It’s hard to overestimate the role of a well-written CV. As we know, the first impression of a candidate who came for an interview is created in 3-4 seconds. However, few people know that the initial assessment of the CV by HR takes a little longer. The flow of incoming information is too great, especially if there are dozens of vacancies in the company, and in order for HR to make a decision on a detailed study of your resume, it must successfully pass the initial screening.
If the vacancy you are applying for involves at least minimal competition with other candidates, you should think about how to write a resume without making mistakes.
Cliché Phrases
There are phrases that have long entered the HR lexicon and are still often exploited by job seekers. “Result orientation”, “ability to work in a team”, “communication skills”, “responsibility” and similar words and phrases are so familiar that HR has not noticed them for a long time. And if an applicant describes all his qualities and skills exclusively in cliché phrases, he has almost no chance to be invited for an interview.
We are talking specifically about descriptions of personal qualities and professional skills. When describing functionality, there are also cliché words, but the opposite rule applies to them. It’s desirable to use them in the text of the CV, as they are keywords for HR when making search queries.
Examples of such clichés are: “creating a client base from scratch”, “start-up project”, “development of an incentive system”, “development of distribution”, and so on.
However, general phrases should be necessarily supported by information about specific projects and achievements, as only they make a CV truly interesting and valuable.
Spelling and Stylistic Errors
If you’re applying for a middle-class position, it’s your responsibility to check your CV for spelling and speech errors. This will keep you from having a reputation as an illiterate and sloppy person.
Excesses of Form
The text of the resume should be informative and sufficiently compact. Any speech excesses and artistic solutions like original fonts, color inserts and photography, nothing but bewilderment from HR, won’t cause.
An important rule of information in the CV is to make it as easy as betting at 22Bet. Black Arial and Times New Roman fonts, strict marking and standard form of presenting information perfectly meet this rule.
For the same reason, it’s important to know that no matter how varied and rich your professional path is, the description of it shouldn’t exceed 2 sheets of printed text in A4 format.
Plenty of “Water”
The perfect CV is a clear description of professional competencies, supported by information about completed projects and achievements. Excessive descriptions, an abundance of professional jargon or, worse, a copy of the job description inserted in the CV, significantly reduce the chances of its author for a face-to-face interview. Active speech constructions, the use of verbal nouns and specific examples in figures, on the contrary, significantly increase these chances.
Exaggerating Professional Competencies
Never exaggerate your professional experience and skill level on your CV. First, more often than not it’s noticeable. Secondly, even if you manage to get an interview for a job with requirements exceeding your professional level, you won’t be able to hide the real situation in the dialogue with HR. Being honest in your CV saves time and provides an opportunity to find a job where you will feel like a true professional.
Ambiguity of Your Aims
When writing a CV, you should keep in mind that it is made for a specific job or type of vacancy. Consequently, it should reflect exactly those competencies that meet the specific (or standard for that job) requirements. This is especially important to understand for job seekers with diverse professional experience and skills. If you want to apply for different positions, you should create a separate CV for each position. Otherwise, the CV won’t be a targeted self-presentation, but an essay on a free topic.
