Adam Herbert, co-founder and CEO of Go Live Data, has read a lot of bad CVs. Here, he details some common mistakes and gives tips on how to avoid them.
In today’s challenging job market, where competition is rife, standing out has never been more important. Perfecting your application can be a daunting task, especially if you have applied to tens or even hundreds of jobs, which is often the case nowadays. As a result, mistakes can easily be made and overlooked, but it’s crucial to critique your CV and make it the best it can be.
As a CEO, I’ve read hundreds of CVs and interviewed a whole range of people with various levels of experience. Here, I’ve come up with a list of the five main beige flags to look out for and how you can correct them to land your dream role.
Generic language
A CV is effectively a marketing tool to help you stand out. It is your opportunity to showcase your talents and how you plan to evolve a company and excel in your career. No matter what your profession is or what role you hope to fill, your application must be airtight with detailed skills and examples.
Adjectives are key to making your resume sound positive and demonstrate how good you are. However, phrases such as ‘results-driven’ can leave question marks. Unless you have quantifiable metrics to back it up, or quotes from colleagues or clients who have witnessed your success, comments such as this are somewhat meaningless.
Instead, think of praise you have received in previous roles; perhaps you successfully managed a team of people when your manager had to call in sick, and use that example quoting the individual who praised you.
Poor formatting
You might have a stellar application filled with impressive experience and skills. Nonetheless, poor formatting can be the bump that trips you up. Make sure experience is in chronological order and in order of relevance to that specific role. Make sure bullet points are spaced evenly with headers, keep it concise and avoid going over two sentences. Headers are also useful to the person reviewing your application.
Last but not least, grammar and punctuation must be perfect so get someone else to read it for you to avoid careless mistakes.
Rinse and repeat
It can be tempting to copy and paste the same CV for every application, as job hunting is time-consuming and often anxiety-inducing. However, even if it’s for the same type of role, your CV should be updated and tailored to that specific company if you want to make a good impression.
Research their clients, their accomplishments, such as are they a leader in their sector? How do they add value to society? Identify key words from the job description and make sure your CV is consistent with their values and what they are seeking.
You can also change the way your resume looks to stand out more and differentiate from others. For example, copying the colours the company uses is a clever trick and demonstrates you’ve put the time and effort in. Employers want to know you care as well as how much you desire the role, so bear this in mind.
Irrelevant detail
Employers want to gauge your personality as well as your skills to determine if you’re the right fit for the role, but make sure your CV is as succinct as possible, remembering to include key words from the job description. The more tailored it is to the company, the more likely you’ll progress to the interview stage.
Scaling the tallest building in France may be one of the best things you’ve ever done, but it’s probably going to be irrelevant to the employer you’re speaking to. Instead, highlight a charity campaign you got involved in at work or a course you did that led to a promotion. Anything that resulted in job progression will excite the employer, as opposed to the fact that you like running or knitting.
Dishonesty
Arguably the most important beige flag to be aware of is dishonesty. Exaggerating an accomplishment or lying about what responsibilities you’ve had can land you in hot water. Even putting the wrong grades, no matter how long ago they were achieved, can be futile – contrary to popular belief.
Using flowery language is fine up to a point, but if your CV lacks evidence or you’re left stumped when the interviewer questions it, alarm bells should be ringing. Be upfront about your attributes, remember you don’t need to tick every box to be successful, and where you may lack experience, you in turn provide value elsewhere.
Employers aren’t looking to trip you up and if you feel confident in your abilities and what you can bring to the table, they too will believe in you.
If you are stuck or unsure, ask for help and proofread your CV several times before submitting it. Also beware of false information online which can harm your chances. I hope this helps towards ensuring you’ll have a remarkable resume to land you that dream job.
By Adam Herbert
Adam Herbert is the co-founder and CEO of Go Live Data, a UK-based company that assists businesses in managing both outbound engagement and internal data assets.
Find out how emerging tech trends are transforming tomorrow with our new podcast, Future Human: The Series. Listen now on Spotify, on Apple or wherever you get your podcasts.
