Introduction
One of the most important parts of a job application is your CV. It is used to give recruiters an overview of your skills, experience, qualifications and accomplishments. Recruiters will often look at the information provided in your CV to decide whether you have the right experience and skills for the role. Unfortunately, despite having the right skills and qualifications, you might find it difficult to get interviews due to having mistakes on your CV. Any spelling errors, inconsistent formatting, personal information that is not relevant, vague career objective and unclear work experience can cause confusion for recruiters. Becoming aware of these common issues and knowing how to fix them will allow you to create a more professional, relevant and convincing CV.
1. Spelling and Grammar Mistakes
One of the most obvious issues with a CV is spelling and grammar issues. If you are a highly qualified candidate with relevant experience but keep making spelling and grammar mistakes it can show that you are careless and not paying attention to detail. Recruiters will then question whether you will be as careful with your work. Punctuation, tense, sentence structure and common mistake words will cause confusion for recruiters when trying to understand key points of information. This is a big issue if you are applying for roles that require good communication, documentation and administration skills.
The best way to overcome this issue is to proof read your whole CV thoroughly. Using spell checkers and grammar checkers will help you spot any potential issues. However, it can still be an issue as some words that are used incorrectly can still be grammatically correct. Reading your CV out loud will help you spot any awkward sentences, missing words and unclear statements. Ask someone else to read through your CV so they can give you a different perspective. Make sure to double check all names, dates, qualifications, contact details and employment details.
2. Inconsistent Format
Your CV should be formatted consistently to make it easy for recruiters to find key information. Unfortunately some people use a variety of fonts, font sizes, heading styles, spacing and alignment throughout their CV. For example, some employment details might be listed using bullet points whilst others are written using long sentences with no clear structure. This can cause your CV to look incomplete and can distract recruiters from seeing your actual skills. The lack of good presentation can also make it difficult to see important sections such as your education, experience, certifications and skills.
You can overcome this issue by using a simple professional design. Ensuring your sections have clear headings, easy to read fonts, consistent margin sizes and correct spacing will make your CV more accessible. Whilst you don’t need to use bright colors and complex graphics to make your CV look professional, it is important to remember that not all CVs with formatting issues will be automatically rejected by an applicant tracking system (ATS). Different systems have varying capabilities and there are lots of factors to consider when deciding whether to recruit someone. However, keeping your formatting simple, using standard section headings and keeping your information clear will help minimize any issues.
3. Irrelevant Personal Information
A common mistake is to include personal information that is not relevant to the role you are applying for. Some people will include information about their marital status, religion, family background, hobbies etc. This will not show you are a suitable candidate. Whilst some personal information might be relevant depending on the country, industry and application, including unnecessary information can take up valuable space and cause confusion for recruiters. It can also cause unnecessary privacy issues.
To improve this section of your CV you should focus on providing information that will help employers understand your professional background. Including your name, professional contact details, location (if relevant) and relevant professional profiles should be enough. Only include extra personal information if asked by the employer or if it is relevant. Avoid giving any sensitive information. Keeping your CV well organized will help you show how valuable you are as a candidate.
4. Vague Career Objective
Having a vague career objective can make an otherwise good CV look worse. Not explaining what you hope to bring to the company can cause issues. Phrases like ‘I would like to work in a challenging environment’, ‘I’m looking for a rewarding position’ or ‘I want to help the company succeed’ are common and do not show you are a suitable candidate. As these phrases will be seen on many applications it can be difficult to stand out. Your career objective should show you have a clear career path and that you understand the role.
Instead of using general statements try to include specific objectives relating to the role you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for an accounting role you could explain how you are keen to use your skills in financial reporting, record keeping and reconciliation to help run the business accurately. If you don’t have much work experience you could include relevant training you have received at university, transferable skills, volunteer roles or internships. Try to tailor your objective to each application. Sometimes a professional summary can be more useful than a career objective, especially if you have work experience.
5. Unrealistic Claims
Recruiters want to know what you can actually do. Some people include impressive statements but have no evidence to back them up. Whilst phrases like ‘excellent leadership skills’, ‘outstanding communication skills’, ‘exceptional problem solving skills’ and ‘extensive technical knowledge’ might sound impressive, they do not provide much information. Over exaggerating your qualifications, responsibilities, experience and accomplishments can also cause issues as employers will check this information during interviews, references and background checks.
Try to include specific examples to back up your professional claims. Instead of just saying you have good organization skills explain how you organized schedules, kept records, managed multiple tasks and helped deliver projects. Avoid claiming to be an expert in areas you don’t have much experience in. Including numbers and results will help improve your descriptions however make sure they are accurate and relevant. Never make up accomplishments to make your CV look more impressive. Be honest, clear and include evidence.
6. No Explanation of Gaps in Employment
Whilst gaps in employment aren’t necessarily a bad thing, if there are no explanations for why you had gaps in between jobs it can cause confusion for recruiters. Gaps can occur for a variety of reasons such as further education, family commitments, health issues, moving house, being unemployed, professional training and personal development. Some people will try to hide this by changing the dates or not including important information. This can cause more confusion if there are inconsistencies between your CV and information given during interviews.
