CV Don'ts

Many people will inadvertently do themselves out of an opportunity by adding foolish or ill thought out pieces of information to their CV. Below is a list of things you should check, avoid or simply not do when preparing your CV.

• Don’t use a ‘funny’ email address: Avoid personal email addresses that are ‘funny’, stick with simple e-mail addresses that don’t provoke adverse reactions from a potential employer.
• Don’t submit a CV with spelling mistakes: get someone else to proofread for you to help find the errors you may have missed
• Don’t add endless lists of skills or experiences: surmise where possible and add only the most relevant to the particular role you are applying for.
• Don’t lie: Employers do thorough checks and if spotted you will have spoilt your chances of getting the job. Ultimately you want to do a job you can do well, even if you’re successful it will be apparent when you actually start work if you’re much less experienced than you made out.
• Don’t add lots of personal information: it’s not necessary, focus on what’s important your skills. If the employer needs any specific personal information such as date of birth they will ask for it when they offer you the job.
• Don’t get artistic: Unless you’re applying for a job which requires creative skills such as marketing or graphic design, doing this will draw attention away from your skills and can look unprofessional. Remember your CV should reflect your profession and audience.
• Don’t oversell yourself: Keep it brief, simple and honest. If you’re already a master of everything how are you meant to improve and evolve your career further?
• Don’t hide periods of inactivity by stretching dates: If you’ve had a break in employment be honest and explain it in your covering letter, after all life experience is important and makes you interesting. Remember to talk about what you’ve learnt and sell yourself; being a full time parent shows responsibility and an ability to multi-task whilst travelling around the world shows independence and organisation skills.