| Why is your CV being rejected? | | | | yours gets chosen by showing clearly you have |
| Are you sending your CV, but getting no | | | | the skills required. Use a three to four selling |
| response? Here are some of the most | | | | statement summing up your career background, |
| common CV mistakes that I see. Check these | | | | areas of expertise, key skills and motivations. |
| against your CV and you should begin to see | | | | 6. Inclusion of unnecessary information: Reasons |
| better results. | | | | for leaving jobs, salary, gender and marital status |
| 1. Writing lots, but saying nothing: If employers | | | | have no bearing on your ability to do a job so can |
| have to concentrate too hard to find relevant | | | | be omitted. Your personal interests should only be |
| information on your CV, they won’t read it! | | | | added if they are either unusual or they |
| Employers aren't looking for you to explain | | | | demonstrate a skill relevant to the role for which |
| everything you've ever done. Grab their attention | | | | you are applying. Following the introduction of age |
| with bullet points rather than long sentences. The | | | | discrimination legislation, your date of birth is no |
| most successful CVs are written concisely. Two | | | | longer required. |
| pages of A4 are more than enough to persuade | | | | |
| your potential employer that you're worth | | | | 7. Not Tailoring your CV to a specific role: Do not |
| contacting for an interview! | | | | send your CV to as many companies as possible |
| 2. No achievements: This is the section that is | | | | in the hope that you will increase your chances of |
| missed out most on CVs. Highlight specific | | | | getting an interview. Each employer is looking for |
| achievements that are relevant to the job. Think | | | | a CV and cover letter that applies to their role |
| of new procedures, time saving activities, | | | | and as all roles are different, you should make |
| successful campaigns, increased sales and money | | | | small adaptations so that it matches their specific |
| saved and made. This demonstrates to | | | | requirements. Show that you understand what it |
| employers that you are commercially focused and | | | | is they want you to do. |
| results driven. Although not all roles have | | | | 8. Too much use of ‘I’: There's nothing |
| quantifiable key performance indicators, think of | | | | worse than reading a CV that's full of ‘I did |
| the impact you have had on the business. | | | | this’ and ‘I did that’. You want to |
| 3. Vague and Clichéd: Vague statements that | | | | avoid writing in the first person as much as you |
| could apply to anyone e.g. ‘seeking a | | | | can. Using action verbs to start sentences is a |
| challenging position in a professional | | | | good way to overcome this e.g. achieved, |
| environment’ tell the hiring manager nothing. If | | | | organized or developed. |
| you have worded your achievements well, | | | | 9. Formatting: Pay attention to the layout of your |
| clichés such as ‘good communicator’ | | | | CV. Hiring managers only look at CVs for a few |
| and ‘team player’ are not needed | | | | seconds before deciding whether to continue |
| because it will be evident from your experience | | | | reading so clarity of information is important. You |
| that you already have these skills. | | | | should present information under clearly labelled |
| 4. Grammar and Spelling mistakes?: One of the | | | | sections, with education and employment history |
| most common reasons a CV is binned is | | | | documented in reverse chronological order. |
| spelling. It’s easy to spot a badly written CV | | | | Contact details should always be clearly visible at |
| when there are red lines under each word! There | | | | the top of your CV. |
| is no excuse for spelling or grammar mistakes if | | | | 10. Not including a covering letter: Because you |
| you have spell check on your computer. You | | | | cannot sit with your prospective employer and |
| could also ask someone else to proof read your | | | | walk them through your CV, the cover letter |
| CV. | | | | should entice them to turn the page and read |
| 5. No personal profile: Without a summary of your | | | | your CV. Make sure that your cover letter |
| skills the hiring manager needs to read your whole | | | | addresses the key skills and requirements you |
| CV and pick out the skills themselves and if they | | | | have to fill the position and use the job advert as |
| have two hundred CVs for one position and only | | | | a guide on what the employer wants to see from |
| need to find ten good candidates then they may | | | | you. |
| not have time to read your whole CV. Make sure | | | | |