CV Tips

10 Things You Should Not Put on Your CV (Updated 2022)

CV Tips, newsletter / May 17, 2022

Most people think that the more information you include on your CV, the better it will be received. This isn’t necessarily true; in fact, there are several things you should not put on your CV because they could actually hurt your chances of getting an interview and even the job itself. To help you avoid any possible pitfalls, here are 10 things you should not put on your CV…

1) Photo

Although it might be tempting to include a candid, personal photo on your CV, stay away from any that include you drinking or doing drugs. There’s no reason why an employer needs to know that you partied too hard in college or that your vacation shot is actually of you at a bar in Tijuana. Even if you don’t have photos like these, some employers will still take anything they can get as an excuse not to hire someone they’re not 100% sure about. If you want to stand out as professional and competent, leave your partying days behind with your 20-something friends. Besides, who wants their resume passed along to HR before even getting past hiring managers?


2) Religious information

There are some religions that will not hire people of other religions. A good example of such a religion is Scientology, as reported by TechRepublic contributor Darryl K. Taft. If you are not religious at all, then it’s safe to leave any information about your religious beliefs off your resume. If you do choose to include it, consider leaving it out if you know that many companies will shy away from hiring a certain type of person based on their beliefs. The same rule applies for social media profiles—if there’s anything overly political or religious mentioned in your profile (and there shouldn’t be), then omit it from your CV in order to avoid turning off potential employers who would be inclined to discriminate against you based on those attributes.

3) References from friends

We’re not saying that you shouldn’t go to bat for your friends. But using their name as a reference is a big no-no. Credibility is everything in business and you don’t want anyone wondering if your friend is just trying to take care of his own reputation by speaking highly of you. Friends in need are good, but references aren’t a favor—they’re someone’s professional opinion about how well you can do a job. References should be people who have worked with you in that particular field or industry, not your second cousin’s mommy-friend who has known you since preschool and thinks you’re great at everything but never actually saw what kind of work product came out of it.

4) References from previous employers

Sure, a letter of recommendation from a current or former boss is great to have if you can get it. But many CVs end up being passed around from person to person (or being scanned into databases) before anyone actually sits down and reads them, so letters often don’t make an impact—and when they do, it’s not always for good reasons. They may be seen as evidence that you are hard to work with or complain about your colleagues. Some employers see a long list of job references as a turn-off, because it looks like you’re not in control of your own career—someone else has been calling all your shots.

5) Salary expectations

If you’re job-hunting, it can be tempting to include your salary expectations. But there are two reasons not to put your salary expectations on your CV: firstly, you have no idea what an employer is willing to pay you. Even if they’ve advertised a salary for that position, it doesn’t mean they will offer that figure to everyone; and secondly, you want to get offers based on what value you bring—not based on how cheap or expensive (or how similar) other people are in their demands. There’s no reason for anyone else at a company to know what salaries other employees are making—and there is often no way for them to find out anyway.

6) Travelling history

When it comes to travel, history doesn’t matter. Employers want to see what you’ve done with your time off—not where you went. If a hiring manager is impressed with your foreign passport stamps, they might ask about your travels in an interview; but you don’t need to clutter up your resume with things that aren’t relevant (or legal) for them to know. If anything, having too much information can be a red flag that you aren’t detail-oriented enough or worse—that there may be something untoward in your history they don’t know about yet. These are not things employers want to learn from reading your resume.



7) CVs in multiple languages

If you don’t have a strong grasp of English, it’s a good idea to stick with your native language. Your English could be perfectly fine, but CVs are tricky and without proofreading by a native speaker, there’s too much room for error. If you aren’t 100% sure about grammar or spelling, avoid putting anything on your CV that could jeopardize an interview opportunity. Be proactive: find people willing to edit and proofread your CV before applying for jobs in English-speaking countries where you may need to meet with executives from non-English speaking countries.

