Most of us want to put our best foot forward and want to impress hiring managers. With that intention, we tend to put as much information about us as possible that will make our CV unappealing. Here are some mistakes you should avoid while making your CV:
Irrelevant work experience:
You should avoid putting work experience that is not relevant for the post you are applying for. If it does not show any skill or abilities which is required for the applied job, it will neither be helpful for you nor the recruiters. According to Career expert, Alyssa Felbard, “Past work experience that might not appear to be directly relevant to the job at hand might show another dimension, depth, ability, or skill that actually is relevant or applicable. Only include this experience if it really showcases additional skills that can translate to the position you’re applying for”.
Blatant Lies:
Thought you want to impress your recruiter but that doesn’t mean you should tell blatant lies. According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder, where 2,000 hiring managers were asked about memorable CV mistakes and among them blatant lies were a popular choice. Recruiters can spot information that doesn’t stack up and can-do backgrounds checks on the candidate. If they found you lying, your personality will come across as unreliable and recruiters may think it is an attempt to hide your flaws.
Personal Pronouns:
Don’t use words like “I”, “me”, or “my” in your CV. Many career coaches also suggest not to use such words. Don’t address yourself in the third or first-person perspective. It is understood that everything written in the CV is about you.
Fancy Fonts:
We should know that readability matters. Use of fancy or ultra stylized fonts may decrease their readability which may cause the recruiter to absorb less about you. So choose a professional and clean looking font which makes it easier for the recruiter to go through your CV.
Annoying buzzwords:
Some words are so common and meaningless that is so annoying to hiring managers that they may discard CVs they receive that include them. According to a survey conducted by CareerBuilder among 2,201 US hiring managers, where they were asked about the CV terms that are the biggest turnoffs. They mentioned worlds like: best of the breed, go-getter, synergy, people pleaser, etc.
So try to use active verbs like achieved, improved, managed, created, etc.