So, your CV has been written and sent off to potential employers, and all you have to do is wait. And wait… There are many reasons why you might not get chosen for an interview, but if you’ve got the skills, why are you constantly being rejected?
It might be something to do with your CV. Despite your best attempts, there are mistakes that are easy to make, and it’s these small errors that can make all the difference between an interview and a place on the rejection pile. What is it you’re doing wrong?
- An unsuitable email address: sexylegs@gmail.com might seem hilarious when you thought it up years ago, but to a potential employer it signals you’re not serious about the job search.
- Bad spelling and grammar: There is no excuse for it now that every computer has a spell check tool.
- Inaccurate dates or misleading information: businesses are able to carry out background checks on your employment history and job positions, so if you’ve over-exaggerated your role or stretched out employment dates to cover periods of employment, you WILL get found out.
- An overly long CV: make sure it’s no more than 3 pages maximum. Most companies are only interested in the last 5-10 years of employment as these are most relevant, so leave out any unnecessary details or achievements.
- Too much personal information: no one needs to know your date of birth or nationality at this stage.
- Unreadable fonts: yes they may make your CV stand out, but if they are unreadable, then the employer won’t even try to decipher them.
- Long paragraphs: when reading through CVs, there’s nothing worse than a page of unbroken text. Break up the information with bullet points and short sentences.
- Using the same CV for all jobs: some information on your CV will only be relevant for certain jobs, so you may need to adapt it when applying for different roles.
- Information in the wrong chronological order for each role that you list: put your most recent achievements and job roles first, as these are most relevant to the employer.
- Lack of employer information: for each job you list on your CV write a quick summary of the role and your achievements in that position.
- Lack of contact details: if an employer cannot contact you, hey won’t go out of their way to try.
- Writing your CV in the 3rd person: it comes across as odd to a potential employer when you refer to yourself by name.
If you take a good look at your CV and can spot any of these mistakes, it is important to change them as soon as possible. With competition for roles at an all-time high, it is vital to make the best first impression to ensure you get to the next stage in the application process.
 |  |  |
