Mistakes You Might Be Making On Your CV Without Knowing It
Read our list of top mistakes you might be making on your CV - and advice on how to correct them.
Having a lot of separate jobs listed (casual work at festivals, catering, bartending etc)
If you went to university and picked up odd jobs here and there to get a bit of money, it is perfectly reasonable to have had numerous odd jobs. On the one hand, this is a good thing because it shows that you can manage time well and have a good work ethic, but on the other hand, it can make you appear “job hoppy”. At first glance, a recruiter will see your CV and think that you’re unable to stay at a job for any length of time, which is obviously thought of as a red flag, as well as the fact that no one wants to read 4 pages of weeklong or daylong roles.
- Top tip: if this is the case for you, summarise the roles under “numerous casual employers”, with a date span and brief list of responsibilities
Unexplained gaps
If you’ve been travelling and have month-long gaps on your CV because of this, then make sure to include that as the reason. If you don’t, it could come across as though you spent that time unemployed, and could seem lazy and lacking drive. It goes without saying, but don’t lie that you went travelling if you didn’t – you will be asked about it and will quite quickly get caught out if you claim to have gone to Thailand but can’t specify any areas you went to, or what you did when you were there.
Lack of emphasis on key things
If you’ve recently obtained a degree but have put it at the bottom of your CV under part-time working positions, it may appear at first glance that you don’t have relevant experience/qualifications for the role in question, and therefore it would appear that you have a less credible profile than what you genuinely have. Recruiters decide in an incredibly short amount of time whether your CV is worth pursuing, as they look for key points in a few seconds – if your main (and relevant) achievements and accolades aren’t obvious to the reader, it may seem like they don’t exist. This principle also goes for grades, as if you don’t include your grade, or seem to be hiding things, recruiters tend to get wary and may assume the worst. If you graduated with a 2:1 but don’t specify that, naturally people’s minds will jump to you having a 2:2 or a Third (or even a fail), because why wouldn’t you be proud of a good grade?
If you’ve worked in previous roles that have aspects which could be beneficial to the roles that you’re aiming to move into, make sure these are noted in your CV, whether that’s in your personal statement, as key skill bullet points, or noted under each role.
Using the wrong buzzwords for the industry you’re aiming to get into
The ‘buzzwords’ you choose for your CV will set the tone for the entire thing, and will indicate where your specialisms lie – this will distinguish between you being more of a free-thinker or preferring to go by the book, or whether you’re seeking a more professional role or one on the more laid-back side of things. It will be an indication of your suitability for the company and the role, so don’t use words you don’t feel represent you suitably, as they may form a preconception of you that is inaccurate. Try to include any key words that you’ve seen mentioned in adverts for the roles you’re applying to, or similar roles, as you know that’s what they’re definitely looking for; only look to these for inspiration, and don’t use them if they don’t suit you.
For example, using terms like “goal-orientated, driven and tenacious” are all qualities favoured in potential salespeople, whereas “creative-thinker, imaginative and agile” will work much better for a role in a creative setting.
Using an inappropriate layout
Assuming everyone knows what to include in their CV (if you are unsure, you should see our ultimate CV guide), this point is more about the look, rather than content. A common mistake people make when they’re writing their first professional CV is that they don’t know what it’s supposed to actually look like, and then spend too much, or not enough time thinking about making it look nice. Some people simply like to make things look pretty, but don’t have any interest in pursuing a design career, and others overlook making it look nice at all, but do actually want to pursue a creative field.
Underestimating the power that design has on making a first impression to the reader, and how they then perceive your profile when they get to the contents, is where some people can fall at the first hurdle. Recruiters tend to scan over CV’s quickly, and therefore may perceive a meticulously designed CV as belonging to someone passionate about getting into something like graphic design, and will disregard them as being appropriate for a corporate role. The same goes the other way, and if you send a simple “no frills” CV to a creative company, they will question your talent, passion and creativity. The information contained in your CV should always be tailored to each role you’re applying to, so if your applications are going in broadly one direction, the layout can be the one thing that stays the same.
Not including contact details
It’s a surprise and an annoyance to see when a candidate has a great profile, but has omitted their personal contact information. Whether you’ve left it out because you don’t want to give out that information and receive spam, or because you’ve simply forgotten it, it can be extremely frustrating as the hiring manager/recruiter won’t be able to further your application. Make sure to have a valid mobile number and an email address (that you regularly check) so the recruiter can get in touch! It may be a good idea to create a new email specifically for your job search so you’ve got one mailbox to keep an eye on that doesn’t attract years’ worth of spam mail – also, you can avoid awkwardly applying to jobs with the odd email address you made years ago!
If you’ve found this article helpful, have a look at our other posts – we (aim to) post every Thursday, so hit the follow button to be notified about new uploads! If there is anything you’d specifically like to see on the blog, whether that’s tips or opinions, feel free to leave a comment or send an email directly to our Sales and Marketing Executive, Caitlin, via caitlin@5-q.co.uk
