The mistakes you shouldn’t make on your CV

Last week we wrote an article about how to write a good CV. This week we are going to tell the most important things you shouldn’t put on your CV.

Indeed, no matter how many hours you dedicated to the presentation of your CV, how many experiences you have and accomplishments, one mistake can get it thrown in the round file. What you leave is almost as important as what you put on your CV.

Avoid these resume-writing pitfalls at all cost if you still want to be considered for the job.

1. Typos and grammatical mistakes

Your CV must be grammatically perfect. Don’t forget that it is the first element linking you with the employer and hence to the job you are applying to. You must double-check everything you write. With spelling mistakes, the employer will think that you don’t know how to write, that you are not focused and that you don’t have enough motivation to get the job.

You also need to check for every dates, figures or numbers that don’t add up.

1. Dishonesty

A CV should represent yourself and your experience. Even if to get the job, you have to stand out from the crowd, lying on your resume is never a good idea. There are a lot of chances that the employer might discover it when he reads your resume or during the interview. At work, a lot of people were asked to do tasks because they had ability on their resume but were not able to complete it because it was a lie. If interested, employers do background checks, go on social media or talk to your references so they can quickly discover the truth. Show who you truly are on your resume and the employer will accept you for that. Moreover, if you get a job through lying, you will never be really satisfied whereas if you are selected thanks to your real experiences and abilities you will be way more happy and proud of yourself.

1. Lists

Employers want to understand what you have done. A list of your education and experiences won’t be enough for them. They want to see some results. Use numbers and information that can catch the attention of the employer. Moreover, resumes are about quality and not quantity. Don’t forget that the employers are going to read a lot of resume and won’t have time to focus on every detail: you have to keep the most interesting ones, the ones that can make the difference. The experiences you are showing must also be in relation with the job you are applying to. Focus on education and abilities, which show that you are a serious candidate for the job. When you write your resume demonstrate your problem-solving skills and don’t draw a list of everything you did.

1. Playing with words and language

Once again, employers don’t have time to analyze every word in your resume especially if you are trying to be funny or sophisticated through big words. They want clear and concise information on why you’re a good candidate for the job and how you can make a difference in the company. They don’t have time to analyze your funny or sophisticated words. Applying for a job is not something funny. It can even be very risky to use humor or wordplay, as they can sometimes be misunderstood when they are said in written forms. You can’t take the risk to offend, upset or bore the recruiter.

1. Too much personal information

You must not write any personal information, for example if you are single or not, your religion, your political opinion or your race. Even the employer during the interview is not allowed to ask you those kinds of questions. Also, don’t include things and hobbies that you like to do when they don’t have a link with the job you are applying to. Everybody likes “going to the cinema with friends” and it won’t help you to get the job. Your hobbies must show that you are unique and that you also have other qualities, like competitiveness or ambition. In the UK, we don’t usually put a photo on your CV. Even if it is very popular in the U.S. because the companies don’t want to be accused of discrimination based on appearance it is not the same spirit in the U.K. so you definitively should leave the photo out of your CV. Most employers should not and are legally not allowed to care about your appearance.

1. Irrelevant and needless information

The statement “references available upon request” is slowly coming to an end. Even if it is the case and you have reference letters from teachers or past jobs, the employer will ask them if they really need it. Leaving this statement out of your CV does not mean that you should not have reference letters, on the contrary. When you get on well with a teacher of with an employer do not hesitate to ask them for one. It can be very useful when the recruiter ask to have a look at them. But don’t put the statement on your resume. Employers want you to write a resume specifically for them and for the job you are applying to. Thy want you to show how and why you are the one to fit the position in their company. Instead of loosing space on your CV with that sentence, create a separate document with your reference letters listed on it and their contact information and have it ready to send it to the employer if he is asking you to send reference letters.

The “objective statement” is also slowly disappearing. For example “I’m strong, motivated, hard-working and I’m looking for a job that…” won’t interest the employer. He already knows what job you are applying to. Employers want to know through your CV why they should take you and you only have a page or two to do so don’t waste them with unnecessary objective statement.

1. Leaving off important information

On the other hand, you should not leave information that you think will be helpful to get the job. You may be tempted, for example, to leave off the jobs you have taken to earn extra money while at school. But the skills you have gained from those small jobs on the side like work ethic and time management can really attract the employers.

1. Visually too busy

Once again, employers are looking through a hundred of CVs and don’t have time to focus on every details. A CV, which is visually too busy, can annoy and give the employer a headache. Don’t use too many colors and too many different typos. Be soft; be clear, go straight to the point. Also, don’t forget to show your CV to other people, members of your family and friends before you send it to the employer to see if they like the visual. Advices from other people can be very useful and show you elements that you don’t necessarily see.

Hence, what you include in your resume is as important as what you leave out. Don’t forget when you are making your CV that the employers have a lot of other candidates and you have to make the difference in a way or another. Your CV can’t be too busy, too risky but has to show how and why you are the best for the position.