5 CV Red flags which employers hate!

5 CV Red flags that employers hate!

A combination of compelling CV content and a well-defined structure is key to landing plenty of interviews. However, if left unchecked, even the most minor of CV errors could result in you falling at the first hurdle with employers.

With that said, check out these five CV red flags you need to be aware of when you’re looking to secure your next dream job:

1). It’s not tailored to the job

A CV shouldn’t merely document a candidate’s career and educational history, but should instead showcase their suitability for the sector they’re pursuing. You should adapt your CV to match the job description, including keywords and core strengths that are required within the specific industry.

You should look to reserve room within your CV by shortening role descriptions for less related or older positions, you may even benefit from removing less applicable qualifications. This will allow you to provide more depth to the applicable experience, emphasizing the value you had in previous roles and displaying the core skills you’ve acquired.

Be unique and detailed within your CV, featuring why you’re the ideal candidate for the specific role in question. Help make the decision process easier for employers by tailoring your CV to every position you apply for.

2). It focuses on duties rather than achievements

Focus on the impact you had within previous organizations within your CV, highlighting key accomplishments. Whilst role descriptions should list the core duties a candidate carried out in each position, you should include plenty of sector-specific achievements to prove your value.

Incorporating facts and figures into examples will help strengthen these accomplishments and give more context to employers. For example, if a candidate states they “On-boarded 5 new clients within my first month” rather than merely stating they have strong lead generation skills, it’s sure to stand out far more to employers.

Documenting purely the duties within each position will make a CV blend into the crowd rather than accentuating why a candidate should be hired. And it doesn’t end at your role descriptions – make sure you’re adding accomplishments throughout your CV.

3). It’s packed with clichés

Overused phrases add nothing to a CV and merely take up valuable space. Instead, be descriptive, giving specific and unique content rather than stating they are “a strong team player” or they “always give 110%.”

Statements such as the above will result in employers easily forgetting an application, whereas a custom matched CV will make them want to find out more.

You need to provide definitive details about your experience, displaying exactly why you’d make the perfect candidate for the job.

4). It’s poorly formatted

CV structure is equally as important as the content. A clear, well-defined format will enable you to highlight key information to the employers. You should facilitate ease of reading by breaking up large blocks of text, using bold headers, bullet points, and distinctive sections.

A strong structure will allow employers to simply navigate your experience, helping them determine why you’re the right applicant for the post. A cluttered or messy structure will only distract the employers’ attention, potentially causing them to miss critical information.

Incorporate the most significant elements of your experience at the top of your CV, enticing employers to read further. Do your best to draw the employers’ attention with a punchy opening and record your career and educational history in reverse chronological order. This will make it easier for employers to flow through a CV.

Ultimately, a poorly formatted CV won’t do justice to your experience, so it’s essential you adopt a structure that features the relevancy.

5). It contains unexplained gaps

If you have any gaps within your career, whether for travelling, caring for a family member or were even pursuing other personal pursuits, being honest about these gaps is vital.

Add context to explain these gaps to employers, helping them understand the reasoning behind any employment breaks. Unexplained gaps may lead to employers discounting a CV, whereas being open will mean employers are more likely to continue with their applications.

Employment gaps shouldn’t be seen as a negative, but by not providing any explanation, employers will start to question whether there was an adverse reason behind these gaps. If there is a more complex reason behind a career gap, then they should at least add a short description, enabling you to give more detail once you progress to the interview stages.

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