Your CV is a representation of you and what you have to offer a company. With this in mind, it is no surprise that many professionals are incredibly pedantic when it comes to perfecting this unique self-marketing tool. However, no matter how many hours you have spent adding to and proofing your CV, the chances are high that you made one or two fatal flaws that could hinder the likelihood of you landing your dream job. Let’s take a look at some of the most common CV mistakes:
- Your CV is too long: It is advisable that professionals limit the length of their CV to a maximum of two pages. Including too much detail not only makes your CV difficult to read and navigate, it can also cause you to come across as arrogant.
- Your CV is too short: Straight to the point is better, right? Indeed. However, a CV that is one page (or less) in length will immediately result in your potential employer questioning whether you are actually qualified for the job. It can also come across as slapdash and give off the impression that you aren’t all that enthusiastic about getting the job.
- You use a generic cover letter: It is essential that you personalise your cover letter. In doing so, you demonstrate an interest in the position and automatically stand out from those who have gone the generic route. Your cover letter provides you with the opportunity to highlight specific skills and work experience that you believe are in line with the requirements mentioned in the job ad. This means that your potential employer will already have a good idea as to why you are the ‘best candidate for the job’ before even reading through the CV itself.
- Inconsistent Formatting: The layout of your CV is more important than you might think. In order to avoid coming across as someone with poor attention to detail, ensure that you utilise the same font and font size throughout your CV, as well as the same spacing parameters. While your potential employer might not notice your perfect formatting, you can rest assured that he / she will notice if it is messy or inconsistent!
- You have used tired clichés: ‘I am a people person and a perfectionist’, ‘I want to grow and develop my skills’ and ‘I believe I am the right person for the job because…’ have no place in your CV and won’t elicit much of a response other than plenty of yawns and eye-rolling.
- You haven’t ordered your CV strategically: Make sure that the aspects of your CV that highlight you as a great candidate for a particular position are the first aspects that each potential employer sees. In order to ensure that this is the case, when it comes to work experience and education information, it might be a good idea to list in reverse chronological order.