The ideas outlined in this article may seem basic yet these are the mistakes that HR departments the world over see day in and day out....
The ideas outlined in this article may seem basic
yet these are the mistakes that HR departments the world over see day in and day out. Commit one of these sins and guess what happens to your CV? Straight into the bin. Goodbye interview hopes, goodbye job! Not ideal. So although it may seem basic, when you've applied for 5 jobs already today and figure you'll go for one more, do us a favour, have one more look over it and make sure you're not committing one of these deadly sins. If you are your CV will be damned to burn in hell... Or at very least get recycled, and not do its job of getting you that all important interview.
1. Spelling & Grammar Mistakes
More basic sounding than almost anything. Don't say you spent a year working in "Ametica" - the important thing here, make sure to spell check your CV in word and also to read over it yourself to see can you spot any typos or errors. As well as spelling make sure you have someone good at English look over your CV to make sure you're using the correct grammar!
2. Mentioning the Wrong Company
This is one I heard about from multiple people when I was writing my CV - don't send a cover letter to Accenture saying that you really admire the work that McKinsey are doing within the consulting sector! I laughed at the thought of someone being so foolish - and then I did it. Carelessly sent a cover letter copied from an old cover letter template and forgot to take out all of the old content. Needless to say I'm still awaiting a response for that job...
3. Too Many Buzz Words
People use buzz words in every walk of life and every industry. Whether you're creating a CV for a Chef's job or completing a job application to be a stockbroker, there will be certain words that you think sound slick and professional, when really they make you sound less than genuine and less than original. So read over your CV again and make sure every word counts and adds something to your application.
4. No Passion
This is a sure-fire way to encourage a company to overlook your CV - come across as disinterested and not passionate! Your CV is a tool to convince these people that you are right for the job, not only because you are well qualified but also because you are different and stand out from the pile of other job applications.
5. Going On For Too Long
While you do want to come across as someone with experience and skills relevant to the job, do not be fooled into thinking this requires an essay of text. The art of writing a good sentence is saying in 5 words what someone else says in 5 sentences. Developing a concise and to the point style of writing will mean an employer gets all the facts about you, without getting bored.
6. Being Generic
This is a personal hate of mine. People just doing the same thing as everyone else. Do things that stand out, personalise your application. Find a way to not follow the herd. Companies are looking for people with creativity and the courage and conviction to follow their own thoughts and not just what everyone else is doing. If you see something on your CV you think everyone will have, ask yourself why it's there, and how it could be improved.
7. Leaving Out The Best Bits
Finally, there is importance in the things that you DON'T include just as much as what you do. Give enough information to spark interest, but leave enough room for discussion in the interview. Spiking interest like this can be the hook that gets you into the interview.
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