CV – Mistakes to Avoid

“An error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.” – Orlando Aloysius Battista 

As we know, CV is a marketing tool which can help us introduce ourselves professionally. There are people who don’t know how to write a good CV, which is nothing bad (I didn’t know at first, either and I am still learning and updating), but it’s important not to leave it like that. Do not give up, since here are some mistakes which should be avoided when you start making or updating your CV:

1. Your CV isn’t adapted to the job position you’re applying for – it’s not always a good idea to send the same CV in each of your applications. That doesn’t mean you should create many of them. Make one and just in case a copy of it, so you can modify and adapt it to the job you are applying for (e.g. you can add certain skills or experiences you have which are required for a certain job position).

2. Dishonesty – please try avoiding being dishonest in your resume or at the interview itself. It’s not professional nor kind and it can be noticed sooner or later at a job interview through direct or indirect questions.

3. E-mail address – there are a few things related to this matter. Firstly, try to create a professional e-mail address (which should include your first and last name) if you already don’t have one and always stick to one e-mail. Do not apply with the e-mail you’re not using that often, since it can be troublesome to contact you. If you would like to change your e-mail, please let the company know about it, so they can update their database.

4. Too much stuff – if you’re a person with lots of experience, try to put the most relevent things in your CV (e.g. the latest work experience, trainings, conferences you attended, etc.) and the rest put on your LinkedIn profile as a full resume (if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, I highly recommend creating one), since your CV should be one to two pages long and it shouldn’t look like an essay filled with tons of information. Try to organize your CV in a way it can look neat and readable. Therefore, avoid using too many colors, fonts and letter sizes.

5. Job description – try to summarize in a couple of sentences what your main role was in a certain job position you were doing. It can be useful for a potential employer to learn more about it and understand what you were/are doing and what knowledge and skills you might possess.

6. Photographs – nowadays, in most cases our photos are not required to be included in our CV. However, if you still decide to include it, or if it’s required, please be careful which one you are using – avoid using selfies or any other unprofessional photo, since it will not look presentable.

7. Spelling and grammar – before you are done making your CV, please read it several times to make sure your sentences are concise and that you don’t have any grammatical nor spelling mistakes. If such mistakes can be found in your resume it can show two things – that you either don’t care enough to check or that you are illiterate and none of them is a good way to represent ourselves.

8. Updating – don’t forget to update your CV or to refresh it every once in a while by changing something or adding new information. That way, you don’t have to worry about your CV being outdated and it will always be ready for new applications.

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