The 9 Deadliest CV Mistakes

By Andrew Fennell

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When writing a CV, the things that you omit can be just as important as the things you include.

Sloppy mistakes in your CV can be a huge red flag for employers and will seriously damage your career prospects.

So before you start hunting for your dream job; review your CV to ensure that you are not including any of the following blunders from StandOut CV’s latest infographic guide below.

 

Key points

An unprofessional email address – Your CV is a professional document so do not ruin it by plastering an embarrassing email address like “[email protected]” across the top – Use your full name or a close deviation to keep it professional.

Meaningless clichés – Buzzwords and clichés are overused, boring and vague; focus on demonstrating your value with facts and evidence instead.

Skills graphs – Although skills graphs may look great, they don’t actually provide readers with a tangible scale of your abilities. Use real life measures to demonstrate your skill levels, such as qualifications and length of experience.

Photos – Unless you are an actor or model, photographs will not add any value to your application – use the limited space on your CV wisely by filling it with compelling content, not images.

Too many pages – Recruiters and hiring managers often see hundreds of CVs per week, so don’t make them wade through a 7 page CV; keep yours short and sharp.

Unexplained gaps – employers will be worried by unexplained gaps in employment, so don’t be afraid to include things like travel, volunteering and personal projects

Spelling mistakes – It goes without saying that spelling mistakes are a huge red flag for employers so make sure your CV doesn’t contain any.

Elaborate fonts – Over-elaborate fonts are difficult to read so stick to a clean and simple font.

Huge chunks of text - Huge unbroken paragraphs are a reader’s worst nightmare, they look daunting and make it difficult for recruiters to pinpoint the information they need. Make your CV readers happy by using plenty of short sharp bullet points and dividing sections clearly.

9 CV Mistakes

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