Six things you shouldn’t put on your CV

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Getting your CV right is hard work but it’s well worth investing the time doing so because it can make a huge difference to the response rate you get from employers and recruitment agencies.

While we’re used to hearing about all the things you should include on your CV, below are six things you shouldn’t put on your resume because it can hinder your chances of securing a job interview.

Personal information

You will of course need to include some personal information on your CV but it’s not necessary to include your:

• Photograph
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Sexual orientation
• Religion
• Political affiliation

Whether they mean to or not, employers could end up basing hiring decisions around personal information so to prevent the possibility of this happening, you’re better off keeping it private.

Spelling errors and poor grammar

We cannot emphasise enough the importance of checking your CV thoroughly for any spelling or grammar errors. Many recruiters will instantly dismiss a resume with mistakes on it because it shows a lack of attention to detail which is not something that many employers want from their staff.

It’s always a good idea to use a spell checker, proof read your document, ask others to look over it and try printing it out and reading it because it’s often easier to spot mistakes on a piece of paper than it is on a screen.

Irrelevant work experience

A lot of job seekers make the mistake of thinking that the more experience they have, the more attractive they will be to a potential employer. The truth is however that companies are only interested in the experience you have that’s relevant to the position you’re applying for.

Your CV should show the employer as quickly as possible that you match their requirements. Cut out any irrelevant information which could dilute this message because otherwise there’s a strong possibility your CV is going to go unnoticed.

Unprofessional email addresses

You may think that your funny email address is a great way of showing off your personality but it could actually cost you a potential interview. A whopping 76% of CVs are ignored if the email address is unprofessional so it’s advisable not to do this.

Negativity

It’s very important to keep your CV positive. Replace any negative phrases with positive ones and resist the temptation to bad-mouth previous employers. Research has shown that there are phrases and terms you should avoid using on your resume, even in a positive context. These include:

• Awful
• Bad
• Fault
• Hate
• Mistake
• Nothing
• Problem

Lies

No matter how tempting it may be, never lie on your CV. Saying that you can do something you can’t not only makes your life more difficult but if you get caught, your employer has the right to terminate your employment whenever they want. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 96% of companies say that they conduct a form of background checks on every employee so chances are that you will get caught.

If you would like help perfecting your CV or finding your dream job, please feel free to contact Choralis Consulting and we will be more than happy to help.