CV writing mistakes to avoid

If you want to keep the recruiter who’s reading your CV interested for more than two seconds, then you need show them what you are actually capable of. This means every section of your CV should be thoughtfully constructed, and every word chosen cautiously.

However, there are a few things that should actually never be on any CV.

A Vague Objective

The fact that you have applied for that particular job makes it obvious which position you’re looking for. Objectives usually take up valuable CV space that could be used to add more important and relevant information. A generic objective like “my objective is to expand my skills” or “to support a growing company” is often pointless and won’t distinguish you. Instead, I would recommend adding a short summary that will tell the readers what is your current position and exactly how or why you intend to be an added asset to the position you are applying for.

A Silly E-mail Address

What I mean by a silly e-mail address may not be what you are currently thinking of. Using an e-mail address that is simple and professional will be on your side. Forget those e-mail addresses from high school or college days were you had the coolest nickname or secret codes. Also, if you are currently employed and searching for a new job, never use your current work email address. Always use your own personal e-mail address.

Irrelevant Work Experience

Keep your CV focused to the job you are applying for. Managers are looking for proofs that you can do the job through your CV. Impress the person who is assessing you by only including relevant experiences in your CV. Having work experience in other fields or jobs have probably helped you gain more skills in a way. But, unless these skills are clearly related to the job you are applying for, then you are just wasting some space. Include all experiences that will reflect on the position you are applying for and truly showcase your potential.

The third-person voice

The easiest way to sound like arrogant or out-of-touch is to write your CV in the third person. It’s just weird when you say “Ahmed raised $60,000 for the organization”. Don’t do it. Your CV has your name and contact information at the top of the page, so the person reading through your CV will know that you are the person who did all the things written in there. Don’t use first person either. Instead, you can say “Raised $60,000” or “Managed a team of research assistants to do x and y”.

Extra pages

Keep an eye on the page numbers. CV’s should be no longer than one page for fresh graduates, two if you are in a managerial role with several years of experience. Senior candidates have a bit more leeway in this.

The page count will automatically limit you from adding any unnecessary information and will encourage you to be straight to the point in your language. No matter what experience you have, employers and recruiters don’t normally have the time to go over three pages of the tiny-teeny details of your accomplishments. Managers won’t be excited to read your history of jobs all the way from college until today.?

You have other important things and accomplishments that are related to the job and you are worried that there isn’t enough space? Remember, you can get more detailed in your cover letter, through an interview, or if the manager really wants to know more, they’ll find out.

Poor Formatting

This is one thing I will tell you to keep watching for no matter how many CVs you’ve written. Format your CV professionally. The fancy, cursive font types won’t necessarily land you your dream job, and neither will the charts, figures and tables. In fact, they might even lower your chances.

Keep some white space and make your CV comfortable to the reader’s eye. Never use colors in the text body, stick to black.

Typos

Proof-reading your CV for grammatical mistakes sounds like a given, but you’d be surprised by how many errors and typos we still find today.

Tips on how to avoid typos: First, read your CV backwards, starting with your last sentence till you reach your name at the top. Second, read it out loud; it’ll help you see the words and sentences clearly. Third; give it to others to go over it. Run it by your friends or family as they might find some mistakes that you overlooked.

(Copied from a reliable source and posted on linked for the benefit for job seekers)