3 Costly Mistakes On Your CV And How To Fix Them

By Ruoro Kairu   

“I apply to jobs I am qualified to, but I never get any feedback.”

This is a popular complaint amongst professionals.

How is it possible to apply to different companies and the outcome is the same?

Why do all the applications you make go unanswered?

The most common reason why your application is unsuccessful is your CV.

You don’t have the chance to walk into an office and sell your skills, qualifications, and experience. Your CV is what does the speaking for you.

If the CV is unclear, the employer moves on to the next one. In most cases, an employer will spend less than a minute on your CV.

For the employer to consider you for the position you’ve applied to, your CV needs to stand out. Unfortunately, many professionals send CVs with mistakes and the employer ends up rejecting the application.

I spoke with Ms. Carolyne Kariuki, a HR expert, and she says there’s almost no chance of you being shortlisted if your CV is full of errors.

“We receive applications that are full of errors. Some professionals just send the CV and write nothing. No matter how many applications you make, if it contains errors, you might never get shortlisted.” advices Ms. Carolyne.

What can you do to ensure your CV doesn’t have errors that can cost you your dream job? I have compiled three of the most common mistakes, and how to fix them. These are;

1. Spelling and grammatical errors

This looks like a simple and harmless error, right?

Not to an employer. To them, such errors demonstrate that you don’t pay attention to detail, or that you don’t take time to review your work.

Moreover, a simple grammatical error could change the meaning of a statement.

For instance, when writing your achievement, you might say, “Improved the customer engagement level by 3.0% in a period of 3 years.” This looks like an almost insignificant change given the time. But what if you intended to say, “Improved the customer engagement level by 30% in a period of 3 years.” It suddenly gives more weight to the achievement.

What should you do to have a grammatically correct CV?

  • Go over your CV severally after you’re done writing it.
  • Print your CV and cover letter and go over them again –it’s easier to spot mistakes on paper.
  • Ask a friend to review it for you. You can also approach a professional CV writer for a review.
  • Make use of free online software that can help you spot grammatical and spelling errors.

2. A lack of consistency

As mentioned above, employers take a minute or less scanning through your CV. If they cannot clearly pick out the information they are looking for, they reject the application.

You may be the most qualified applicant, but if your CV lacks consistency, the employer will struggle to look for relevant information, that they will move on to the next CV.

How do you ensure your CV is consistent all through?

  • Decide beforehand on what you want to capitalize, what you want to abbreviate, and what you should italicize.
  • Stick to one font type and size through the CV. If it’s headings or sub-topics, choose a uniform font size for them too.
  • If you start writing is the first person (which is recommended) don’t switch to third-person midway through the CV.
  • Maintain a professional tone all through your CV.

3. Poor formatting

A poor format makes it harder for the employer to see your experience, qualifications, and experience. With poor CV formatting, the CV will likely get rejected.

Here are tips to improve your CV format;

  • Keep it simple –avoid the temptation of using watermarks, borders, clipart, etc.
  • Avoid using logos and pictures on your CV.
  • Convert your CV to PDF and confirm the format is still the same.
  • Let the CV –and cover letter, be easy to follow.

At the end of the day, your CV can either get you the job, or it can hinder your chances of getting the dream job. Go over your CV and ensure it doesn’t contain any of the errors highlighted above.

If you need professional help reviewing the CV, consult an expert CV writer to help you come up with a professional CV that will get you that dream job.