Professional CV Writing Tips
Your CV is often the first impression a hiring manager has of you and more often than not you will only have a few seconds to grab his/her attention and leave him/her wanting to read more and invite you in for an interview. It is essential that you get this vital piece of communication right and use it as a springboard to the next stage of the job search.
Common CV mistakes to Avoid
1. Fail to Provide An Objective or Career Profile
Nowadays CVs should really begin with a clear and concise objective citing the position you are seeking and a supporting short skills statement summarising the reason you are highly qualified for this role. Remember, the purpose of the CV is to outline what you can do for the employer not what your employer can do for you. But the profile should be concise and evidence-backed, not just empty statements of generic skills.
2. Passive Language
Remember to use active verbs that show leadership and accomplishments rather than weak passive words. Words like achieved, spearheaded, managed, exceeded, pioneered, led, created, developed and motivated convey an active, dynamic successful professional. Substitute all weak descriptive sentences for sentences that detail accomplishments in no uncertain terms.
3. Writing in the First Person
Do not start sentences with the word ‘I’ or use the personal pronoun in your job descriptions. Keep your sentences short and dynamic and begin them wherever possible with strong action words.
4. Lack of Focus
Every CV should be focused on the particular job and industry you are targeting. If you are applying to jobs in two different industries make sure you have different CVs that cater specifically to the different skills required in each industry. The best CVs are customized for the individual job at hand and emphasize objectives, skillsets, past accomplishments, aptitudes and qualifications that are uniquely relevant to that role.
5. Poor Formatting
Your CV will get no more than a cursory glance if the formatting is poor and it shows bad planning, poor organization or clutter. Makes sure you adhere to an acceptable format that is professional, simple and attractive to the eye. Typically, make sure your CV is no longer than 2 pages, even if you are a seasoned professional.
6. No Proofreading
Spelling mistakes, poor grammar and glaring errors are a surefire way to get your CV dismissed and stop the job search process in its tracks. Read and reread your CV before sending it to the employer, run a spellcheck and have some-one else read it for an extra check before sending it out.
7. Omission of Key Facts
Educational qualifications and professional experience must be included in your CV with proper dates, titles, institution names and descriptions. Use plenty of keywords in describing your role and accomplishments in each job as well as in the Skills section – these will often be the hook that makes the difference between your CV being considered or overlooked, particularly with an online employer CV search. If you are unsure what keywords to use, read the job description thoroughly, read detailed job descriptions for similar jobs with other companies and ask peers in the industry what skills/qualifications are particularly relevant for this role.
8. Poor Targeting
Make sure you send your CV to the right person at the company and accompany it with a short, concise cover letter that personalizes it and summarizes your skills, objectives and the value you will bring to the job. Spend some time researching who heads the division you are targeting and what the most relevant skills are to target in your correspondence and send your introductory CV and cover letter directly to them. Your CV is more likely than not to be disregarded completely if you send it to the wrong person or to a nameless “To whom it may concern”.