Be honest with your employment history. If you have large gaps in your employment you should include a short explanation. You don’t need to include lots of personal information. Just explain what you were doing during your time away from work. This could include professional certifications, new skills, education, volunteering or personal commitments. If relevant you could use a functional or combination CV to help showcase your skills and accomplishments. The most important thing is to be transparent and show you are ready to return to work. Generally recruiters will look at your whole application.
7. Too Much Information on Work Experience
Some people include too much information about their previous roles. They might include every single responsibility they had each day, regular tasks and small tasks. This can make your CV very long and difficult to navigate. It can also mean your major accomplishments are hidden and recruiters will struggle to see what experience you have that is most relevant to the role. This is a common issue for those who think the more information they include the better their CV will be. However, if you can’t easily find the most important information your CV won’t be very effective.
Focus on including the most relevant responsibilities and accomplishments to show you are a suitable candidate. Keep your descriptions short, use action verbs and bullet points. Instead of including multiple sentences about general administrative tasks explain how you kept accurate records, created reports, supported financial processes and improved an internal process. If you have older or less relevant roles you might not need to include as much detail. Whilst there isn’t a standard length for a CV depending on your industry and career stage, make sure all your sections include meaningful information.
8. Unclear Skills Section
Your skills section should make it easy for recruiters to see what skills you can offer. Unfortunately some people include a list of skills that aren’t organized. Some might include too many skills that aren’t relevant. Others might include skills that they don’t have the education and experience to back up. This can make you look unfocused and recruiters will struggle to see what relevant qualifications you have. Having an unclear skills section can also make your CV less effective as employers will be looking for specific skills mentioned in the job advert.
Organize your skills to make them relevant and important. This could include technical skills such as accounting software, data analysis, project management software, programming languages and others required for the role. Transferable skills could include communication, team working, time management, leadership and problem solving. Avoid including skills just because they look good. Include skills you can confidently back up with examples from your work, education, volunteering or personal projects. Have a look at the job description to identify key words to include.
9. Proofreading Checklist
It is important to proofread your CV. Even if you have spent a lot of time creating your CV you might still miss mistakes as you will be very familiar with it. By going through a checklist you will be able to easily spot any issues that could impact how readable, accurate and professional your CV looks. When proofreading try to look at your CV as if you were the recruiter, you probably won’t have much time to understand your skills. Here is a simple checklist to get you started:
CV Proofreading Checklist
- Check your name and contact details are correct and professional
- Check spelling, punctuation, grammar and sentence structure
- Check fonts, headings, spacing and alignment are consistent
- Remove irrelevant personal information
- Ensure your career objective/professional summary is relevant
- Back up your skills and accomplishments with real examples
- Check your employment dates and include explanations for large gaps
- Remove any repetitive information
- Organize technical and transferable skills
- Check your education, certifications and employment details are correct
- Ensure your file name is clear and the document is in the correct format
- Proofread your final document on a computer and mobile
Whilst this checklist doesn’t guarantee you an interview it can help you spot any issues you could have avoided. Try to match your CV to the requirements of each job advert.
How to Assess Your CV
Alongside proofreading your CV you should assess whether it shows how valuable you are as a candidate. A great way to do this is to match your CV to the job advert. Consider whether the required qualifications, experience and skills are clearly shown. Are your most relevant details in eye catching sections? Can your accomplishments be easily understood? Does your CV tell a consistent story? Try reading your CV as if you were the recruiter. This will help you spot any unnecessary information, unclear statements and missing information. Ask a trusted professional, mentor or experienced colleague to have a look at your CV and give you honest feedback.
There are also online tools to help you assess your CV. A free resume score checker can help you review your documents. However these shouldn’t be taken as an exact measure of how employable you are. They can’t fully represent your experience, potential and suitability for a specific organization. Look at some professional resume examples to see how you can present your qualifications, experience, skills and accomplishments in a clear way. Comparing this to your documents will help you spot opportunities to improve.
If you require extra help with creating/improving your CV an AI CV Builder can help you organize your information. However make sure to carefully review all the information. Whilst they can help you with writing and organization they can’t replace your personal judgment, honesty and proofreading. The best option is to use the right online resources and have a clear understanding of the role you are applying for and what the employer is looking for.
Conclusion
Creating a well prepared CV can really make a difference to how your skills and experience are understood by recruiters. Common mistakes such as spelling issues, inconsistent formatting, irrelevant personal information, vague career objective, unrealistic claims, gaps in employment, too much information and unclear skills can make you look like an unsuitable candidate. Fortunately these issues can be avoided by carefully creating your CV, being honest and regularly proofreading. Remember that not all CVs with formatting issues will be automatically rejected by an ATS. There are lots of factors to consider when deciding whether to recruit someone. Using checklists, getting constructive feedback, looking at professional examples and using the right online tools will help you create a clear, relevant and professional CV.
