It is very common these days that recruiters don’t spend a long time reading a CV, they rather spend few minutes or even seconds glancing over a CV before moving to the next one in the pile. Because of this, you as a job seeker should be careful about the information you put on your CV. Be careful not to be wordy or superfluous in your CV, because it can distract the employer or recruiter from what your true ability is; and sometimes in some worse situations make them to conclude that you are the wrong person for the job.
Adding the right information to your CV is largely dependent on how you see your CV. You should see your CV as a branding document or a marketing tool where you sell your skills, qualities, expertise, and potential to a prospective employer. You should not mistake a CV for an autobiography. Since a CV is not an autobiography, there are some information that should not be found in it. You should rather focus on having a short, witty and interesting. Writing a comprehensive CV is a path way to landing yourself in your dream job.
These are the following items you should avoid in your CV:
Employers today are not much interested in what you want, so when writing your objective if there is a need, it should concentrate on what you can offer rather than what you expect to get. Your opening paragraph needs to be a strong message that summarizes your background and indicates what you are best at. Your opening paragraph should create a theme that proves that you are great at what you do and you have a skill set for the role you are applying for.
Most times, it is not advisable to add personal descriptions in your CV. A description of how you look or even attaching an image to your CV may not be appropriate, as it could be misunderstood most times by many persons as showing off, and most times it is not seen as professional to add an image or a personal physical descriptions about yourself in a CV because you may not be as good looking as you think, and it may even put you in a disadvantaged position.
You should always keep your CV professional and less personal.
You might have acquired a lot of experience over time, but you don’t always have to add all your experiences to your CV. For example, you are applying for the post of an engineer and in your CV, you add your experience when you worked at a café that experience is not needful and necessary unless you want to continue in that role.
On the other hand, there are experiences you can add to your CV that may not directly relate to the job, but those experiences can only be added if it really showcases additional skill that can help in the position you are applying for.
Adding some of your achievements to CV is fine, it shows that you are a goal getter and that you are smart. However, there are some achievements you should not include in your CV. All achievements that you add to your CV should be achievements that relate to the role you are applying for.
Adding a reference or references to your CV may not be very necessary. It is always very important for you to note that there are certain information you do not give out except it is being requested. Most times employers will ask you to provide references if they need their contact or want to speak to them. So you should always wait for it to be required than just giving that information.
Also, different job roles require certain references; you might not know if the reference(s) you have included in you CV might be appropriate or not. For example, for the role of a Laboratory Attendant, the company might require a Medical Doctor who works in a Government hospital but you have included an inappropriate reference. Such acts might cause your CV to be shelved aside.
Your CV is like your selling tool, it tells so much about you. The information that you give about yourself in your CV is most times seen beyond just the information written down, but it also gives the employer an idea about your personality. So to make sure you are giving the right signal about yourself to your prospective employer. You have to be sure the information you are giving out is accurate and very relevant to the job role you are applying for.
You may also consider engaging the services of a professional CV Writer to review your CV, and to bring the shine out of it.
Also, see CV Templates for all Job Fields
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