Why Small Mistakes Cost Big Opportunities
Recruiters reviewing hundreds of CVs are looking for reasons to move on quickly. A typo, an inconsistent format, or a vague bullet point is all it takes to land in the reject pile. The frustrating thing is that these mistakes are almost entirely preventable with a structured review process.
Mistake 1: Typos and Grammar Errors
This is the most common and most damaging mistake. A typo signals carelessness — and if you can't take care with your own CV, why would an employer trust you to take care with their work?
Fix: Never trust a single spell-check pass. Read the CV aloud — your brain will catch errors your eyes skip. Then ask a friend or colleague to review it. Fresh eyes catch things you can't see.
Mistake 2: Generic, Duty-Based Bullet Points
"Responsible for managing social media." "Assisted with project delivery." These phrases tell a recruiter what your job title implied anyway — they say nothing about what you actually accomplished.
Fix: Rewrite every bullet to focus on outcomes: what changed as a result of what you did? Use numbers, percentages, and timelines. "Grew Instagram engagement by 180% in six months by launching a weekly short-form video series" is infinitely more compelling than "Managed social media accounts."
Mistake 3: Sending the Same CV Everywhere
A generic CV sent to every employer is optimised for no employer. It will perform mediocrely everywhere rather than excellently somewhere.
Fix: Keep a master CV and tailor each application. At minimum, rewrite the personal statement and reorder or trim bullet points to match the job description's priorities.
Mistake 4: Too Long or Too Short
One-page CVs feel cramped for anyone with more than three years of experience; three-page CVs feel padded for most private sector roles. The sweet spot is one page for early-career candidates and two pages for everyone else.
Fix: If your CV is too long, cut the oldest roles to just dates and job titles, remove anything unrelated to your target role, and tighten bullet points. If it's too short, add more detail to your most relevant roles.
Mistake 5: Vague Personal Statements
"I am a motivated and dedicated professional seeking a challenging role where I can utilise my skills." This opener says nothing. It's the most skimmed section on the most mediocre CVs.
Fix: Rewrite with specifics: your level, your area, your strongest competency, and a notable achievement. Every sentence should communicate concrete value.
Mistake 6: Poor Formatting and Design
Creative layouts with columns, graphics, icons, and tables might look impressive to you — but ATS systems often can't read content inside tables or text boxes, and many recruiters find unconventional formatting distracting.
Fix: Use a clean, single-column layout with standard section headings. Simple is readable and ATS-compatible. Save design creativity for a portfolio or personal website.
Mistake 7: Including Outdated or Irrelevant Information
Your GCSE results from 15 years ago. A part-time job at a coffee shop when you now have 10 years of professional experience. A skills section that lists "Microsoft Word" when you're applying for a senior management role.
Fix: Ruthlessly remove anything that doesn't strengthen your case for this specific role. Space on a CV is scarce — use it only for what supports the application.
Mistake 8: Missing or Outdated Contact Details
It happens more than you'd think — an email address that no longer works, a phone number that went out of date, or no LinkedIn URL at all.
Fix: Check every contact detail before each application. Use a professional email address (firstname.lastname@gmail.com, not funnyhandle@hotmail.com). Include your LinkedIn URL.
Mistake 9: No Clear Structure
A CV without clear section headings, consistent date formatting, and logical order is physically tiring to read. Recruiters won't invest the effort.
Fix: Use consistent, standard section headings. Format all dates the same way. Use the same font size and style for equivalent elements throughout.