You continually get educated on what you should have on your document that best describes your abilities and qualities. How about what not to put on it?
“Leave it out”
1. An objective
If you applied, it’s already obvious you want the job.
The exception: If you’re in a unique situation, such as changing industries completely, it may be useful to include a brief summary.
2. Irrelevant work experience
Yes, you might have been the “master of making lattes” at the cafe you worked for in during your school years. But unless you are planning on redeeming that title, it is time to get rid of all that clutter.
But as the resume expert Alyssa Gelbard points out: “Past work experience that might not appear to be directly relevant to the job at hand might show another dimension, depth, ability, or skill that actually is relevant or applicable.
“Only include this experience if it really showcases additional skills that can translate to the position you’re applying for.”
3. Personal stuff
Don’t include your marital status, gender, religious preference, Bank Details or National Insurance Number. Yes we see them all and what may seem crazy to you seems normal to some. This is for all to read.
This might have been the standard in the past, but this information is now illegal or highly discouraged for your employer to ask from yo unless you are offered the job the last couple may be essential/ There’s no need to include it on your CV
4. Your hobbies
Nobody cares right now.
If it’s not relevant to the job you’re applying for, it’s a waste of space and a waste of the company’s time, we all know you like going to the cinema, long walks and socialising with friends. On the flip side though if you are that person that submerges yourself ion something that could well be reflective of the role your applying for lets see it.
5. Blatant lies
A CareerBuilder survey asked 2,000 hiring managers for memorable CV mistakes, and blatant lies were a popular choice. One candidate claimed to be the former CEO of the company to which he was applying, another claimed to be a Nobel Prize winner, and one more claimed he attended a college that didn’t exist.
Rosemary Haefner, chief human-resources officer at CareerBuilder, says these lies may be “misguided attempts to compensate for lacking 100 per cent of the qualifications specified in the job posting.”
But Haefner says candidates should concentrate on the skills they can offer, rather than the skills they can’t offer.
“Hiring managers are more forgiving than job seekers may think,” she explains. “About 42 per cent of employers surveyed said they would consider a candidate who met only three out of five key qualifications for a specific role.”
6. Your age
If you don’t want to be discriminated against for a position because of your age, it’s time to remove your school dates.
7. Too much text
When you use a 0.5-inch margin and a big font is a big No No! at the same time it needs to be readable.
Keeps lots of white space and no more than a 0.8 margin. Arial 12 is a guide line.
8. Time off
If you took time off to travel or raise a family, Gelbard doesn’t recommend including that information on your CV. “In some countries, it is acceptable to include this information, especially travel.” However, in places like the US it is highly discouraged.
9. References
“references upon request” at the bottom is simple but if you have good ones you can shout about them, do not be afraid to add one to the bottom of your CV, It may swing any doubt that may have been cast in your application.
10. Inconsistent formatting
The format of your CV is just as important as its content.
She says the best format is the format that will make it easiest for the hiring manager to scan your CV and still be able to pick out your key qualifications and career goals.
Once you pick a format, stick with it. If you write the day, month, and year for one date, then use that same format throughout the rest of the CV. Same go's for the style, don't make it too busy with logos and icons only you can understand and while you may think they look great it may be only you that thinks that.
11. Who wrote the CV?
Your CV shouldn’t include the words ““she,” or “my,” or "they", etc you see where we are going with this...
Don’t write your CV in the third. Its a bit strange.
12. Present tense for a past job
Never describe past work experience using the present tense. Only your current job should be written in the present tense. While we are at it make sure your previous jobs have an end date. update the previous employment as you update your CV. Seeing multiple jobs as "up to present" just shows you are lazy and have a poor eye for detail.
13. A less-than-professional email address
If you still use an old email address, like BeerLover123@gmail.com or CuteChick4life@yahoo.com, it’s time to pick a new one.
It only takes a minute or two, and it’s free.
14. Any unnecessary, obvious words
There is no reason to put the word “phone” in front of the actual number.
“It’s pretty silly. They know it’s your phone number.” The same rule applies to email.
15. Headers, footers, tables, images, or charts
These fancy embeddings will have hiring managers thinking, “Could you not?”
While a well-formatted header and footer may look professional, and some cool tables, images, or charts may boost your credibility, they also confuse the applicant-tracking systems that companies use nowadays.
