Does Your CV Make an Impact?

There are several online sites that provide links to some of the most sought after jobs in the United Kingdom. Most of time, sites like www.totaljobs.com and www.monsterjobs.co.uk offer the opportunity for the job seeker to create an online account and upload a CV for a vacancy.

Imagine working for human resources. Every day, hundreds if not thousands of online applications stream in for various positions. As a HR rep eager to feel a position, you click on the CV and move onto the next one... but why? What aspects of a CV might cause it to get dumped into the trash?

It is amazing how many potential, perfectly qualified employees lose the opportunity for a job interview based on the quality of their CV. Here are some suggestions on what you can do to prevent your CV from ending up in the trash.

Common CV Mistakes

More often than not, it is those obvious mistakes that cause a CV to get tossed. Read over this checklist, then really take a look at your resume. Are you guilty of any of the following, obvious mistakes? If so, fix them immediately. Basic mistakes could be costing you the interview.

Spelling

It just seems so obvious but it has to be said, If you have not run spell-check on your resume, you could be missing out on the opportunity to obtain your dream job. An employer will not want to give a chance to someone who demonstrates minimal initiative checking something as simple as spelling

Poor online format

A CV meant for uploading will often appear on the page differently than it will if you were to print it. This can happen depending on the program the company uses to upload CVs or if you use fonts or symbols that do not translate to other programs. Granted, this technical problem has become less frequent as many companies have standardized their software but remember, formatting can be a mistake on your end as well.

The best way to determine if your CV appears in a clean format when it is uploaded through online forms is to talk to a tech friend. If you don’t have any IT experts as friends - go out and make one a.s.a.p. - but in the meantime, get in touch with an IT expert, have them take a look at your CV and ask if it needs to be adjusted to an online format. This format should not be a huge investment. If it is, look for another, more affordable tech expert to do the job.

Don’t date yourself

Ageism is illegal. Companies will not dare discriminate against you for how many years you’ve had in the workforce. At least, not directly. But if you include detailed information on your resume, such as when you graduated from college or include work experience dating back to the 80’s, you give HR a golden opportunity to dismiss your resume due to... well, whatever they can find.

Avoiding metrics

Most companies work with a bottom line. They want to know how much, how fast and how often. If you avoid including metrics on your resume, a company is less apt to feel you are capable of bringing something to their bottom line. Obviously, many companies have confidentiality agreements regarding what information you can and cannot share.

Typically, using percentages to explain your point is the most appropriate way to communicate metrics. For example, “Increased productivity of region by 70% in one year.” This allows a company to know that you have the capability bring specific forms of revenue growth to the table.