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The 7 deadly sins to writing a CV
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A good CV is the fine line between getting an interview and your application ending up in the bin so here we have outlined the 7 most commonly made mistakes found on CVs.
1
Accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar are vital! It's the most
obvious, but still the most common mistakes are made by people not
reading through what they have written. Don't rely on word processing
packages alone to check spellings, as they can't pick up on all
mistakes; where, wear and were are the most commonly made errors.
2
A poor layout and format can instantly send your CV to the bin. Don't
use a wacky font: - 'Curriculum
Vitae' - In general, Times New Roman,
Arial or Tahoma in font size 11/12 is the norm. CV's should be no
longer than two pages long, and have a well-balanced text to space
ratio. Don't forget to include hobbies and interests, work-life balance
is important to employers these days. That being said stick to sporting
activities and interests that don't involve excessive drinking or
gambling.
3
The use of a general CV to apply to all jobs can be spotted a mile off.
Job hunters should tailor their CV's and include relevant information
only to the job they are applying for. Include specific achievements
accomplished in each role listed, and detail your responsibilities.
4
Emailing of CVs. People are highly confused when using this new medium
to send their CVs. Don't just attach the 'bog-standard' covering
letter; use the body of the email as your covering letter, using the
formatting and language of a professional email.
5
'Stretching the truth' on your CV is a waste of time. Creating academic
qualifications, adding time spent, and additional responsibilities to
job roles will be discovered at interview stage. You will look like a
fool when you fail to provide when asked how to deal with certain
situations or examples of your abilities.
6
Contradicting statements. Your CV should be accurate and honest.... so
avoid using conflicting statements such as detailing your exceptional
attention to detail whilst including spelling and formatting errors.
7
Highlighting faults and negative statements. If
you were asked to leave any of the jobs detailed on your CV, don't draw
attention to it. At the interview the interviewer will ask the reasons
for leaving jobs.
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Author
Corinne Hutchinson, at TipTopJob.com is a professional marketer and career advisor working in the online recruitment industry. She has written articles and advised jobseekers on searching and applying for jobs since 2005. |
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