Top 8 CV Do's, Don'ts & Why Most CV Authomatically Rejected

The DO’S AND DON’TS OF WRITING AN EFFECTIVE CV

Should you list your work experience or achievements first? Do you include a photo or not? Will coloured paper make you stand out from the crowd? Writing your CV can be a minefield but there are certain simple rules you can follow. Discover the do's and don’ts of CV writing.

Top 8 CV Do's

      i.        Use a confident tone and positive language: Use positive words to start each sentence, such as initiated, improved, introduced, developed, negotiated, established, created, pioneered, delivered, increased, reduced, saved etc. This also helps to ensure that you’re substantiating your skills with hard evidence.

      ii.            Concentrate on your achievements not your responsibilities: This means listing things you have done – such as products launched, sales increase, awards won – not rewriting your job description. Quote figures whenever possible.

    iii.            Encourage the employer to read on: Ensure that you put your most salient points on the first page of the CV to include your greatest successes and achievements and proven examples of how you have used your skills to benefit the companies you have worked for.

    iv.            Concentrate on the quality not quantity of your achievements: Don’t hold anything back but make sure that your achievements are fantastic and not just that you are a fantastic communicator! Typically a CV should have 10 achievements on it that cover the main successes in your career to get the reader’s attention.

      v.            Rise above the competition: Make sure you include other skills that could set you apart from other candidates, such as languages and IT skills.

    vi.            Keep to the point: Be ruthless with yourself and keep your CV to a maximum of two pages. Only very senior, experienced executives have more to say.

  vii.            Check, check and check again: Check thoroughly for correct spelling and grammar – spotting errors is a quick and easy way of weeding out weaker candidates when faced with a mountain of CVs to read. Don’t just rely on your computers spellchecker but get someone else to proof it – you may have spelt a word correctly but used it in the wrong place.

viii.            Use relevant keywords: With posts advertised through job boards and online recruiters, keywords are entered into databases to find the most relevant jobseekers without having to trawl through 1000s of candidates. These keywords will include specific technical skills like SAP or qualifications like ACCA or specific job titles like ‘Customer services advisor’. Make sure your CV mirrors the language used in the advert.

Top 8 CV Don’ts

        i.            Expand the truth: It is simply not true that the bigger the lies you put on your CV then the better the job you will get. Most employers are not fooled by creative embellishments and if you do manage to get a job based on this you could be let go of pretty quickly which won’t look good on your CV.

      ii.            List everything: An employer really doesn’t need or want to know all the one-day training courses you have ever been on. Keep information relevant and to the point.

    iii.            Include a photo: No matter how attractive you make yourself look, it will not improve your chances. This tends to be popular in other European countries but isn’t favoured by the majority of UK businesses.

    iv.            Divulge sensitive information: Never include your NI or passport number or any other sensitive personal information on your CV.

      v.            Tailor your CV: Your CV should be strong enough to be used for different positions that you are applying for. It is your covering letter that you should tailor carefully for each position, making sure it answers all of the employer’s questions about your suitability for the role. However, if you have a really wide skill set then you may have more than one CV depending on which role you’re going for.

    vi.            Talk in clichés: Phrases such as ‘I am a highly motivated individual who works well on my own or in a team, with exceptional communication skills and the ability to work under pressure to produce results under tight deadlines’ are dull and the employer has heard them all before. Make yourself stand out with carefully worded phrasing that is factual and captures the employer’s attention.

  vii.            Duplicate applications: Some recruiters have systems that handle multiple applications from the same person, but for those that don’t, remember it is most off-putting to receive five CVs from the same person and for the same job application.

viii.            Make the recruiter jump through hoops: If you are able to perform in the job, explain how in your CV. Don’t expect the employer to read between the lines to work out whether you will be worth the £40k salary per annum. Sadly, that’s what lots of candidates think it's the recruiter’s job to do.

WHY MOST CV AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED

• When a CV is not accompanied with a cover letter, which states in detail what you can offer your employer, it stands rejected.
• When the typing is faint.
• When the CV has any spelling or grammatical errors.
• When the CV is hand written.
• When typed on a typewriter.
• When obviously were photocopied.
• When printed on transparent or very tin paper.
• When printed on novelty paper (totally unprofessional).