When hiring, employers pay a lot of attention to key information on your CV; like previous employment(s), educational qualifications, etc. Therefore it’s of heavy importance that we take our time to construct our resumè in a manner that would make it appealing enough to the interviewer.
A lot of people have missed out on potential employment just because they made unpardonable errors in their CVs. You own case should be different; take a look at the areas where these mistakes are common, and adjust yours accordingly.
DO NOT IGNORE KEY WORDS
We’re in the IT age, and as a result, a lot of things are done electronically. These days, most resumès are reviewed electronically before they are seen by human eyes. It is therefore pertinent to pay attention to keywords when writing your resume.
For a good number of organizations or HR consultancy firms, the first round of culling resumes happens through keyword spotting with a hiring software, and if certain keywords are missing from your resume, it is unlikely to make it past the first round.
Be sure to use keywords related to the industry you are interested in when writing your resume; use keywords in your job description; be sure to use keywords repeatedly from time to time; and basically just ensure you include exact keywords in your resume and recognize their place in your industry. However, try not to overuse these keywords so as to not give your CV a childish/desperate feel.
DON’T BE TOO LENGTHY
One of the most common problems people have with writing is managing words. A good writer knows how to make the most of limited words, while passing relevant information. No recruiter has the time to keep reading through a verbose CV until they find the information they’re looking for.
If you make yours unnecessarily lengthy with information that could be passed with the smallest of words, at the end of the day, the purpose would have been defeated. The trick is to keep it as short and simple as possible. Put your previous work experience(s) out there for your recruiter to see very easily without much hassle. Anything lengthy could have your resumè tossed out.
CLARITY
A lot of people compile their resumè, and instead of passing information, they either end up being confusing or totally useless. As you put your CV together, you must be sure to make complete sense with it. Your recruiter wants to know about your quantitative tasks and accomplishments; so you must not be vague with these things. As you list your previous work experience and accomplishments, it’s expected that you also describe what exactly you did to earn the honours you got. Describe to your recruiter in short details the roles and tasks you performed under your previous job, instead of just listing them.
TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
Leaving your CV to show errors in grammar can sell you off as ‘unserious’ and ‘inattentive to detail’ to your employer, and hence, limit your hiring chances. No one would like to hire someone who cannot dot their I’s, and cross the T’s because it means that person cannot guarantee excellent execution of tasks. Don’t be in such a hurry you and try to go over your CV again and again to be sure there aren’t any mistakes with the spellings and use of grammar. If you’re not sure, hand it over to someone with a better sense of judgment in English language to proofread for you.
P.S: Just because I’ve said your CV shouldn’t be too lengthy doesn’t mean it shouldn’t contain relevant information. Just because I said it should contain a detailed description of previous tasks and accomplishments doesn’t mean it should be too verbose. The key is to find balance.