CV mistakes could be the reason why your applications are not being responded to.

While you may think you are unqualified, there is a chance that CV mistakes are causing one or more fatal errors.

All it takes is just one error to strike your job search dead.

This is something entry-level workers need to be wary of when writing their first CV.

With only six seconds to impress a recruiter, having any kind of mistake is not a risk to take as it is the first point of contact you make with a potential employer.

When writing a CV, here are some of the most common mistakes to avoid.

Spelling & Grammatical Errors

It is the most obvious one yet people still make them.

A CV has to be grammatically perfect. If it isn’t, employers will read between the lines.

They will also draw not-so-flattering conclusions about you, like: “This person can’t write,” or, “This person obviously doesn’t care.”

Lack of Specifics

A CV should not simply state the obvious to a recruiter.

Employers need to know what you have done and accomplished. For example:

1. Worked with employees in a restaurant setting.
2. Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant with $2 million in annual sales.

Both phrases could describe the same person, but the details and specifics in example 2 will more likely grab an employer’s attention.

Being Generic

By developing a generic CV to send to all job adverts, it will result in your application being ignored.

It indicates a lack of effort.

Employers want to feel special and want you to write a CV specifically for them.

They expect you to clearly show how and why you fit the position in a specific company.

Duties instead of Accomplishments

A CV needs to show how good you are at your job, but it is easy to list duties instead of accomplishments.

Employers care more about what you have accomplished.

One of the most basic tips is to go beyond showing what was required and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company, providing specific examples.

Too Long or Too Short

Many people try to fit their experience onto one page because they have heard CVs should not be too long.

By doing so, job seekers may dismiss impressive achievements.

Other job seekers talk about irrelevant experiences.

While there are no rules on CV length, you should not be sending out excessively long CVs.

Limit yourself to a maximum of two pages but ensure all relevant information is there.

Bad Summary

Many job seekers lose their readers right at the beginning with their career summary.

Employers read this part but they often ignore vague statements like:

“Accomplished professional seeking career growth.”

Give recruiters something specific and something that focuses on their needs as well as your own.

No Action Verbs

Use action verbs instead of phrases like “responsible for”.

Action verbs help show off your initiative and improve the overall tone of your CV.

Missing Important Information

You may be tempted to leave out jobs you’ve taken to earn extra money for studies.

However, the soft skills, like work ethic, tend to be more important to employers than you might think.

Visually Too Busy

If your CV is wall-to-wall text featuring five different fonts, it will most likely give the employer a headache.

So show your CV to several other people before sending it out. Do they find it visually attractive? If what you have is hard on the eyes, revise.

Wrong Contact Information

Although it sounds simple, wrong contact information is a CV mistake that can happen.

An incorrect phone number might be the reason why you are not getting any calls from recruiters.

So, double-check even the smallest details.

A CV requires a lot of care when writing, so ensure you check to make sure that no mistakes remain before sending to employers.