for an objective perspective. Using different tenses and different formatting, can make your CV look messy and less professional. Use a clean, professional layout with clear headings and consistent formatting. Ensure your contact information is professional (e.g., use an email like *firstname.lastname@gmail.com*).

Lack of Focus or Clarity & Lack of professionalism on your CV

Wordy CVs make it really difficult to pinpoint facts. A CV should be short and concise you should focus on your key strengths and experiences. Bullet points are a good way to break down your duties and highlight your achievements. Quantify your facts, and make sure in your interview you can back these up with examples!

Lack of Measurable Achievements

Hiring Managers love to see your results and understand how this is relatable to the job that they are hiring for, evidence your concrete results rather than just listing your duties and responsibilities will enable them to gain more understanding and context to your role. This doesn’t help to make you stand out from the crowd, don’t be afraid to mention your achievements and outcomes, your CV is showcasing your best attributes and successes – Be specific. Use quantifiable achievements, e.g., “Increased sales by 20% in six months by implementing a new marketing strategy.”

Generic Content & Overloading your CV with your company jargon 

Whilst it is important to use industry specific terms/ systems/ acronyms, if you overuse this it can make your CV sound ‘generic’. Using vague statements like ‘responsible for varied tasks’ without using specifics is a red flag on a CV.  Explaining what you have done is vital, it is your experience, and if you can’t demonstrate this on a CV, how will your do this in an interview? Think of examples 

Lack of Customisation in your CV

Ensure that you have different variations of your CV to highlight more relevant experience for different job roles/ vacancies.  Tailor your CV to the job, focusing on relevant skills and experiences. For most roles, keep it to 1-2 pages. By addressing these common pitfalls, you can create a polished and compelling CV that stands out to recruiters.