7 severe CV mistakes to avoid

Most employers review CV’s for only a few seconds, but they’ll have seen enough that they still pick up even the smallest mistakes and common clichés.

We might think we have a good idea of what these mistakes are, but some of them are less obvious than others.

We have compiled the seven most unusual mistakes job applicants make on their CV.

These include:

• Stuffing Keywords — What job applicants do to trick automated CV scanners sometimes, is include certain words they think will make them appear more suitable for the job. Also known as “key word stuffing”. This really doesn’t work, and makes the CV seem robotic, plus the employer who finally reads it won’t be fooled. Make your CV clear, honest, and readable for real people.

• Poor formatting — This point is important, because if you don’t send a CV in a universal format like Microsoft Word, it can be a real headache for employers, and by consequence they will judge you. Don’t slow the process by making them ask for a document that they can edit.

• Bad file naming — Employers may get tons of applicants for a single position, so giving your CV a weird title is unacceptable. Make it obvious and searchable by simply putting your name followed by “CV”.

• Outstanding but unproven claims — Never make claims that you can’t back up, like saying you’re “the best online buyer in Europe”. Employers prefer to know about things you’ve actually done with real examples of your achievements and responsibilities.

• Not doing your research — What do you know about the company you’re applying for? Do you know what their goals are? If not, why do you want to work for them? That’s exactly what an employer will be wondering, so have a good answer by looking into the place you want to join.

• Including salary details — A surprising amount of job applicants think it’s a good idea to reveal their previous salary on a CV, but this is a mistake. This will give a bad impression to employers and adding this figure to a CV may also lose you money if the company is willing to pay you a lot more.

• Having a silly contact email — Even the smallest detail can severely affect the job application process. A pointless, immature email address is one of them. “FunnyMonkey@gmail.com” won’t make anyone come across as a serious applicant. Stick with your name or a something professional that’s relevant to job hunting.

The best CVs always show what employers want and highlights skills relevant to the job. CVs should also be short and clear. Spelling and grammar mistakes are unacceptable, so triple check before sending anything. There are many more things to keep in mind when writing up the perfect CV. We can help you with that with that. Click here and find out more.