7 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your CV

Proofreading your Curriculum Vitae (CV) to cure it of spelling, grammar, and typos may be a no-brainer, but many make this mistake in their cover letter. Even if you are a qualified candidate, an error on your resume, no matter how small, can mean the difference between a job interview and a missed opportunity.

Normally, you have 6 seconds to capture the attention of a recruiter and surprise him visually, so you should be aware of any type of mistake since even job seekers are aware of them. After all, it is your cover letter and also one of the most important things hiring managers to consider. Therefore, create your CV in CVmaker to make a good first impression and get access to the job proposal, considering the following 7 mistakes:

1- Make spelling, grammatical and typographical errors

Proofreading your CV to cure it of spelling, grammar, and typos may be a no-brainer, but many make this mistake in their cover letter. Also, it is a type of mistake that can make you appear unprofessional and unqualified. Catching your own mistakes is a difficult process, so you have to help yourself with automatic spell checkers to detect them:

• Check spelling with a word search engine.

• Modify the font or copy it to a blank email.

• Do a reading of your CV aloud to get the errors.

• Ask a professional trainer, family member, or friend to review your CV to avoid this type of mistake.

2- Use the same resume in different job applications

Sending the same version of you to different jobs can be a comfortable thing, as it saves you a lot of time in preparing your CV. But, at the same time, it is an aspect that causes disinterest in the recruiter and can be the reason for you to be discarded in a job opportunity. Each proposal must be different and show the skills or knowledge related to the position, especially if they are companies from different sectors. Even companies that participate in the same area have different cultures and needs.

Employers expect to clearly show what you must have to fit the position in the organization; therefore, your job proposal must meet each aspect sought. To achieve this, you have to create a version of your CV for each sector of the market in which you want to enter.

3- Create an extensive resume

If your CV is very extensive, you should know that less is more; it must have a maximum of 1 page in the case of those not having work experience, and 2 pages for those who do. In addition, it makes a summary of the last 10 to 15 years worked. Do not include exactly everything you have done; only the most relevant. On average, a recruiter views a candidate’s presentation for 7 seconds, so you need to stand out in that time. So he writes short, concise sentences that have an action verb, and uses numbers or percentages whenever he can.

4- Place some incorrect or missing information

The goal of a resume is to get a job interview; if you have wrong or pertinent contact information it is difficult for them to recruit you. Check the smallest and most taken-for-granted details, especially the email or phone number. Also, take care of the format and location of the information; do not add information in the header section and do not put the data as an image. Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that cannot read this type of information and will flag your CV as incomplete in the system.

5- Have an unprofessional email address

Your email address is a method of contact for employers; you must show that you are professional or serious. Therefore, create one with your first and last name, as recruiters may discard you if you have an email such as Anita.Bonita.

6- Add keywords that do not match the job

Keywords are terms related to what the job needs and are associated with particular companies. Your CV must have the same words so that you can appear in the job offer; if you use them incorrectly, you may be discarded because you do not seem like the ideal candidate.

7- Lack of demonstration or quantification of achievements

A recruiter wants to see the results you have achieved in previous positions, as it is a clear version of your potential. The best way is to do it with quantifiable figures: discuss business numbers, statistics, better rates, proven return on investment, higher sales, etc. If you do not demonstrate, or post, quantifiable data that makes you seem like you had big responsibilities, the recruiter may think your accomplishments are not real.