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CV Mistakes to Avoid

Make sure your CV is your springboard to the next

stage of the job search. Here are some key CVmistakes to avoid.

Your CV is often the first impression a hiring manager has of you and more often than

not you will only have a few seconds to grab his/her attention and leave him/her 

wanting to read more and invite you in for an interview. It is essential that you get this

vital piece of communication right and use it as a springboard to the next stage of the

 job search. The following are some common CV mistakes to avoid at all costs.

1. Insufficient Contact Details

Make sure your CV clearly details your full name, address and contact details for a

 prospective employer to reach you including phone numbers and email address. This

may sound obvious but remarkably, a few candidates will send their CV out omitting

key contact information or with outdated contact details. If your email address reads

 particularly unprofessionally (eg hotbabe) or is a work email address it may be well

worth while changing it for a different one to utilize for correspondence with

employers.

2. No Objective

Every CV should begin with a clear and concise objective citing the position you are

seeking and a supporting short skills statement summarizing the reason you are highly

qualified for this role; e.g. "Seeking a senior marketing analyst role where I can apply

my 3 years experience in marketing analysis gained with a leading Fortune 500

FMCG company as well as my skills in copywriting, strategic analysis, business

development, client servicing and media planning." Remember, the goal of the CV is

to outline what you can do for your prospective employer not what your employer can

do for you.

3. Passive LanguageRemember to use active verbs that show leadership and accomplishments rather than

weak passive words. Words like achieved, spearheaded, managed, exceeded,

 pioneered, led, created, developed and motivated convey an active, dynamic

successful professional. Substitute all weak descriptive sentences for sentences that

detail accomplishments in no uncertain terms eg instead of "Managed the firm's

emerging markets equity portfolio" try "Managed and achieved a 34% annualized

return on the firm's flagship £200 million emerging markets equity portfolio."

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4. Writing in the first person

Do not start sentences with the word 'I' or use the personal pronoun in your job

descriptions. Keep your sentences short and dynamic and begin them wherever 

 possible with strong action words.

5. Lack of Focus

Every CV should be focused on the particular job and industry you are targeting. If 

you are applying to jobs in 2 different industries make sure you have different CVs

that cater specifically to the different skills required in each industry. The best CVs

are customized for the individual job at hand and emphasize objectives, skillsets, past

accomplishments, aptitudes and qualifications that are uniquely relevant to that role.

Generic, unfocused CVs rarely make the mark.

6. Poor Formatting

Your CV will get no more than a cursory glance if the formatting is poor and it shows

 bad planning, poor organization or clutter. Makes sure you adhere to an acceptable

format that is professional, simple and attractive to the eye. Use bullet points

wherever possible rather than long, winding prose and be consistent with font,

headings, spaces and layout. Avoid the coloured paper, illustrations and glitzy touches

- if you are applying for a creative position show your creativity in your portfolio not

 by jazzing up your CV. Aim to send your CV on high quality paper (if not on-line)

and make sure it is no longer than 1 page if you are entry level and a maximum of 2

 pages if you are a seasoned professional.

7. No Proofreading

Spelling mistakes, poor grammar and glaring errors are a surefire way to get your CV

dismissed and stop the job search process in its tracks. Read and reread your CV

 before sending it to the employer, run a spellcheck and have some-one else read it for 

an extra check before sending it out.

8. Omission of Key Facts

Educational qualifications and professional experience must be included in your CV

with proper dates, titles, institution names and descriptions. Use plenty of keywords in

describing your role and accomplishments in each job as well as in the Skills section -

these will often be the hook that makes the difference between your CV being

considered or overlooked, particularly with an online employer CV search. If you are

unsure what keywords to use, read the job description thoroughly, read detailed job

descriptions for similar jobs with other companies and ask peers in the industry what

skills/qualifications are particularly relevant for this role.

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9. Lies

Lies and half-truths will be discovered sooner or later and you are better off omitting

them from the start. If you have not finished a university degree make that clear on

your CV without neglecting to include the coursework you did complete and the

educational accomplishments you do have. Similarly do not list promotions, jobs,

titles, dates or job descriptions that do not accurately reflect your work history. Most

companies run very detailed background checks and lies and exaggerations that are

not glaringly obvious on the CV or at the interview will often be discovered at the

reference or background check.

10. Poor Targeting

Make sure you send your CV to the right person at the company and accompany it

with a short, concise cover letter that personalizes it and summarizes your skills,

objectives and the value you will bring to the job. Spend some time researching whoheads the division you are targeting and what the most relevant skills are to target in

your correspondence and send your introductory CV and cover letter directly to them.

Your CV is more likely than not to be disregarded completely if you send it to the

wrong person or to a nameless "To whom it may concern".