8) Date of birth and age

While you might think that including your age is a good way to show off how young and ambitious you are, research shows it’s actually detrimental to job seekers. Research by TheLadders showed that including one’s date of birth had a negative impact on results. Ageism isn’t illegal, but some recruiters may see it as a red flag if they don’t want an older worker who might not be able to work for decades (the average life expectancy in developed countries has been steadily increasing since 1950). So save yourself from potential discrimination and leave your age off your resume or LinkedIn profile.

9) Special skills that are unrelated to the job or industry

While you may have an exceptional talent for cake decorating, your skills aren’t related to what you want to do for a living. So don’t add cake decorator extraordinaire to your resume. It doesn’t say anything about you other than that perhaps you have too much time on your hands. The same is true of special skills in computer programming or languages like Spanish—unless they are directly related to what your dream job would be, leave them off. Companies might be impressed at first but will quickly realize there’s no point in hiring someone with such broad skills if they’re not going to use them daily.


10) Controversial views

If you have a particularly controversial view—for example, you’re a climate change denier or an anti-vaxxer—that doesn’t belong in your resume. No employer wants to be put in a position where they have to defend their beliefs and values, and they shouldn’t have to. This also goes for anything illegal or morally reprehensible. If your profile is littered with racial slurs, it might give off the impression that you think it’s acceptable behavior and don’t have any respect for others around you. That is not okay at work and won’t get you far in your career.

Conclusion

Here are 10 things you should not put on your CV, though feel free to add what is appropriate for you. Ultimately you’ll have to make decisions about which skills and accomplishments to highlight – focus first on those that are most relevant to your target role, then those that will impress an employer without making him think hey, there’s a red flag here…!.

9 Mistakes You Make When Searching for a Job

CV Tips, Interview Tips / April 28, 2022

 

Job seekers often make mistakes that keep them from finding the right opportunity, or worse yet, prevent them from ever starting their new career. If you’re looking to land your dream job, here are 9 common mistakes you need to avoid to have any chance of success. Keep in mind that each mistake comes with an explanation and a tip on how to avoid making the same error again. Hopefully, you can learn from other people’s mistakes as well as your own!

1) Not Finding Out What Recruiters Want

One of the most common mistakes job seekers make is taking their search into their own hands. They think they know what recruiters want, but they don’t. In fact, job seekers who do get an interview with a company often realize that what they thought recruiters wanted was entirely different from what those same recruiters are actually looking for. That’s why it’s important to do some research about what recruiters look for and how you can match up with that ideal candidate. There are no dumb questions – as long as you ask them before you go in to your next job interview!

2) Sending Unprofessional Applications

Another common mistake people make when applying for jobs is to send out unprofessional applications. Don’t use Comic Sans. Don’t attach your resume in Word or PDF format—use either plain text or Microsoft Word document format (.doc). Do not include any typos or misspellings; in an age of spell check, it shows a lack of care. If you have applied with another company recently, don’t highlight that fact. All these things are unacceptable and may disqualify you from being considered as even an interview candidate before your application is ever read.

3) Failing to Follow Up

Reaching out to recruiters is good, but often times it’s not enough. It’s common to hear stories about applicants who get passed over because they failed to follow up with recruiters and keep them in-the-loop on their search. This lack of communication leaves recruiters guessing and speculating as to your level of interest and commitment, ultimately making it easier for another applicant to steal away an opportunity. To ensure you don’t miss out on a job opportunity, always remember follow up!

4) Not Using Keywords in Applications

Don’t make it easy for recruiters to ignore your application by not including keywords. Recruiters have very specific jobs they need to fill and they’re probably pretty busy, so they’ll get through applications as quickly as possible in order to clear their desk space and start filling other positions. Keep your resume focused on keywords used by recruiters or you risk getting skipped over entirely. If you aren’t sure what those keywords are, then ask other professionals in your field; lots of people will be happy to help out a fellow professional who is genuinely interested in figuring out how to improve their chances at landing work.

