CV Common mistake -8 Common mistakes you make while writing your Curriculum Vitae.

This post will identify common CV mistakes and how to solve them. A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a write-up written to summarize an individual’s Personal, Academic and Professional life to attract the interest of employers. It is a document containing an applicant’s life achievements and qualifications to meet the interest of an intended role or job.

A well-articulated CVs aid one in consideration for a role in a company. Some persons are instantly rejected because their CVs are poorly written and presented. Here are some common mistakes made while writing your Curriculum Vitae.

1. Spelling and Grammatical Errors -CV Common mistakes

A document as important as the CV should be free from spelling and grammatical errors. Nothing is underwhelming than going through a CV with misspelt words or bad tenses.

The CV is supposed to be your selling point, so it is expected to be a Blueprint for your entire life. Errors will be a bad impression.

2. Focusing on Duties instead of Achievements

This mistake is so common among applicants. A hiring manager wants to know who you are and what you can offer the company. They are interested in knowing what you could bring to your previous place of employment. The right thing would be to present what you have done so far in your career and the Successes you attained.

Unfortunately, most applicants rarely outline this but end up stating the duties performed in their previous jobs. The achievements you state in your CV help the employer have a glimpse of the quality you possess.

For Example, if you worked as a Project manager in your previous job, you can state that you led your previous company/employer to achieve some important goals. It helps elevate your profile before the company.

3. Poor or Complicated Format -CV Common mistakes

In trying to make themselves look preferable and fanciful, many Persons make the mistake of using complicated formats to write their CVs. They try to make it look Classy to attract the employer and gain some form of credibility but then fall short of requirements because though it might look beautiful, it is complicated and not easy to understand.

On the other hand, some CVs get ignored because they are poorly written. It is necessary to search for good formats for your CV so that you meet up with the standard required.

Some persons make their CVs too common, and merely looking at them paints a picture of who exactly sends it in. Once such CVs come around, the chances of them getting dumped are really high.

4. Same CV for All Companies

It is good to have different CVs for different job applications you send. This is because you need to do a background check of the intended company to know the Kind of thing they will expect from applicants in their firm.

Just as you write Essays and Articles with the Audience, you write your Curriculum Vitae with the intended company in mind. For example, the CV you submit to a Bank should not be the same CV you present to a Hospital, even when you intend to work in the accounting department in both firms. The company should matter to your CV.

5. Not Streamlining CV to Prefered Role -CV Common mistakes.

This is related to the earlier point, emphasising not submitting the same CV to different companies. However, this is different because it discusses making your CV tilt towards the position you want to apply for. Your CV should tailor to the job you are looking for.

For example, the CV you submit to a company as a Customer Care representative should not be the same one you present to a Radio station as an OAP.

Both deal with speaking, but the former with customers while the latter with public speaking.

Asides from making your resume more direct, it gives you a good representation before the Hiring manager/Company as it shows that you made your findings very well about the company before seeking to be employed by them.

6. Mindless Lifting

In our desire to have a concrete Resume, many have gone ahead to Copy CVs online or from friends and associates. They sometimes fall into the trap of copying a lot of things which, at the end of the day, is not defendable.

To make yourself the best candidate for the job, be careful to be original with your CV. Sometimes, the tenses or the use of English in the other CV tickles your fancy, but in the end, you put yourself in the wrong position.

Many years ago, I was privileged to be part of an Interview team. Looking through it, I saw a phrase which I could not understand.

The applicant in his Career Goal wrote that he was “A Self-motivated individual and a Goals Oriented Addict”. I paused a bit and read it again and again. After a series of questions, I discovered that it was the way it was stated in the place he copied his CV.

Imagine applying for a Job in a Church and adding that you are an “Enthusiastic Islamist”. It automatically disqualifies you. It is advisable to write your CV yourself to avoid these scenarios.

7. Omitting Hobbies/Interests -CV Common mistakes

Adding your hobbies to your CV makes the employer see another side of you. It gives him a glimpse of how you spend your time and your attitude.

Some people, to appear too serious, decide to commit these little things that make them relax and give them extra motivation, especially in their free time. Another advantage of adding it is that you might connect with your interviewer through those hobbies listed.

For Example, not everyone loves Chess, but imagine being interviewed by someone who is a Big Player and finds it an interning topic to talk about. As crazy as it may sound, the game can be an avenue to get the appointment. Add your Hobbies, it is very necessary.

8. Wrong Contact Information

After presenting a Wonderful Curriculum Vitae, some people make a huge blunder, providing the wrong contact details. This is mostly seen in the emails attached to the CV.

This is the reason why there is a need for rechecking. You might have a wonderful CV, but then, the means of reaching you which you provided is wrong, and you wonder why you end up not getting called for the job despite having a wonderful resume.

Reading your Curriculum Vitae well before sending it out is vital. Mistakes like the ones stated could be one of the reasons you do not get invitations for interviews despite putting a huge effort into making your CV fanciful. I hope with this. You will look through your CV and make it more concrete.