6 CV Mistakes Even Ideal Candidates Make

Mistake #1. Do not double-check spelling and punctuation

Even specialists who work with texts every day can be sealed. We all get tired, anxious, and have difficulty concentrating at times. Nevertheless, basic literacy and attention to wording are important requirements for most professions. Even if you are applying for a technical position, and the resume should have been sent yesterday, do not neglect spelling and punctuation.

How better

Give yourself time, a couple of hours or even a whole day, to unwind. And then go over the text with a fresh look: an extra comma, an irregular form of a verb, or a typo will be easier to notice.

Additionally, it is worth running the resume text through literacy services, for example Text.ru, Advego, EnglishCorrector or LanguageTool. True, they highlight not all errors. Therefore, if you are applying for a job where you cannot do without an excellent Russian, then for maximum confidence, try to seek advice from a proofreader.

Mistake #2. Choose an informal (or overly ornate) style

In many companies, employees use “you” and send funny stickers in project chats. But while you have not yet become part of the team, you do not need to cross the line. A bit of humor might be appropriate in a cover letter, but certainly not in a CV.

The other extreme is an overly complex style, loaded with clericalism and long structures. For example, phrases like “carried out ongoing financial and economic management activities” make the resume less readable and less attractive.

How better

The ideal option is a neutral business style. So that the recruiter does not run after the dictionary and does not reread the paragraphs several times, use clear and simple wording that will not have a double interpretation. Let's say the phrase from the paragraph above can be replaced with a short "was engaged in financial management."

Refuse expressive vocabulary, slang and grandiloquent definitions. It is also not necessary to stress on professional terms. An HR manager may not understand what it means to “groom the backlog” or “organize the daily”. Replace them with "performed user story analysis" and "arranged daily meetings with the team."

Mistake #3. Take stamps and clichés from templates into your resume

The three deadly sins of a modern job seeker are multitasking, communication skills and stress tolerance. The qualities themselves can be useful, but the wording sounds empty and unconvincing.

Qualities and skills that the vast majority of applicants have, such as “confident PC user” and “work in MS Word”, are also not needed in a resume. They are too obvious and will only divert attention from the really valuable points.

How better

If you really deftly juggle tasks, find an approach to any person and are not afraid of serious loads, let the cases tell about it. But it is important to choose them correctly. Don't write about everything at once - look for achievements that will show your value to the company. If possible, use examples with measurable indicators: for example, “I did SEO-optimization of the site, CTR increased by 40%”. Even better, if you can confirm the words - add a link to the portfolio, calculations, the site you worked with, something like that in the resume.

Mistake #4. Focus on design, not content

When everyone around you says that a resume should be catchy and stand out, you may want to win over a recruiter with an artistic approach. Like, let English be at the school level, and not the required B2, but the resume is multi-colored, with creative fonts, photos and animation. An HR manager looks at dozens, maybe hundreds of CVs a day: the dance of letters and shades will attract attention, but the content will be difficult to perceive. Most likely, such a document will simply be closed.

How better

The emphasis in the CV should be on professional qualities and success, so you should not fantasize with the design. To make it easier, find a visual template online that looks modern and calm, and then fill it out. Use one font in the document, and if you want to highlight important things, highlight key words in bold.

You only need to add one photo to your resume - with your face. This is especially important for project managers, sales managers, waiters and other professionals whose work involves frequent communication with people. If the company is conservative, it is better to take a business portrait in a suit or shirt. And if you send a CV to a startup, an online publication or another similar employer, then you can choose a more relaxed photo: still a portrait, but with a smile and in a hoodie.

Mistake #5. Embellish reality or be very modest

When looking for a job, there is a great temptation to present yourself as a super employee without flaws. But it makes no sense to lie in a resume: most likely, the deception will be revealed already at the interview and will not bring anything but a feeling of embarrassment. Of course, there is a chance that the conversation will go smoothly and the position will be received. But then problems will arise directly during operation. Without the skills indicated in the CV, it will not be easy to cope with duties 100% - probably, everything will end on a probationary period.

There is another facet - excessive modesty. Yes, the willingness to work hard for little money will help you to be in the company. But in the long run, such an employee is unlikely to be satisfied with his career.

How better

Be honest and only talk about what you really know and can do. Evaluate yourself objectively: do not overestimate or underestimate the price for your own services. To understand how much your skills are worth, study the resumes of other applicants - find out what they can do and how much they ask for it. It is also useful to look at current salary statistics. Not only by profession, but also by the region in which you want to work - the level will be different everywhere.

Mistake #6. Overdo it with achievements and miss out on important experience

If you're really proud of something, it can be hard not to mention it. Especially in a resume — the perfect format for highlighting exploits. But still, not all victories should be included in CV. For example, school certificates, first student part-time jobs (if they were a long time ago) or experience in completely opposite areas are best left for conversations with friends.

Pay attention to compatibility with the values ​​of the company: if you want to get into the animal protection fund, you should not talk about working in a dolphinarium. It is also important to understand which of the previous duties will be really useful in the new company.

How better

Concentrate on relevant experience for the chosen field. For example, you became a designer, and previously worked as an SMS man. This means you can edit photos and even create your own images for posts. This should be mentioned in your resume.

Whether you're changing careers or just starting out in your career, focus on the so-called soft skills. It's all the same creativity, stress resistance, self-organization and the ability to work with information. The main thing - do not forget to tell where these skills have already been useful to you and how they will help the company in which you get a job.