1. All ‘Tell’ no ‘Sell’
A ‘telling’ CV is one which focuses solely on responsibilities and duties on the job. These documents tend to read like a job description. The problem is, unless you have a very unusual job, the reader will have a strong sense of your responsibilities and duties the instant he or she sees your job title.
Learning Point: The reader is interested in two things: (1) What special responsibilities did you have, aside from the ‘usual suspects’? and (2) What did you make of your responsibilities? From a pool of 20 HR Execs, it’s likely that only a few made a real difference and it is that difference the reader is trying to discern. If you had extra responsibilities cascaded on to you, detail those in your CV: “Along with the usual responsibilities (blah, blah and blah) I was also tasked with yadda, yadda and yadda.” Now the reader is getting interested! Stick in a section titled Accomplishments or Contributions and provide details of things that changed or improved as a result of your efforts and before you know it, you are on the short list.
2. Irrelevance
As I go through the pile of applications looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack, I have a check-list of (say) eight must-haves for the ideal candidate in my head and you only have four to five of them. Bye bye.
Learning Point: Read the ad! Really read it. If it says “essential” or “must have” and you don’t have it, save everyone’s time and don’t apply.
3. Carelessness
Spelling mistakes, glaring grammatical errors, formatting inconsistencies, obvious ‘search and replace’ mistakes. If you are careless on your own behalf on your own CV, what chance is there that you will be polished and professional on behalf of your new employer? Dumped!
Learning Point: Proof and proof and proof again. Get outsiders to proofread your written representation of yourself. Remember, the CV and cover letter has to shout your value from the rooftops to me, the reader – and I do not care about you, not even a little bit. It will depend on the job and depend on the reader, but most professionals will take a very dim view of any whiff of carelessness at this stage in the selection process.
4. Too long
The translation of the Latin term Curriculum Vitae is ‘the lap of a life.’ But no CV should be a life history. No hirer has the time or inclination to wade through pages and pages of your ancient history. By all means, for a first draft, include your entire academic and professional history plus everything in your extra curricular life; but as you get ready to send it off, it’s time to start trimming.
Learning Point: Most professionals should be able to condense the juicy bits of their working lives down to about 2 pages. Some like to keep it to a one-page Résumé, but that is very hard to do, both in terms of content and look-and-feel and you will definitely need professional help to achieve this. For the majority of CVs, spend 50% of your space detailing the last five to seven years or your last two jobs. Jobs from further back in your history can be reduced to a couple of lines – one or two big highlights only. The only exception to the Too Long sin are Academic, Scientific and Medical CVs. These frequently run 20-30+ pages with details of publications, research, presentations and references. In these cases, the CV will be as long as the CV needs to be.
5. Hard to pull the information out
A busy person making their way through a tall stack of applications wants the key information up front. I smile when I come across the rare CV that tells me most of what I need to know in a first look-through on the opening page. If I am having to flick back and forth in your document to get a sense of your current role, your qualifications and your track record, there’s something wrong with your CV. Most human beings are self-centred and most job-hunters are very obviously self-centred. QED, most CVs end up in the bin.
Learning Point: Take your hat off for a moment and put on the hat of the person who will be reading your CV. Try and look at it coldly and objectively. Imagine you are tired and stressed and that this is the 75th CV you have read today. Is the must-know information easy to get to? Highlighted in some way? Clear?
6. Look & Feel
There are two identical cans of baked beans on the shelf of your local shop. One is in mint condition and the other’s label is a little torn and the can is slightly dented. 99% of people will pick the clean can …
Learning Point: Design matters. Packaging matters. You wouldn’t show up to the interview in a Metallica T-shirt and torn jeans, don’t expect your CV to make the cut if it is in any way below par. This is a really dreadful and asinine reason to be disqualified from the selection process. Ask for advice. Get help.
7. Wordy rather than Worthy
I think it is fair to say that human beings are a fundamentally lazy species and, in the 21st century, we seem to be less and less inclined to read. People seem to forget this on their CVs and produce long, winding sentences and thick, obtuse paragraphs.
Learning Point: Recognise this and get proficient at crisp, terse business writing using bullet points wherever you can. Introductory paragraphs should be short (2-4 lines) and, if you are using multiple paragraphs, make sure there is plenty of white space breaking them up.
