7 mistakes you should avoid in your CV

If you’re looking for a job, you’ll surely know what to write in your CV. But do you also know what not to write? Be careful not to fall into a few big mistakes to avoid in your CV, which is often overlooked.

Spelling and grammatical errors

The recruiters confirm this: spelling errors are very common in CVs, which can compromise good judgment, even when it is a more than valid professional profile.

Always rely on the electronic spell checker on your computer, which automatically signals errors to be corrected.

Better re-read the curriculum several times before sending it and, if possible, submit your CV for reading by another person, who could identify grammatical defects that you had escaped.

Lack of sincerity

When compiling the list of your skills (hard skills, soft skills, and especially language skills), it is important not to lie.

Overestimated skills and knowledge in the curriculum will inevitably be exposed during the individual interview.

The advice to be honest also concerns previous work experiences and the reasons for their interruption: it is better to omit details, rather than invent excuses (and of course be honest if any questions are asked about it during the interview).

Chronological disorder

One of the mistakes to avoid in the curriculum vitae is certainly the lack of order in the presentation of previous experiences.

It is very common, due to laziness or distraction, to make inaccuracies in the references to the dates of development of past work experiences or of your training path.

It is certainly worth spending a few minutes consulting official contracts and documents, which can guarantee a correct compilation of the CV.

Don’t make the mistake of reversing the history: always remember to sort your work experience chronologically, from the most recent to the oldest, accurately indicating the references for the respective companies.

Inappropriate photos

The use of inadequate photos in CVs is increasingly widespread: selfies, clippings from group photos, photographs in winking poses, in the company of pets, or even close-ups in a bathing suit

This is one of the mistakes to avoid in your CV. The photo of the CV, if required (it is not mandatory to insert it), must be professional, frame only the face against a possibly neutral background.

The first impression always counts, so strive to convey to the recruiter the image of a person who is clean, open, and above all willing to take a serious professional commitment.

In medio stat virtus

Don’t be too verbose and personalize the CV for each application.

Remember to select previous professional experiences based on the type of ad you reply to (for example, you can not indicate the role of a waiter in a restaurant if you are looking for a job as an accountant).

Basically, you should try to make your profile attractive based on the context you are applying for.

Too much information or a way of writing that is too “baroque” could discourage the recruiter and push him to discard your CV.

For the same reason, you should avoid reporting hobbies and interests that could arouse hilarity and divert the recruiter’s attention from your professional skills.

On the other hand, even being too concise in arguing about one’s characteristics and virtues can prove to be ineffective or counterproductive and push the recruiter to discard the CV a priori.

Lack of contact details or inappropriate contact details

Pay close attention don’t forget to include your contact details in your resume!

Sometimes you may not write your phone number or e-mail address, reducing the chances of being contacted for the position you are applying for.

Regarding the e-mail address, it is advisable to create one specifically for the job. In a few steps, you can activate a professional account (name, surname), instead of sending the curriculum from addresses teenage emails, which could question the seriousness of the sender.

Lack of the attached CV

Here’s one last tip that might seem trivial, but it’s not at all.

First of all, remember to write a cover letter in the body of the e-mail, but above all don’t forget to attach your resume before pressing “send”!

It may happen, out of distraction or a bit of emotion, that you forget to send the document, but you could also make the mistake of attaching an incorrect and irrelevant document.

Always pay a lot of attention also in the final sending operation, to avoid frustrating the work of hours.

If you found this article useful, also read our in-depth article, which will reveal all the secrets to writing a perfect CV and introducing yourself to companies.