Writing a CV is not always easy. It requires good thinking and writing skills in order not to ruin your job application. In order to create a good CV, you must know how to put yourself forward, to value yourself personally and professionally through the information that you introduce. But above all, you must avoid even the smallest mistakes in writing. Here are some of them.
1) Spelling mistakes
The first thing we look for in a CV is something that is pleasant to read. No matter how much information you put in your CV, if you write with French mistakes (and sometimes with English mistakes), you will surely not be selected. Of course, everyone has made mistakes in French. And that’s why we need drafts.
Try to make as few mistakes as possible. Spelling mistakes, even small ones, are intolerable in a resume. This is the first golden rule of online resume writing, as you can see on the various sites dedicated to this. Not knowing what you are writing can have a very negative impact on your application. And on the contrary, the fact that you have taken care of your resume writing means to your recruiter that you were very focused and very serious, and that you have done several proofreadings before sending it to him. And that’s a good thing for your application.
2) Useless and too personal information
When you write a CV, what are you going to say? If you say useless things that have nothing to do with the position you are applying for, such as some personal information about yourself, or even too personal.
What you need to keep in mind is that this is a CV and not a diary that will detail your life. Of course, in the CV, there is a section dedicated to personal information, but this does not mean that you can put everything in there. You should only include your first and last name(s), contact information, marital status, and the number of children you have (if you have any). You can mention your age or inform about your date of birth, depending on your preference.
You should not tell your recruiter about your sexual orientation, religious affiliation, morals and customs, culture, political opinion, or social class. This is useless information. So if you don’t want to fail your application, you shouldn’t say anything.
3) Incorrect information
For the important information that you put in your CV, you should also pay attention to it. You should not make a mistake so check it well before sending your application. If a single digit of your phone number is wrong or forgotten or if your name is missing, it can falsify your application and therefore reduce your chance to be called.
If your CV is selected, the recruiter may send you an email to the (wrong) address and therefore an email that may never reach you.
4) Terms that are too technical or too “boilerplate
There are some people who think that in order to stand out from other candidates, you have to use specific terms. Yes, this is true. But “specific” does not mean “too technical” or “standard”. You must choose the right terms to use to enhance your profile in your resume.
Note that there are recruiters who are quite irritated when they see terms that are too “boilerplate” in a CV and quickly move on to another one without having read everything. For them, these resumes are classified as too banal. And we understand them, they are not obliged to read what they are not interested in.
And conversely, resumes that contain overly technical terms can also annoy them, contrary to what you might expect. Instead of wasting time and headaches trying to figure out what the candidate is getting at, they simplify their task by “rejecting” the application.
5) A CV that is too long
You may think that a long CV is more interesting? No, it isn’t! Since recruiters receive several applications, they calculate how long they will take to read them. Generally, they spend only 7 to 8 seconds on one CV and move on to another. If during this time, the main part of your CV is not read, your application will obviously fall through.
For this, you should not make your CV too long because it is boring. The 2-3 page CV is only for very experienced people. But even in this case, these people are obliged to introduce only the important information that is related to the position they aspire to.
Before writing your CV, try to sort out your information in a draft before writing it in the CV. A CV that contains only the essentials is more dynamic and more pleasant to read.
6) A CV that is too original
Originality is a quality, but in the writing of a CV, to abuse it would be a mistake. It is quite tempting for all candidates to make their CVs original in order to stand out from the crowd and to make them less banal. However, overdoing it is not recommended.
If you want to add a personal touch to your resume, you can create a creative layout or say something humorous. But that’s it! So don’t let your imagination run wild when writing your CV so that you don’t get left out of the running with other candidates.
7) Indicate your salary expectations
Your resume is not a cover letter. There are still a lot of people who don’t understand this. It is never recommended to indicate your salary expectations in your CV. No recruiter asks for it. Certainly, some job offers require you to mention your salary expectations, but it is customary to include them in the cover letter. Sometimes it is even better to say it only during the interview. If your application is interesting enough, nothing prevents the recruiter from calling you and asking you directly by phone or during a physical interview. This is more professional.
Instead, put forward your skills, your know-how, and your qualities to make you stand out from the crowd. Forget the salary. It’s not important in a resume.
