5 petrifying mistakes to stop making on your CV this Halloween

Did you know that, on average employers only spend 6-8 seconds looking at a CV, deciding from there whether it’s worth progressing or not? It’s a frightening statistic that can give you the heebie-jeebies when you’re job hunting, not just on Halloween. This is why partnering with a Recruitment Consultant can increase your chances of securing an interview. However, the way your CV looks and reads is still important. 

We’ve seen some spooktacular slipups and it is enough to give us nightmares! So, watch out for these 5 petrifying mistakes when updating your CV.

Spooky fonts and formatting

Different coloured fonts? A picture of yourself in the corner? At least five different font sizes?! COMIC SANS!?! NOOO!

You may think “unique” formatting and colours will help make your CV stand out. However, what you’ve created is, in fact, a Frankenstein CV, a consultants worst nightmare! One font, one colour is all that’s needed. Having a picture of yourself on your CV is not required in the UK and is best saved for the photo album. And even if you have decided to copy and paste your duties from the job description, at least make sure the formatting is the same. The last thing you want is different font sizes and spacing throughout your CV.

Basic witch

We’re all terrible for using Buzzwords. This is why the most common sentence found on CVs is “I’m a hardworking and driven person who works well individually but also as part of a team.” Taking one look at this sentence makes consultants feel like they are trapped in a mirror maze! These qualities are great but not very original, and they don’t show off the value you could bring to the company. Instead, think about showcasing the skills you have that were in the job description. This is the perfect opportunity to tailor your CV and make you stand out.

Give ’em pumpkin to talk about

People don’t share their professional achievements enough, and they should. By professional achievements, we don’t mean, “Won best dressed at the 2004 Halloween disco”. We mean quantitative details you may think are unimportant, such as volumes, systems, and projects you were involved in. People seem to forget the aim of your CV is to get shortlisted for an interview. By having these details on your CV, you are already pre-empting questions you could be asked and furthering discussion points.

Skeleton mistakes

There isn’t much worse than sending your CV off only to discover you’ve listed “getting regular exorcism” rather than exercise in your hobbies section. Consultants often read ghastly spelling mistakes on CVs and start questioning the abilities of the person. So, whether you’ve asked a friend to proofread your CV or not, it’s worth knowing spelling mistakes can be the difference between rejection and being invited for an interview. No one is above using spell check and if nobody is around to proofread for you there are tools such as Grammarly that can help you out.

Fangs for the memories

Putting the wrong contact details on the bottom of your CV is one of the most frightful mistakes we have come across. Leaving us searching, hoping, and praying we come across you again! You could be perfect for the job you’ve applied for, but we have no way of telling you, meaning you miss out on the opportunity.

Want to advance in your career without moving jobs? We can help with coaching, introducing people to pro bono roles, and share industry trends. Our consultants aren’t just interested in getting you a new job, they’re also interested in sucking your blood! Oh, wait, no. No, they aren’t.

So, if you would like some support in working out what your next move is, why not arrange a call with one of our consultants today?

 

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