Through my work as a professional CV writer in New Zealand, I have reviewed a large number of CV’s and for the most part I have found common mistakes in each one. These are almost guaranteed to make your CV fail. Once we know what they are, I will then share with you how to fix them.
The Extremely Exaggerated CV
Calling yourself an “accomplished, industry expert” when you’re just at entry level, or the “founder” when you’ve run a small part-time business runs the risk of not looking impressive. I once came across a gentleman who cleaned viruses off his family’s computers every few months, and I had to explain it would not be suitable to call him the ‘founder of a I.T. support startup venture’.
Exaggerating on your CV won’t get you very far. It can cause the person reading your CV to doubt your other accomplishments. Employers are not naïve, and it may come off as a bit suspicious. The solution: Be realistic and don’t exaggerate something that isn’t there.
The Empty Effortless CV
If you’ve worked at least two jobs in your lifetime, and when you look at your CV, more than half of it is white space – you’re probably in trouble. Short CV’s that just bullet point details like ‘data entry’ or ‘customer service’ with no explanation are seen as empty and effortless. Employers will suspect your behaviour at work may also be without effort. The solution: Explain everything with evidence on your CV.
The Extra-Long Extended CV
Is your CV 4 pages or longer? That’s a problem. Most New Zealand employers don’t want to read past the third page. You might think that you need this length to share all your experience, but even for the top CEOs and business experts I work with – we never keep their CV’s longer than 3 pages. The solution: Remove what is repetitive in your CV. Limit yourself to a maximum of 2 references as well.
The Errorful English CV
Typed Lkie Ths Rcently? Never had a Strong Smart Person proofread your CV? Do you capitalise Important Points in your CV? That’s all incorrect English. Employers will think you’ll have language barriers when you speak to or email clients or others on the team. The solution: Have someone professionally check your CV.
You want your CV to be remembered for what’s good about it. Not what’s bad about it. Addressing these four points will improve your chances of getting the jobs you apply for. Arthur Parker-Ramani is a professional CV writer for King of CV in Auckland and can be contacted with any questions at info@kingofcv.com