Related Posts:
A screener's perspective on CVs
Wooing them
3 Simple thoughts for your CV
CV layout and styling
- Management Accountant
- Sales Rep
- QA Analyst
- P.A.
- Brand Manager
- HR Executive
Learning Point: The reader is interested in two things: (1) What special responsibilities did you have, aside from the ‘usual suspects’? and (2) What did you make of your responsibilities? From a pool of 20 HR Execs, it’s likely that only a few made a real difference and it is that difference the reader is trying to discern. If you had extra responsibilities cascaded on to you, detail those in your CV: “Along with the usual responsibilities (blah, blah and blah) I was also tasked with yadda, yadda and yadda.” Now the reader is getting interested! Stick in a section titled Accomplishments or Contributions and provide details of things that changed or improved as a result of your efforts and before you know it, you are on the short list.
2. Irrelevance
As I go through the pile of applications looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack, I have a check-list of (say) eight must-haves for the ideal candidate in my head and you only have four to five of them. Bye bye.
Learning Point: Read the ad! Really read it. If it says “essential” or “must have” and you don’t have it, save everyone’s time and don’t apply.
3. Carelessness
Spelling mistakes, glaring grammatical errors, formatting inconsistencies, obvious ‘search and replace’ mistakes. If you are careless on your own behalf on your own CV, what chance is there that you will be polished and professional on behalf of your new employer? Dumped!
Learning Point: Proof and proof and proof again. Get outsiders to proofread your written representation of yourself. Remember, the CV and cover letter has to shout your value from the rooftops to me, the reader – and I do not care about you, not even a little bit. It will depend on the job and depend on the reader, but most professionals will take a very dim view of any whiff of carelessness at this stage in the selection process.
4. Too long
The translation of the Latin term Curriculum Vitae is ‘the lap of a life.’ But no CV should be a life history. No hirer has the time or inclination to wade through pages and pages of your ancient history. By all means, for a first draft, include your entire academic and professional history plus everything in your extra curricular life; but as you get ready to send it off, it’s time to start trimming.
Learning Point: Most professionals should be able to condense the juicy bits of their working lives down to about 2 pages. Some like to keep it to a one-page Résumé, but that is very hard to do, both in terms of content and look-and-feel and you will definitely need professional help to achieve this. For the majority of CVs, spend 50% of your space detailing the last five to seven years or your last two jobs. Jobs from further back in your history can be reduced to a couple of lines – one or two big highlights only. The only exception to the Too Long sin are Academic, Scientific and Medical CVs. These frequently run 20-30+ pages with details of publications, research, presentations and references. In these cases, the CV will be as long as the CV needs to be.
5. Hard to pull the information out
A busy person making their way through a tall stack of applications wants the key information up front. I smile when I come across the rare CV that tells me most of what I need to know in a first look-through on the opening page. If I am having to flick back and forth in your document to get a sense of your current role, your qualifications and your track record, there’s something wrong with your CV. Most human beings are self-centred and most job-hunters are very obviously self-centred. QED, most CVs end up in the bin.
Learning Point: Take your hat off for a moment and put on the hat of the person who will be reading your CV. Try and look at it coldly and objectively. Imagine you are tired and stressed and that this is the 75th CV you have read today. Is the must-know information easy to get to? Highlighted in some way? Clear?
6. Look & Feel
There are two identical cans of baked beans on the shelf of your local shop. One is in mint condition and the other’s label is a little torn and the can is slightly dented. 99% of people will pick the clean can …
Learning Point: Design matters. Packaging matters. You wouldn’t show up to the interview in a Metallica T-shirt and torn jeans, don’t expect your CV to make the cut if it is in any way below par. This is a really dreadful and asinine reason to be disqualified from the selection process. Ask for advice. Get help.
7. Wordy rather than Worthy
I think it is fair to say that human beings are a fundamentally lazy species and, in the 21st century, we seem to be less and less inclined to read. People seem to forget this on their CVs and produce long, winding sentences and thick, obtuse paragraphs.
Learning Point: Recognise this and get proficient at crisp, terse business writing using bullet points wherever you can. Introductory paragraphs should be short (2-4 lines) and, if you are using multiple paragraphs, make sure there is plenty of white space breaking them up.
Pic credit - the extraordinary Jessica Hagy
Related Posts:
A screener's perspective on CVs
Wooing them
3 Simple thoughts for your CV
CV layout and styling
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