Don’t let teeny mistakes cost you BIG when it comes to bagging a job. Here are some things you should triple check before sending off your CV!
1. The font
For the love of all that is holy and employable, do not use Times New Roman. It is ‘the sweatpants’ of fonts, because it’s the default option on most people’s computers, It’s like telegraphing that you didn’t put any thought into the typeface that you selected.
The font you should use instead? Simple, clean Helvetica (and definitely not Comic Sans, obvs). Helvetica is so no-fuss. It doesn’t really lean in one direction or another. It feels professional, lighthearted, honest. Helvetica is safe.
2. Your spelling and grammar
You know this. We know you know this. But we bet there’s at least one sneaky typo in there that your own eyes will never, ever spot (and in the case of slip ups like then/than, spellcheck won’t either). When you’ve written something, your brain knows what you mean to say, meaning that it’s much more forgiving if you’ve failed to actually properly say it on paper.
Bully your mum, friends, boyfriend, strangers in the pub or anyone in the near vicinity to give it the once over, or if all else fails, read it aloud yourself. Yes, you might feel like a dingus, but actually vocalising the words will make you far more likely to realise that they’re in the wrong place.
3. The waffle factor
No, not the delicious-with-maple-syrup kind – we mean using 5 words when one would do. Cramming your CV with adjectives like ‘passionate’, ‘dedicated’, ‘hardworking’ and ‘reliable’ may seem like a positive choice, but actually all you’re doing is filling up space that you could be using to really sell yourself, and making it look like you don’t have anything much else to say.
When you’re writing, don’t tell the reader what you are – prove it to them by telling them what you’ve achieved in the past, and why it would make you good at the job you’re applying for. This way, they’ll be able to tell that you have all of these great qualities anyway! Remember, less is sometimes more.
4. The length
If your CV is longer than two pages of A4, you’ve probably included some info that you don’t really need. The older you get, the less people need to know about your earlier achievements like first jobs and GCSEs – give it a trim by tailoring it to the specific position that you’re applying for, detailing the experience and qualifications that are most relevant to the job in question.
If you’re not under two pages now, consider reformatting some areas (for example, your address can take up one line, separated by commas, rather than five) to make it seem more succinct.
5. Your social media presence
Even if you haven’t included your Twitter handle and the like on the actual resume, once your name hits their inbox, the first thing many employers will do is Google you and find your profiles anyway. Give all of your social media accounts the once over before you hit ‘send’ to make sure you come across at least semi professional.
We’re not saying you need to be behind a desk and in a suit in every snap, but whilst pictures of you having fun on holiday or at a party are fine, pictures of you on the floor after downing eleven shots are, well, not. If your Facebook tagged photos are too far gone to salvage before the deadline, at least set everything to private.
6. The subject line
Often, jobs will ask you to specify a particular reference number or title in the subject line to help them differentiate the messages from generic email, so when you’re getting ready to construct yours, check to make sure you’ve not left anything off.
Companies get hundreds, if not thousands of applications for one position these days, and if you can’t even follow the simple instructions in the ad, yours will probably be the first one in their delete folder!
7. Your contact details
Check your email and phone number approximately thirty thousand times. Just think – get one letter or digit wrong, and you’re not going to hear from them even if they do want to offer you an interview!
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