Top Five C.V Blunders

The one thing common to most job applications is the Curriculum Vitae. This 2 to 3 page document is expected to contain the applicant’s employment history, special achievements and relevant personal details. Unfortunately, many applicants still fail to write their C.Vs properly and end up failing to snag the job interview. What are the top five blunders that job applicants make when they design their C.Vs?

1.Making the C.V too fanciful

Many job applicants think that the C.V is an invitation card or a fashion art piece. They put in fanciful font, insert little shapes and pictures, and even change the font sizes, all the time thinking that this demonstrates creativity on their part. However, it is important to remember that the C.V is actually a formal document for consideration. It may not sit very well with an executive recruiter who is not in the mood to joke. An overly fanciful C.V may also tell the recruiter that the applicant is not professional and is not serious about the job.

2.Overemphasizing their Job Responsibilities

Some job applicants have significant job experience. When they write their C.Vs, they list all their previous positions and make a long list of the responsibilities that they held in a certain position. This makes their C.V long and boring, especially for the recruiter which has to read through thousands of resumés. Overemphasizing your job responsibilities may also make the applicant seem like a boaster.

3.Divulging sensitive information

Some job applicants think that the more personal details which they give,the more accessible they would appear to the recruiter. They put in details such as their NRIC number and all their contact numbers. Some of these details are not even useful when the recruiter assesses the candidates suitability for the job. Another problem is that the applicant’s privacy may be compromised if overly private information like the NRIC number is available to many companies at a time.

4.Omitting Contact Information

A few job applicants prepare a well written C.V with most of the important details. Everything is present: the employment history, the references and education history. The only thing that is missing is the contact number. Imagine the employer who looks through a candidate’s C.V and is impressed by all his accomplishments and experience. He is about to ring him up for an interview. And lo and behold , there is no contact number on the resumé.And circumstances arrange that there is nothing on the cover letter. Even with the best intentions, the recruiter will never be able to meet this candidate.

5.Using a generic C.V

The average job seeker submits his C.V to more than one company. The only problem is that the same generic C.V is used for all the job applications.In this generic C.V, the candidate tends to list all his skills and experience. The only problem is that the employer is looking for a candidate that can fulfill specific job requirements. All the skills listed may not be relevant to the job. As a result, it is important that the applicant looks into designing the C.V for specific jobs, and tailoring the C.V to its requirements. Writing a C.V is definitely not a walk in a park, and neither should it be written simply. Job Seekers should always make sure that their C.Vs are adequately detailed and to make sure that there are no language errors that may compromise his chances of getting a job interview.

Written by Linus Tham, Founder and Director of the C.V Plus Group, a C.V writing and design consultancy. The C.V Plus Group specialises in C.V and Cover Letter design, post interview Thank You letters and Junior C.Vs. For more information, please visit http://www.cvplus.com.sg or call 6270 9028. Email:cs@cvplus.com.sg Blog: http://www.freeresume.wordpress.com