Accidental mistakes people make on their CV
If you’re applying for a new job, it’s important to have an up-to-date, accurate CV that’s tailored to the role. Bear in mind that even if you do make it to the interview stage, if there are any mistakes on your CV, these may be discovered later.
So here are some of the most common accidental mistakes you should avoid in your CV:
Using the wrong dates for previous jobs
It’s an easy mistake to make. Accidentally writing ‘2019’ instead of ‘2018’ as the end date for your previous job, or making a mistake that leaves a big gap in your job/education history.
Don’t assume that just because you’ve aced the interview and received a conditional offer that no one has picked up on this. If the employer does a reference check, they’ll want to confirm that the information on your CV is correct. They will also need to verify the dates that you worked for your previous employer and your job duties to make sure you’re qualified for the role.
Unfortunate spelling mistakes
A simple grammatical or spelling mistake is one thing but using the wrong word by accident is quite another. A spellchecker will only pick up on mistakes regarding spelling or grammar, but it won’t necessarily pick up on a word that’s technically spelt correctly but you didn’t intend to use. For example, missing out the ‘s’ in skill would be an embarrassing error, although it might make the recruiter/employer chuckle a little!
Most recruiters and employers aren’t going to be too concerned about the occasional misplaced comma (many won’t even notice it!). However, if there’s a pattern of spelling/grammatical errors throughout your CV, this implies you lack attention to detail, and you may find it much harder to get to the interview stage.
Formatting problems
When you send a document from one device to another, the formatting may not always stay the same. For example, line spacing may be different, or bullet points may not display correctly, which may make your CV look unprofessional.
Keep your font formal and stick to size 11 or 12 font, which is what most recruiters/employers prefer when reading a CV. If possible, attach your CV to a draft e-mail and open it on another device to make sure it’s formatted correctly.
Being overly modest
Mentioning your weaknesses in your CV is not advisable. This is your chance to sell yourself and show the recruiter/employer what you’ve achieved so far. Being overly modest or mentioning your weaknesses in your CV won’t convince the reader that you’re the best person for the job
In an interview, you may be asked to describe your biggest weakness or talk about a situation where you made a mistake. Just make sure you can convince the recruiter/employer that any weakness you’ve mentioned will not impact on your ability to succeed in the job.
We hope you found this advice helpful. If you still haven’t done so, please register your details on our database so we can match you with the latest jobs from our outstanding employers.