Avoid these UNFORGIVABLE & COSTLY CV mistakes!

How many times have you sent your CV and then never heard back?

One too many times? Well, hopefully I can help.

As you can imagine, my line of work dictates that I live and breath CV’s. I review, edit, sell & reject them on a daily basis.

You could say I have seen the Good, the Bad & the Ugly.

All too often I speak to amazing candidates. I have shouted across the office “ what a candidate this is” and waited eagerly for the CV to hit my inbox. Only to be disappointed when it arrives.

Now, I will always help and consult my candidates on how to improve their CV. I will help you get it to the level it needs to be before I send it to my clients. 

However, there are common mistakes and pitfalls that are unforgivable.

I wanted to highlight the most common mistakes that are so EASY to avoid.

There is nothing revolutionary here, just some key things to remember when creating or refreshing your CV.

Here are my TOP 6 tips (I couldn’t quite get it to 5):

• Choose simple and clear fonts.

As much as Trattatello or Big Caslon (LinkedIn won't let me demonstrate...) are great fonts, they probably don’t belong on your CV.

Clear and easy to read fonts are what you are aiming for.

Put yourself in the shoes of the individual reading your CV. Safe bets would be, Arial, Times New Roman & Tahoma.

I would also recommend a Size 11 – 12 font for the bulk of your CV and a slightly larger 14-16 for any headers.

AND DO NOT use different fonts throughout your CV.

• Consistency.

If you use Bullet points to demonstrate achievements or experience then don’t use arrows further down. 

Ensure all your dates & titles are uniform throughout.

E.g. if this is your format for one role, ensure it is for all roles.

Project Manager - Joe Bloggs Ltd 12/6/2015 – 7/8/2018

Senior Business Analyst - Can do Consultancy Ltd 23/4/2010 - 15/5/2015

• Length of CV.

You will often hear that the best CV’s are two pages long. I wouldn’t disagree, but a well written CV will not be penalised for going JUST over that length slightly. 

Use your common sense, if your CV is 9 pages long due to a detailed description of a role in 1998 then I would recommend editing.

Generally speaking, employers are mainly interested in your recent experience.

• Quantify it.

What is wrong with this statement? I developed a new online platform for external users.

Well, it doesn’t really tell me anything. I want to know what that meant, what did it achieve. 

Always quantify your achievements & experience. Try something like:

I was integral in developing a new online platform which was delivered under budget and ahead of time. This led to an increase of X% in new users over X period of time.

• Tailor it.

Often your collected experience over the years will mean you can be considered for a host of different roles.

Why then would you send the same CV for each application?

I have candidates who have 3 versions of their CV, each tailored slightly to match the opportunity they are applying for. I am not saying create a whole new CV, I am advising you to highlight the most relevant experience for the role you are applying for.

Highlight the skills most relevant to the role, don’t make the employer filter through all your experience to find it.

• Keep in the Hobbies & Interests.

Don’t dismiss the hobbies & interest section. Employers want to know who you are, what gets you up in the morning, what are your passions!

Get them down on the CV, you never know…. you may share a common interest.

There are many more tips and tricks but hopefully this gives you an idea of how to get started and the common pitfalls to avoid. I am always happy to do a more detailed CV review. If you are looking for some help feel free to get in touch!

Thanks