The first impression a potential employer has of you is from your CV, so make sure you’re sending the right message through it. Follow our CV writing tips to create a better CV.

Here are some things to be mindful of when writing your CV:

Obvious grammatical and spelling errors

Typos, spelling and grammatical errors – we’ve all made them at some point, however sending a text message with spelling errors to a friend when you’re in a hurry and sending a CV with spelling errors can have an entirely different consequence. Proofread your CV or get someone to do it for you. A CV with grammatical and spelling mistakes sends out the message that you’re sloppy at best and grammatically inept at worst.

OK, so you’ve got your spelling and grammar covered. What else could be letting you down?

Long CV

A long CV can be a hindrance. Most employers do not want to read a CV that goes beyond two pages. Learn to highlight your experiences and skills in a two-page-CV. If you have decades of work experience, it may be difficult, but does your new employer really need to know that you’ve worked at Starbucks when you were 18? Leave out what isn’t important and highlight the relevant roles that showcase the skills needed for the role you’re applying for.

Unexplained gaps

It may be the case that you’ve had time off, perhaps travelling or on parenting duties. Is there anything that you did during this time that can provide transferrable skills? If you travelled, did you pick up new language skills or qualifications such as teaching English abroad? Are these skills needed for the role you’re applying for? Then mention them in your CV.

For parents, did you start blogging or perhaps spend more time on social media that you now have thousands of followers? Most companies now look for people with social media skills, so include this on your CV. Be careful when mentioning your social media achievements – if you are not applying for a marketing role, or a role that requires social media skills, it could have a negative impact as your new employer may think you’ll spend your work hours on your social media accounts!

Leaving out important skills and qualifications

Not taking the time to highlight your key skills for the job you’re applying for can also have a negative impact. Most often people have a generic CV they send across for all jobs, but what you do is end up having a CV that misses the mark for each role. If you have experience in different sectors and are applying for positions in all, create different CVs so each focuses on the skills and qualities needed for that post.

If you would like one of our experts to give you a free CV review, please get in contact. Did you find our CV writing tips helpful? Then please share it.