Your CV/resume is an important job search tool that can be your first introduction to a potential employer. Its job is to make your skills, experiences & accomplishments stand out to want the employer give you an interview for the job role. With such an important tool, it’s important to avoid making mistakes. Mistakes made will never impress an employer and more likely, your CV/resume will be put in to the rubbish bin.
To help you avoid making mistakes, here are 10 mistakes that you need to avoid if you want to make a good impression with your CV/resume!
(1) Insufficient Contact Details – This may sound obvious but some candidates will forget to make sure their CV/resume clearly details their full name, address & contact details for employers. Contact details are sometimes not up to date, email address is not a professional one or they are using a work email. Don’t let this basic error catch you out!
(2) No Objective – Every CV/resume should start with a clear objective. This cites the position you’re seeking & short skills supporting statement, which shows how you’re highly suited for the role.
(3) Passive Language – Use active verbs which help to make a stronger impression on potential employers. These active verbs are words that help you sound positive and make your skills stand out more e.g. developed, managed, planned etc! Not using these words can make it sound dull and uninspiring!
(4) Writing In The 1st Person – When you write about yourself, it can be difficult to not start sentences with the word ‘I’ or ‘My’. Avoid doing this as the person reading the CV/resume knows it is about you. Keep your sentences short & dynamic and begin them if you can with strong action words!
(5) Lack of Focus – A CV/resume should be focused on the job/industry you are applying for. If applying for jobs in different industries, it’s important to have different CVs/resumes that cater specifically to the different skills required in each industry. Generic unfocused CVs/resumes never make the mark with employers. The best are ones that are customised for the individual job & emphasises objectives, skillsets, past accomplishments etc that relate to the job role & company needs!
(6) Poor Formatting – A CV/resume that has poor formatting, shows bad planning, poor organisation or clutter will not get you an employer attention or an interview. Make sure you use an acceptable format that is professional, simple & attractive for the employer’s eye. Don’t let poor formatting or lazy attitude let you down.
(7) Not Proofreading – This should be a standard approach that you should do however, spelling mistakes, poor grammar & glaring errors still can creep into CVs/resumes. Having any of these is a sure fire way of getting your CV/resume rejected. Once you have checked yours for errors, have someone else proof read it to help spot errors before you send it out. Sometimes, a different person’s eye can spot mistakes that we cannot.
(8) Leaving Out Key Facts – You should be including qualifications, professional experiences included with the right dates, titles, institutions & descriptions. Use of keywords in describing your role & accomplishments in each role will help your CV/resume stand out. Read job descriptions to make sure you highlight the right material or your CV/resume will not go any further.
(9) Lies – Due to the competition for positions, some candidates will either lie or tell a few half-truths to help them stand out and get the interview/job. Any type of lies will be discovered so you are best just being honest from the start. If you’re discovered to have lied you can face punishment by law and worst of all, your reputation will be tarnished which will affect future job applications.
(10) Poor Targeting – Researching which companies & who to send your CV/resume to, is important especially if you trying to get a job with certain company or industry. Sending your CV/resume to just any company or leading professional is not going to get you a job. Be smart & logical.
To help you avoid making mistakes, here are 10 mistakes that you need to avoid if you want to make a good impression with your CV/resume!
(1) Insufficient Contact Details – This may sound obvious but some candidates will forget to make sure their CV/resume clearly details their full name, address & contact details for employers. Contact details are sometimes not up to date, email address is not a professional one or they are using a work email. Don’t let this basic error catch you out!
(2) No Objective – Every CV/resume should start with a clear objective. This cites the position you’re seeking & short skills supporting statement, which shows how you’re highly suited for the role.
(3) Passive Language – Use active verbs which help to make a stronger impression on potential employers. These active verbs are words that help you sound positive and make your skills stand out more e.g. developed, managed, planned etc! Not using these words can make it sound dull and uninspiring!
(4) Writing In The 1st Person – When you write about yourself, it can be difficult to not start sentences with the word ‘I’ or ‘My’. Avoid doing this as the person reading the CV/resume knows it is about you. Keep your sentences short & dynamic and begin them if you can with strong action words!
(5) Lack of Focus – A CV/resume should be focused on the job/industry you are applying for. If applying for jobs in different industries, it’s important to have different CVs/resumes that cater specifically to the different skills required in each industry. Generic unfocused CVs/resumes never make the mark with employers. The best are ones that are customised for the individual job & emphasises objectives, skillsets, past accomplishments etc that relate to the job role & company needs!
(6) Poor Formatting – A CV/resume that has poor formatting, shows bad planning, poor organisation or clutter will not get you an employer attention or an interview. Make sure you use an acceptable format that is professional, simple & attractive for the employer’s eye. Don’t let poor formatting or lazy attitude let you down.
(7) Not Proofreading – This should be a standard approach that you should do however, spelling mistakes, poor grammar & glaring errors still can creep into CVs/resumes. Having any of these is a sure fire way of getting your CV/resume rejected. Once you have checked yours for errors, have someone else proof read it to help spot errors before you send it out. Sometimes, a different person’s eye can spot mistakes that we cannot.
(8) Leaving Out Key Facts – You should be including qualifications, professional experiences included with the right dates, titles, institutions & descriptions. Use of keywords in describing your role & accomplishments in each role will help your CV/resume stand out. Read job descriptions to make sure you highlight the right material or your CV/resume will not go any further.
(9) Lies – Due to the competition for positions, some candidates will either lie or tell a few half-truths to help them stand out and get the interview/job. Any type of lies will be discovered so you are best just being honest from the start. If you’re discovered to have lied you can face punishment by law and worst of all, your reputation will be tarnished which will affect future job applications.
(10) Poor Targeting – Researching which companies & who to send your CV/resume to, is important especially if you trying to get a job with certain company or industry. Sending your CV/resume to just any company or leading professional is not going to get you a job. Be smart & logical.