As a career coach and professional CV writer, I probably see more than most the different styles and qualities of applicant CVs. The harsh reality is that 2 pages of A4 paper stand between you and landing the interview – and if you don’t make it to the shortlist, you have ZERO chance of getting the job.
If you want to be in with a chance to land that attractive job you’ve seen, here are the 4 most common errors that I have seen made in CV writing – so now you can avoid making them!
Relevance
Think about it. If you are applying to become a data analyst, is the pet shop job you did at the weekends when you were in school actually going to impress your prospective employer? There’s nothing wrong with having a job in a pet shop – and if you are applying for a role with animals, then it adds relevant experience to your application. If it does not add relevant experience, it takes up valuable space on your CV – you might as well draw a picture of a balloon – in other words, it offers nothing but air.
Impact
This must be one of the top reasons that separates a great CV from a rejected CV – demonstrating your impact. If your CV just contains a list of tasks that you did in your employment history, then pay attention. You are going to need to put some tangible data to show you have made an impact and that at least some element of your work has improved the business objectives. The recruiter wants to be confident that by employing you, their business will be better as a result.
Optimise
Given that many businesses now use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) software to filter the applications, this means that only around 25% of CVs will reach the hands those involved in the selection process. Therefore, you need to ensure your CV is using fonts and formats that software can read, as well as using key words within your application that flag your CV as belonging to a preferred candidate. The Mapleleaf Vision blog has specific advice on how to create the best CV and how to create an ATS-friendly CV.
Grammar / Spelling
You have carefully crafted your CV to contain great content and have demonstrated your impact in your chosen field of work. You have optimised your CV so it gets beyond the ATS and it’s in the hands of those responsible for shortlisting. And despite your claims of having great attention to detail, there it is – the glaring spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Now if it is one small mistake, you’ll possibly get away with it. But it very quickly becomes hard to ignore!
So, there you have the 4 most common errors made in CV writing to enable you to avoid them and be in with a proper chance of getting the job you want.
How to get help finding the job of your dreams.
If you would like more help finding the job of your dreams, I can support you on your journey and offer a range of coaching packages and the following CV support services to meet your needs:
- CV advice
- CV editing
- CV review
- CV optimising for ATS
- CV writing
Contact me for more information.
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