5 CV Mistakes To Avoid

Emily, a recent graduate had eagerly applied for her dream job at a marketing firm to kick-start her career journey. Just like any other graduate, she took her time to perfect her CV, with the confidence that her qualifications and experiences would eventually get her an interview.

It had been almost one month but Emily got no response. It was when now she began to think where she went wrong. She was disheartened so she decided to seek help from a professional CV revamp service. It was then now she discovered that her CV had some common CV mistakes to avoid that often led to missed opportunities.

Here are some of the CV mistakes to avoid

1. Spelling And Grammar Errors

Statistics show that 77% of hiring managers immediately reject CVs with typos or poor grammar and Emily’s first mistake was not thoroughly proofreading her CV. This causes recruiters and potential employers to question your attention to detail. Emily had inadvertently written “manger” instead of “manager,”. Spelling and grammar errors are critical CV mistakes to avoid.

2. Unprofessional Email Address

The use of unprofessional email addresses is one of the key CV errors to prevent. Emily’s email address “emythequeen@example.com” might have seemed fun in college, but 76% of CVs are often rejected because of them. If she had used a more professional email, such as her name followed by a reputable domain, she would have been more appropriate.

3. Lack of Keywords

According to studies, 75% of companies always use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan CVs. Therefore, without relevant keywords, your application will never reach a human recruiter. Emily’s CV lacked keywords like, “SEO,” “content marketing,” and “analytics,” which were important for the marketing role she desired. The lack of keywords is a significant CV mistake to avoid.

4. Vague Job Descriptions

General job descriptions are common CV mistakes to watch out for. Like Emily’s, her descriptions of her past roles were too generic. Measurable achievements catch the recruiters’ and employers’ eyes. Instead of using plain statements like “handled various marketing tasks” she could have said “increased social media engagement by 40%”.

5. Lengthy CV

A lengthy CV is one of the important CV blunders to avoid. Many recruiters skip CVs that are too long. It’s important to keep our CV short, ideally one page for recent graduates and two pages for more experienced professionals. Emily’s lengthy CV probably overwhelmed the recruiters.

Conclusion

After a successful session with the CV revamp service, Emily’s CV was error-free, focused, and aligned with industry standards. She started to land interviews and, eventually, her dream job. She had now discovered the CV mistakes to avoid that eventually made a difference to her applications.

Ensure your CV stands out for the right reasons. Sign up for our CV revamp service today and increase your chances of landing that perfect job.