CVs/Résumés are a huge part of the employment process. Employers can learn a great deal about the applicant within a single sentence of the document, so it is important to get the content correct. Applicants are often filtered out and not considered for a job due to their CV and the mistakes it may have. Here are some things you absolutely MUST avoid when writing your CV to avoid having this happen to you.
1. Know your audience. Every job application needs to be personalized for the person who will be reading it. If you’re applying for a role with leadership, you must demonstrate your abilities as a leader within the CV. Speak to the reader and avoid any one-size-fits-all approaches (“To whom it may concern…”) in order to make them think and feel as though it was written for them.
2. Tone it down. When writing a CV you want to maintain a balance between showcasing yourself and wasting time. If you have an accomplishment to list about your previous job position, then get to the point and don’t drag it out. Being concise will improve the employer’s impression of you and will save his/her time, which he/she will appreciate.
3. Spelling and grammatical mistakes. Obviously, typos need to be eradicated before submitting a CV. Scanning through the document forward and backward will help, but get a friend or coworker to proof read your CV. Doing so will provide fresh eyes and a non-biased opinion, which may benefit your writing.
4. Clichés. Clichés such as “good communicator,” “committed,” or “hardworking” should be used as little as possible, if needed at all. Instead of simply telling the reader that you are good at communicating, show them with a concrete example. For instance: “Used my communication abilities to effectively maintain a client base.” Demonstrate how your abilities impacted the business you worked for.
Source: E Consultancy