5 Things Employers Don’t Want To See On Your CV

When it comes to writing a compelling CV, the emphasis is on the details.

You want to capture the attention of the person reading your CV in an instant, otherwise your CV may just end up among the hundreds of rejects.

According to Ms. Melody Mwenda, a professional CV writing expert, your CV needs to be as error free as possible if you are to have any chances at a position.

Poorly done CVs are a recipe for disaster and they are a complete turn off to any employer.

I sat down with her to give me insights on things that we put on our CVs that many employers do not want to see and she had this to say;

Related: Free Sample CV Format for Kenyan Job Market 

Things Employers Don’t Want To See On Your CV

1. Too wordy

Yes. You have vast experience, having held several positions, but putting them all on your CV, doesn’t put you on the advantage.
Employers don’t want to see an entire two or three pages of your work experience.

If anything, they are more interested in your current position.

Include three, starting with the latest positions you have held and only include those that are relevant to the job experience.

For instance, if you are applying for Senior Chemical Engineer position, that sales executive position you held once is not relevant in this case.

2. Omitting keywords

Every industry has its own key words associated with that profession.

When employers scan through your CV they expect to see these key words.

Sometimes these keywords, are more important that the rest of the content on your CV.

Scan through the job description and outline in your CV exactly what the employer is looking for.

If you have a problem coming up with relevant keywords, you can always reach out to a professional who offers CV writing services.

3. Focusing too much on the job roles

It goes without saying that anyone can describe what they did on a CV.

Describing what they achieved is the real struggle. When you apply for a job, your future employer is looking to see what you achieved in your previous positions.

So instead of focusing on the role, pay more attention on the achievements and accomplishments you have made.

4. Not highlighting your achievements

Focusing too much on your job roles is a CV mistake you should not make however, just highlighting your roles and leaving it at that is the most dreadful CV mistake you can make.

No employer will take you seriously if you make it seem like you haven’t achieved anything in your career.

Whether you are applying for an internship or a senior position, be sure to include any achievement you may have made in your career, no matter how insignificant you presume it is.

Related: 8 Deadly CV Writing Mistakes That Make You Look Unprofessional

5. Not targeting your prospective employer

The days of sending generic CVs to every employer are way behind us.

Are you still wondering why you keep applying for jobs and never get a response leave alone an acknowledgement that someone has received your application?

Stop sending one generic CV to every employer. Learn her how you can tailor your CV to meet the requirements of every job description.

Researching a company and what they are looking for, is one way in which you can tailor make your CV to fit a job.

When it comes to job hunting, you cannot afford to make any mistakes on your CV. Remember that there will always be someone more qualified for the job. Therefore, let your CV do the marketing work for you.

If you are still getting rejected after every job application, revamp your CV by hiring the services of a professional CV writer.

Related: 4 Curriculum Vitae Trends Job Seekers Must Be Aware Of 

The writer is a Communications Officer at Career Point Kenya. Email her at lilian@www.careerpointkenya.co.ke