by Dan Black
Juicy CV Writing Tips Part 1

The Internet has changed the way we do business today, unlike a few years ago when paper and pen was the standard. “Just because your CV is nice on paper, it doesn’t mean it’s nice on a computer.”

Research has been done lately on more than 2, 500 recruiters from a variety of industries about what they see on CVs that they just can’t stand, so we’ve compiled a short summary of the 10 biggest mistakes to avoid when writing your CV or Resume. This is what the industry is saying, so it’s advised that you listen to it.

Below are the 10 biggest mistakes from the survey and some guidance notes to help you steer clear from making the same mistakes on your CV:

1. Spelling Errors, Typos and Bad Grammar
Everyone loves “Spell Check” obviously, but unfortunately it won’t catch all the errors or mistakes. “Manger” is a correctly spelled term, but it means something completely different and unrelated to “manager. Pay attention and be present to those buzzwords that may be related to your field.

2. Duty - Oriented Overkill
If you’re using your current employer’s Job description, congratulations you’ve just lost the whole point of your CV. Employers are quite well informed so it’s likely that they already know what the job is; your CV should highlight your accomplishments in that particular position. It is advised that you show what you’ve really done by outlining the process, outcomes and effect that are specific to you.

3. Repetition
The fastest and surest way to irritate the person reading your CV is by using and re-using the equivalent subset of verbs. For example, if you list a few jobs in the section containing your Professional Experience, make sure that they don’t all begin with “Responsibilities I had… “. On the same letter, they shouldn’t all begin with “Developed and Created… “Either! As simple as this advice sounds, many CV’s have a tendency to include more than a mouthful of unnecessary and overused verbs.

4. Inaccurate or Lost Dates
Potential Employers need to know exactly when and where you’ve worked before so that they can better evaluate your application and qualifications and also perform the correct background checks to see if you’ll qualify for the relevant job that you’ve applied for. Misplaced and incorrect dates that cover a long period of time, will result in the recruiter having to investigate and therefore the CV may become obsolete because of it.

5. Imperfect and Missing Contact Data
Be sure that every Resume you send has the correct contact information, including name, mobile and phone numbers, and also the correct email address. Recruiters don’t have the time to look you up; they’ll quickly move on to the next candidate in line.

6. Personal Facts Unrelated to the Work
Many Recruiters are short on time so it’s recommended that you don’t want to distract them with your age, peak, weight and interests unless they’re directly relevant to the work you want to do.

7. Very Long CVs
Almost all recruiters and employers won’t think twice on this and won’t have the time to read them. Focus on the skills and accomplishments that directly apply to the undertaking you’re trying to achieve. Every point counts so do not dwell on the specifics of each topic, but advisably highlight the points relevant and specific to you.

8. Don’t Be Too Creative
There is certainly no need to go overboard. Using words like “ameliorated” and “edification “in your resume is overkill. Simplicity and conciseness are keys to building mighty CV’s. By using too many big words you risk coming across as vain, patronizing, and flippant (sort of like this sentence). No employer is in the mood to pull out a dictionary just to find out what you did at your last assignment.

9. Functional CVs
Wherever possible, it’s highly advised you go with a chronological CV and centre on the skills and accomplishments that are relevant to the job position you’re pursuing. Generally most people are pretty active and manage to keep their work skills going. Use that information to fill in the gaps.

10. Flashy CV designs
Flashy designs are almost guaranteed to hit the rubbish bin immediately. Unless you are a model or a customer - service applicant do not even think about using a photograph. Avoid colours, text effects and unusual fonts because the employer simply cannot process them.
Follow this rule if you want your CV to succeed: keep the appearance simple because it is the quality of the content that resonates with recruiters and makes them want to meet you. No bravado will ever impress them - they have seen every gimmick in the book and they are sick of looking at them twenty times a day.

Dan Black is a writer and content editor for Juicyjobs.biz Ethical Green Jobs UK, which is an environmentally friendly green job search board which offers free job listings to Environmental, NGO’s, NFP’s and ethical companies promoting green, fair tr

Article Source: Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Writing A CV