If you need help mastering the art of an attention grabbing CV. Here are some tips…

First impressions are important, especially when it comes to applying for jobs. As recruiters we know there are certain things that give a bad impression when we’re looking at CVs. To be in with a chance of getting a job interview we have put together a list of things to avoid putting in your CV.

Spelling and Grammar: We see a large number of CVs with spelling mistakes and poor grammar. There are no excuses to having spelling mistakes in your CV. You should be checking your CV several times. Get someone else to proof read it as well.

Pictures: Headshots on CVs should be avoided. Outside the UK it may be normal to attach a photo of yourself on your CV. The only times this is acceptable is for professions were attaching a photo of yourself is necessary, such as actor or model.

Formatting: Poor formatting can turn a recruiter off from reading your CV. Some people may feel like using 5 different fonts and different colours will personalise their CV. But it does not. A CV should a single easy to read font such as Arial or Times New Roman. The font size should be at least 10 and it should be in black. Another mistake that candidates make is putting thing in the wrong chronological order. You should put your most recent work history and achievements at the top.

Long CV: Try to keep your CV pages to 3 at a maximum. If your CV is too long, here are some tips to help you:

-Take out any meaningless introductions such as “you’re hardworking, detail orientated”.

–Include only relevant and professional information Keep your introduction, snappy, mention what skills you will bring to a new role and which industries you have excelled in.

-Take out any long drawn out paragraphs. Keep paragraphs short and bulleted.

– If you add hobbies and interests, leave out any weird hobbies and generic hobbies

Missing information: We see CVs with some information missing such as:

–Your contact details: Believe it or not this does happen. Double check your contact details on your CV are correct. We can’t contact you about your CV if there are no contact details.

–Leaving out titles: Some people will not include company names they were working for, even job titles or even dates of employment! Some people will miss out employment dates to hide employment gaps. But you should always be honest about employment gaps because if you don’t a recruiter will probably think you’re not suitable for the position.

Copying job spec onto CV: We know you want to show that you are the right candidate for the role but copying the job specification onto your CV