CV tips from Gemini!
To help you improve your changes and personal branding with your CV, we spoke to our consultants and asked them about some of the common mistakes they find. Last week, we posted a blog about common CV mistakes. This week, we asked our expert consultants for some advice on how to avoid these common mistakes and how to stand out to increase your chances of getting hired. Here are some tips!
1. Spelling and grammar mistakes
- Check your CV for errors and check it again;
- Be sure to use a spelling checker on your CV to correct errors, especially when it comes to locations and company names;
- Use tools like Grammarly to check for any grammar, style and spelling errors;
- Ask a friend to proofread your CV; a fresh pair of eyes can always be helpful in spotting an error that you may have missed.
2. Applying for jobs you are not suited to or qualified for
- The advice from our consultants is quality, not quantity;
- It may be a better strategy to spend the time to draft 10 carefully crafted applications for jobs you are qualified for than applying for 50 jobs in the same amount of time;
- Your CV should provide evidence of you matching the requirements of the job; check the job description to see what type of skills and experience they are looking for;
- Have more than one version of your CV tailored to a different function or industry types. This can help highlight the key skills needed for different jobs;
- If the job is in another country, you should check if the company will provide visa sponsorship and if you meet the requirements for a visa in that country.
3. Inappropriate photo
- A picture in business wear with a nice smile, keep it professional;
- If you don’t have a professional photo, ask a friend to help you take one;
- Don’t use holiday photos or photos with friends or pets.
4. Your CV is too long or too short
- Look for some examples or templates of CVs online to give you some guidance on how to structure your own CV;
- If you have extensive experience, then provide the key points in 1 or 2 pages;
- Relevant qualifications (MBA/Ph.D./Master’s Degree)
- Achievements that show your level of experience (e.g. number of staff managed, projects you have worked on, major successes, etc.)
- Summary of key skills and experience that you possess which will be of benefit to the company
- If you don’t have a lot of experience yet, try to summarise your CV in 1 page;
- Emphasise any skills and experience you have that is relevant to the job
- Highlight any projects or volunteering experiences you have, along with examples of skills you used.
5. Listing your job responsibilities, not your achievements
- Provide a brief summary of the role and responsibilities;
- Give examples of what you have achieved (include data if possible) e.g.;
- Increased sales performance of the team by 8% last year
- Any awards that you received
- Changes/improvements you made
- Developed new services/products/ideas
6. The layout of the CV is messy
- Find some good templates online, or ask a friend if you can have a look at their CV for ideas on style and formatting;
- Share your CV with a friend to get their opinion on the layout;
- Put yourself in the seat of the recruiter/employer and ask yourself, ‘Would this CV stand out from a pile of 50 CVs?’
7. Not investing enough time in your CV
- See the task of writing your CV as a good opportunity to review your own career highlights, rather than just a boring task to complete;
- Write down a list of your key skills, achievements, and experience, this will help you to build and structure your CV;
- Ask friends to review your CV and be open to constructive criticism from them;
- Look at your friends CVs for inspiration and ideas to apply to your own.
By using these tips, you should be able to avoid some of the common mistakes that many candidates make on their CV and increase your chances of getting your dream job. If you want to learn more about how Gemini can help you or your company, then please visit our website.