Ten things not to put on your CV

CAREER SAVVY GIING YOU THE KNOW HOW 10 NOT TO PUT IN YOUR CV THINGS Your CV is often your first impression on a potential employer. Avoid common pitfalls with Career Savvy's top tips! BE SURE NOT TO... 1 I Get Personal It is not necessary to include your: Employers may base decisions on personal data. By not including this information, Photo Date of Birth Gender you prevent the possibility of discrimination. Sexual Orientation Religion Political Affiliation 88% is the job rejection rate if you include a photo on your application. Some employers will dismiss CVs with a photo immediately to avoid a potential accusation of discrimination. Include Spelling Errors and Poor Grammar According to the Recruitment and Employment Commission: ачаиnd 50% х2 21-25 In this age group, graduates are twice as likely to of all CVs received by recruitment consultants contain spelling or grammatical year olds are the most likely culprits. make mistakes as those who did not errors. go to university. Dear Sir or Madman, If you find correct spelling and grammar IiffyCEfE challanging tricky, use a spell checker and be sure to proofread. I'm attacking my CV for you to review. Reading your CV in print, rather than on screen can help you to identify mistakes. Hope to hear from you shorty. It is also a good idea to ask a friend or family member to check through your work. Add Irrelevant Work Experience Your CV should show the employer as quickly as possible that you match their requirements for the role. Cut out any irrelevant information which will dilute this key message. Delete If information about any irrelevant work experience is needed to fill gaps in your CV, limit details to a minimum. Read the job description carefully and decide what information is actually Write down a list of keywords or phrases to help you focus your CV as much as possible. The average job search lasts 18 relevant to the role. weeks but is longer for candidates without a strong CV. Show Off Hobbies and Oddities "I love collecting crazy pens!" For the most part, employers do not need, or want to know what you get up to in your spare time. An This is also true for non-professional achievements, such as being nominated secondary school team captain, or having the ability to play 'Chop Sticks' on a toy piano with your big toes. exception is if you have a hobby that relates to the role you are applying for. A novelty pen designer for instance. [email protected] Your 'fun' contact email address, while expressing your personality, may cost you a potential interview. 76% of CVs are ignored if the email address is unprofessional. Be Negative It's important to use positive language on your CV. Replace negative phrases with positive ones. Resist the temptation to bad mouth previous employers. A MISTAKE >is instead < a valuable lesson. AVOID WORDS SUCH AS: • awful • bad • fault • hate • mistake • nothing • problem Research has shown there are terms and phrases to avoid using, even in a positive context. "I have an aggressive passion for what I do" of recruiters would reject 92% candidates who made negative $*@#~! comments on social media. Put the Cart Before the Horse Prospective employers will not need references until much later in the recruitment process, so there is no need to include them on your CV. Instead, keep an up to date list of references separately ready to send on if requested. "References available on This states the request" obvious therefore it's not necessary to include. 5-7 seconds Remove this and you are left with more space on your CV to dazzle the reader with your excellent skills and experience. The average time recruiters spend looking at a Cv. Bend the Truth According to the Society for Human Resource Management: of organisations reported conducting some form of Everyone adds a little sparkle to their CV, but avoid the temptation to go overboard - it is likely you'll be found out if you do get the job. background check on every 96% employee. Jobseekers should be sure the position they are applying for is a good fit for them. If it is, there will be no need to lie as your true qualifications will speak for themselves. Yes, several times 9.5 % Have you ever lied on 4.1 % Yes, once No, but I'd consider it 12.9 % No, never a CV? 73.5 % 8 Information Overload Show off your communication skills by slimming down your CV. 1 x A4 2 x A4 3+ x A4 SHEET SHEETS SHEETS CVs with three or At graduate level, a relevant A two-page CV is standard for one-page CV is perfect. experienced professionals. more pages are likely to put off employers. A lengthy CV gives the impression that you're unable to distinguish important information from the irrelevant. 118 20% The average number of applicants for any given role. of those applicants get an interview. Concentrate on the relevant details! 9. 9 Get a Little too Creative Keep your CV easy to read and professional by using: Aa A simple classic font, such as Georgia or Underlined, bold, and Aligned headings and a structured layout. italic text sparingly. Helvetica. Be sure not to: CV Handwrite your CV. Apply distracting Use clip art. COLOURS 10 Use Woolly Language and Jargon I am an innovative, detail- orientated problem solver Meaningless jargon, clichés and vague wording must be avoided when writing your CV. who thinks outside the box. Instead, use examples with facts and figures to show you are the perfect candidate. 71% 54% 41% of employers say they regularly see jargon or of employers say they are regularly irritated by CV jargon. of employers agree that men use more jargon in acronyms in CVs. their CV. CAREER SAVVY GIVING YOU THE KNOW HOW For more tips and advice, check out Career Savvy the free and friendly career advice magazine. www.careersavvy.co.uk Sources statisticbrain.com/ guardian.com/undercoverrecruiter.com/ propellondon.com totaljobs.com / forbes.com/ gradschool.com/ business.time.com