Mistakes That Make Your CV Look Unprofessional

By Florence Mukunya

Wondering what some of the mistakes are that make your CV look unprofessional?

Well, how many times have you seen a job advert and your first thought was that this is definitely what you have been working on only more challenging and that you are a 100% match for the job only for you to apply and never get a call from the recruiting manager?

Well if this is you; take a second look at your CV.A CV full of grammatical errors and exaggerated styling does not give you that oomph that employers are looking for.

“You could be the best candidate there is for the job but if your CV does not communicate the same you are going nowhere in your job search.” Say Muthoni Ndegwa a Recruitment Manager at Corporate Staffing Services.

Highly Recommended: Are You Making These 5 Common CV Writing Mistakes?

5 Mistakes That Make Your CV Look Unprofessional

1. Spelling & grammar mistake

How do you feel when you receive a text/WhatsApp message that is full of spelling errors you can barely go past the first line? You obviously toss it away and forget.

Now that’s the same thing that happens with your CV that is full of errors, the recruiter will barely go past the second line on your professional profile if at all its there on your CV.

Job seekers out there, note that one small grammatical error will cost you a job. Proof read your CV 10 times if you have to but make sure that your document is free of errors.

2. An unprofessional email address

Your email address should remain as professional as possible avoid using nicknames as part of your email. An email such as shikucute@yahoo.com gives an impression of a very immature person and you are busy applying for a HR Manager position.

It might come as a shock too, but using Gmail also makes you look more professional as opposed to Yahoo. Do not forget that Gmail also comes with an added advantage to you as a job seeker; you can store your CV in the Google drive which saves you the trouble of losing your documents when you format your machine and such issues.

3. A generic CV

Whenever you are doing a job search make sure that you customize your CV to the job you are applying for.

Recruiters are looking for skills and experience that matches their vacant role which means you have to bring that out on your CV. Failure to do this only means that you are not communicating fully to the employer.

4. Mistakes That Make Your CV Look Unprofessional-Inappropriate filename

‘Karis 2016 CV’, is this how you have saved you CV? Then stop wondering why recruiters are not looking at your CV when you apply for those MD positions yet you have been working for the last 15 years.

Use your official name to same your document, something simple as ‘John Kariuki CV’ is enough and also appropriate beside the recruiter does not need to do any editing when saving your CV for interview consideration.

5. Going overboard with formatting/styling

CV is supposed to be a very simple document; the formatting should be kept on the minimal. Use bullets and well summarized sentences as recruiters do not have time to go through prose work due to the huge number of CVs they have to go through.

Finally on mistakes that make your CV look unprofessional Melody Mwendwa a CV writing Professional at Corporate Staffing Services says that a CV is the only document that stands between you being called for an interview and you searching for a job forever without getting one.

The writer is a Communications Officer at Corporate Staffing Services, a leading Recruitment firm that offers CV Writing, Job Placement & Career Advice.Email: florence@corporatestaffing.co.ke