5 most common CV mistakes

If you ever tried writing a CV, you know that it requires skills to do it. Because jobseekers only write CVs when they need a job, naturally, they make mistakes and there are some common CV mistakes. If you have ever wondered what the 5 most common CV mistakes professional writers encounter are, keep on reading to find out!

Why do these common CV mistakes happen?

CV writing is one of those things that everybody thinks they know how to do until they need to do it. And, trust us, when they do write a CV, it often does not achieve the results the author has hoped for.

Because people think they know how to write CVs, they don’t research CV writing. And that is how these common CV mistakes happen… also, if they do research, there’s so much information out there that it’s hard to know what’s true. So, I guess we could say the mistakes are a result of not doing the research and/or not filtering the results of the research.

What are the 5 most common CV mistakes?

Honestly, there are many common CV mistakes, but in order to keep this article short and reader-friendly, we opted for the top 5. We did not want to simply create a list but also explain why having those in your CV is a mistake.

LinkedIn profile link

You’re applying for a job, just like hundreds of other people are. You have several seconds to get the reader’s attention and they will not click on the link you provided. In essence, they don’t have time to learn more about you when they have a bunch of other candidates to screen.

On top of that, if you apply through LinkedIn, they can very easily check out your profile. So, to conclude, no need to add the link as well.

References

Wondering how having a reference in your CV made it into our top 5 most common CV mistakes?

Well, similarly to the above, it is obsolete for multiple reasons.

Firstly, you are in the initial step of your job application. There is no way a recruiter will get in touch with your references because they don’t need them at this point.

Secondly, you’re sharing someone’s contact details with a bunch of people (the number depends on the number of applications you send in).

Blocks of text or “mini-essays”

Another common mistake is having long blocks of text in a CV.

Due to that, CVs read more like cover letters than a CV, and it is quite confusing for the reader because they were expecting something else.
Not only that, but it makes your CV hard to read. And that’s a big issue!

As we’ve mentioned before, you have a very limited time to grab the reader’s attention, and having paragraphs in your CV is not the way to do it.

Photograph

We’ve written about this common CV mistake before, but it seems like the topic is evergreen.

Unless you’re a model, actor, TV presenter or aiming for some other role where you will be publicly exposed – there is no need for you to include a photograph in your CV.

It tells nothing about your abilities or background and it can not help the recruiter/hiring manager make the decision. On the contrary, it can lead to discrimination and that is something no one wants to happen.

Personal information

Hobbies, interests, number of kids, marital status, parents’ names… we’ve seen it all, time and time again, in people’s CVs.

It is a mistake to include any of the above because it does not build your professional profile.

Remember the goal you’re trying to achieve with your CV. Surely, you’ll agree that the goal is not to share personal information but to convince the reader you can do the job.

How do I avoid the most common CV mistakes when writing my own CV?

If something does not add value to your CV and it doesn’t show you as the perfect candidate, it should not be in your CV. Use this as the golden rule for CV writing, and you will not have these 5 most common CV mistakes in your CV.

Well, you already took the first step – you searched for this topic! Now, what you need to do is keep on educating yourself. Our blog has loads of useful advice.

Other than that, Linking Lines offers a free CV review so make sure to take us up on the offer. One very important thing to note is that we don’t send out generic replies. We genuinely read each CV and provide customized feedback.

However, if you feel like you need more support, try getting our unique step-by-step CV and cover letter writing guide. Once you’re done reading, you just need to apply it and transform your job search forever.

Of course, we also offer CV and cover letter writing services, if you don’t want to waste your time on research and writing. We’re sure there are things you’d rather be doing, so, don’t wait!

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