While many ATS systems get better some still opporate with antiquated systems. HR are alwatys at the bottom when it comes to allocating budget.The system may react by scrambling up your CV and spitting out a poorly formatted one that may no longer include your header or charts. Even if you were an ideal candidate for the position, now the hiring manager has no way to contact you for an interview.
16. Your current business-contact info
Its a bit stupid. Do you really want employers calling you at work? How are you going to handle that? Oh, and by the way, your current employer can monitor your emails and phone calls. So if you’re not in the mood to get sacked, or potentially charged with theft of services (really), then leave the business contacts off.”
17. Your boss’ name
Don’t include your boss’ name on your CV unless you’re OK with your potential employer contacting them and its with there consent. The only reason your boss’ name should be on your CV is if the person is someone noteworthy, and if it would be really impressive.
18. Company-specific jargon
“Companies often have their own internal names for things like customised software, technologies, and processes that are only known within that organisation and not by those who work outside of it,”. Be sure to exclude terms on your CV that are known only to one specific organisation unless you relate them to the similarities of what your potential employer uses.
19. Social-media URLs that are not related to the targeted position
Links to your opinionated blogs, Pinterest page, or Instagram account have no business taking up prime CV real estate. “Candidates who tend to think their personal social media sites are valuable are putting themselves at risk of landing in the ‘no’ pile”.
“But you should list relevant URLs, such as your LinkedIn page or any others that are professional and directly related to the position you are trying to acquire,” she says.
20. More than 15 years of experience
When you start including massive detail in jobs from before 2007, you start to lose the hiring manager’s interest.
Your most relevant experience should be from the past 15 years, so hiring managers only need to see that, Augustine says.
On the same note, never include dates on education and certifications that are older than 15 years.
21. Salary information
“Some people include past hourly rates for jobs they held in university,” This information is completely unnecessary and may send the wrong message.
If you don't know the salary before you apply it should be raising a red flag or two, at least a banding should be available. You also shouldn’t address your desired salary in a CV. “This document is intended to showcase your professional experience and skills. Salary comes later in the interview process.”
22. Outdated fonts
Don’t use Times New Roman and serif fonts, as they’re outdated and old-fashioned. Use a standard, sans-serif font like Arial.
Also, be aware of the font size. Your goal should be to make it look nice and sleek — but also easy to read. Never under any circumstances use comic sans.
23. Fancy fonts
Curly tailed fonts are also a turn-off. People try to make their CVs look classier with a fancy font, but studies show they are harder to read and the recruiter absorbs less about you.
24. Annoying buzzwords
Fast learner, Team Work, Motivated, Passionate, Expert, Rock Star, Experienced in.
Terms employers do like to see on CVs include: “achieved,” “managed,” “resolved,” and “launched” — but only if they’re used in moderation.
Working effectively on my own or in a team is a perfect example of this. Be individual and write your own CV.
25. Reasons you left a company or position
Candidates often think, “If I explain why I left the position on my CV, maybe my chances will improve.”
“Wrong,” “Listing why you left is irrelevant on your CV. It’s not the time or place to bring up transitions from one company to the next.”
Use your interview to address this unless there is something that really needs to be raised.
26. Your grades
Once you’re out of school, your grades aren’t so relevant
If they were particularly high, it’s OK to leave it. But, if you’re more than three years out of school, or if your grades weren’t outstanding, ditch it.
27. An explanation of why you want the job
That’s what the cover letter and interviews are for!
Your CV is not the place to start explaining why you’d be a great fit or why you want the job. Your skills and qualifications should be able to do that for you — and if they don’t, then your CV is either in bad shape, or this isn’t the right job for you.
28. A photo of yourself
This may become the norm at some point in the future, but it’s just weird — and tacky and distracting — for now. Stop it.
29. Opinions, not facts
Don’t try to sell yourself by using all sorts of subjective words to describe yourself. “I’m an excellent communicator” or “highly organised and motivated” are opinions of yourself and not necessarily the truth. “We want facts only. We will decide if you are those things after we meet you. However if you have a reference where it states "they were the most organised and motivated human being i have ever came across" add it.
30. Short-term employment
Avoid including a job on your CV if you only held the position for a short period of time. Working different places for a few days here and a few days there through an agency for example, No need to add each place. Put them together as simple agency work in a,b,c sectors.
