5 Common CV Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Your CV is often the first impression you make on a potential employer. A well-written CV highlights your skills, experience and accomplishments so you can stand out from other applicants. Avoid these common mistakes so your CV makes a great first impression. 

1. Overusing Fancy Fonts and Formatting

Fancy fonts can be difficult to read. Stick to simple, standard fonts like Times New Roman or Calibri in 10-12 point size. Avoid using too many font sizes and styles. Simple, consistent formatting in your CV template makes your CV easy to read.

Here are some formatting tips:

• Choose 1-2 standard fonts and font sizes that you use throughout. Avoid hard-to-read scripts.
• Only use italics and bold sparingly to emphasise details.
• Include plenty of white space. Density is difficult to read.
• Use a template as a guide for ideal formatting. Recruiters like consistency.
• Order sections chronologically: Name/Contact info, Summary, Work Experience, Education, Skills, etc.
• List most recent education and experience first within sections.
• Align all bullet points and make them consistent in length and style.
• Dates should align next to section headers.

While formatting is secondary to strong content, a clean, readable CV makes a good impression.

2. Typos and Grammatical Errors

Typos, spelling mistakes and grammatical errors can make you seem careless. To avoid them:

• Use spell check and proofread carefully. Read your CV backwards to catch spelling errors.
• Ask someone else to proofread your CV. A second set of eyes can catch mistakes you miss.
• Read the CV out loud to catch any awkward phrasing.
• Print out the CV and proofread from the paper copy to see it with fresh eyes.
• Make sure tenses are consistent. For current roles, use present tense verbs. For past roles, use past tense.
• Watch for homonym mix-ups like they’re/their/there and your/you’re.
• Check that all bullet points align and each section is formatted consistently. Inconsistent formatting can be distracting.
• Look for repeated words and phrases. Vary your language.
• Verify dates, titles and other details are correct.

Invest time in carefully proofreading your CV multiple times. Don’t rely only on spell check. It won’t catch every type of error.

3. Using an Unprofessional Email Address

Using an unprofessional email address like partygirl@email.com or superdude@email.com can make you seem immature. Create a professional email address with your name in it.

Some tips for a professional email address:

• Include your full name or initials, like thomasjsmith@email.com or tsmithemail.com.
• Numbers or simple words that describe you can work too, like runner12@email.com.
• Avoid nicknames or words unrelated to your name.
• Use .com, .net or .org rather than less common extensions.
• If your name is taken, try adding extra numbers or letters, like thomass23@email.com.

You want your professional email address to be easy to remember and type when networking. Set up your new professional email before starting your job search and update it anywhere an old email is listed.

4. Too Long or Too Short

Ideally, your CV should be around 1-2 pages long. Avoid going over 2 pages unless you have a lot of relevant experience. If your CV is too short, consider adding more details about your experience or skills.

For recent graduates and those with under 5 years of experience, 1 page is standard. For mid-level candidates with 5-10 years of experience, 1-2 pages is expected. More experienced candidates with over 10 years in their field can stretch their CV to 2-3 pages if needed.

Here are some tips to reduce length:

• Delete an outdated objective statement and replace it with a short summary of your top skills and achievements. This saves space.
• Trim down details under each position to the most relevant 1-4 bullet points.
• Use formatting to save space, like 10.5 font, 0.5 inch margins and single line spacing.
• Remove outdated, irrelevant or redundant positions and replace with a single “Additional Experience” section, if needed.
• Condense sections like Skills and Education to take up less room.

To increase length:

• Elaborate on your experience with more bullet points describing your achievements. Quantify them with numbers and specifics.
• Add more positions from further in your past that demonstrate skills relevant to the role.
• Include internships, prominent projects and academic achievements from university.
• Add more hard and soft skills related to the job.
• Include a Hobbies and Interests section to stand out.

5. Lying or Exaggerating

Never lie or stretch the truth on your CV. Recruiters will likely find out and discard your CV. Be honest and confident about your real experience.

Here are some common CV lies to avoid:

• Inflating your job titles or responsibilities.
• Listing degrees, skills or certifications you don’t have.
• Describing jobs you held for just a few months as long-term roles.
• Fabricating reasons for employment gaps.
• Stretching dates of employment or education.
• Taking credit for team achievements that aren’t yours.
• Using fake references.

Focus on highlighting your genuine skills, achievements and strengths. You want to stand out for the right reasons. Any form of misrepresentation could eliminate you from consideration.

With attention to detail, powerful action words, and strong content that sells your skills, you can create an excellent CV that gets you interviews. Just avoid common mistakes like typos, lack of proofreading, and exaggerations that could eliminate you from consideration. Follow these tips and recruiters will take notice!