According to the Recruitment and Employment Commission, half of all CVs sent to employers contain spelling and grammatical errors, and graduates are twice as likely to make mistakes as their non-graduate counterparts.
Don’t be tempted to invent qualifications or embellish the extent of your work experience. You do need to sell your skills, but any discrepancies may be picked up at interview when you’re asked to elaborate.
Less is more. Although you may be tempted to include everything you’ve ever done, try to keep it short. Include only information that’s relevant to the job you’re applying for.
Always check that you haven’t used the same words for describing different skills, work experience, or interests, and check for unnecessary adjectives. This will help to streamline your CV.
Don’t be tempted to send the same CV to a large number of employers. Tailoring it will give you a better chance of success. Read the job description thoroughly, and research the employer so you can target your CV.
Use a commonly used font. If you’re emailing your CV it’s wise to make sure it’s a font used by most platforms, or save it as a pdf.
If you skim-read your CV would your key achievements stand out? Employers have little time to tease important information from your CV, so make sure it’s easy to see.
Try to include examples of any skill or achievement. This will give an employer an idea of how you have used your skills, not just a list of the skills you say you’ve got.
Get someone to read through your CV. It’s easy to overlook mistakes when you’ve been working on it for a long time, and you’ll be surprised what other people pick up.
Update your CV whenever you’ve gained more experience, and review what you’ve written regularly.
Have a look at our guides on CVs and covering letters, and CVs for postgraduate and research students, which gives more detailed information on how to research, write and target your CV. You can also find more details on applications, CVs and interviews, including CV and cover letter samples on the Prospects website.