5) Not Following Directions or Instructions Correctly

This is especially important when completing an application or resume. If you want to succeed in your job search, it’s vital that you read directions carefully and follow them exactly as they are written. One small mistake in grammar, formatting or just filling out information completely can make all of your efforts worthless and cost you future consideration. It can also cost you time, money and heartache!

6) Failing To Research Companies

It’s important to spend some time familiarizing yourself with a company before you apply. How long have they been in business? What is their reputation like? This is especially true if it’s your first job or you’re changing careers. Applying to new jobs blindly may seem like an efficient use of your time, but remember that not all companies are right for you, and even when there might be mutual interest, it doesn’t mean you can or should take that job. A quick online search can go a long way towards preventing unfortunate surprises later on.

7) Gossiping About Previous Employers

No one wants to work with someone who only tells their side of every story, especially when they’re bad-mouthing former employers. A future employer doesn’t need to know about your lousy ex-boss—but it does want to know what you learned from that experience and how you can help its company be better. If you have any complaints about former workplaces, make sure your prospective employer hears them directly from you. And if it comes up in an interview, give yourself ample time to explain both sides of an issue without going into too much detail or using industry jargon.

8) Treating Your Job Search Like A Part-Time Hobby

If you’re looking for your first job, then your immediate instinct might be to throw yourself into it with everything you’ve got. I know that was certainly my approach! Unfortunately, though, there is no substitute for experience when it comes to getting hired – if an employer sees even one red flag on your resume, they won’t bother moving on to an interview. After all, they have a large pile of applications on their desk and each day they need to fill several new positions. To get through their stack quickly, they’ll prioritize people who appear more polished. Therefore, one of your goals should be polishing up your resume. Start by proofreading it carefully and asking friends or family members to look over it as well.

9) Having An Online Presence That Limits Your Hiring Opportunities

Having little to no online presence makes it hard for employers to identify you as an applicant. If you’re currently looking, create an online presence (like LinkedIn) that allows recruiters and hiring managers to find your profile easily. This will make it much easier to find out about job opportunities, especially those you might not know about otherwise. It’s true that many companies do use their own databases when screening applicants, but by showing up on general social media sites like LinkedIn or even Facebook, you can take advantage of those sources as well. If your desired employer can’t track down your information via Google or through search engines like Bing and Yahoo!, how much time will they spend digging into other means? Answer: Not much.

Conclusion

As you’re no doubt aware, it takes lots of hard work to find and land your dream job. What you may not know is that your networking skills are often just as important as—if not more important than—your ability to do the job. If done correctly, networking can dramatically increase your chances of finding employment—and lead to more job offers. But in order to succeed, you need to be intentional with each step; in other words, stop thinking like a job seeker and start thinking like an entrepreneur.

7 Things You Should Do Before Applying for a Job

Cover Letters, CV Tips, Interview Tips / April 26, 2022

Many people rush through their job applications, but that’s a big mistake. You want to ensure that you put your best foot forward and show the company why you’re the perfect fit for the job. However, you’ll never be able to stand out from the competition if you don’t know what to do before applying for a job. With these seven things to do before applying for a job, your application will blow any other applicant out of the water and land you an interview with little trouble at all!

1.  Get your CV up to date

A CV (curriculum vitae) is basically your resume. If you already have a good resume and just need to update it, ask for assistance from someone who has strong writing skills to help edit or re-write your CV. For example, if you’re applying for a job as an editor, use a colleague who is also an editor to proofread your document. This way, you’ll get feedback on how well you’ve been expressing yourself and also make sure that spelling and grammar are correct—and these details really do matter!

2. Research the Company

Spend some time on the company’s website and social media pages. Look at their mission, goals, product and service offerings, and their team. Search them on Glassdoor to see what others are saying about working there. This will give you insight into how people feel about working at that company. It will also help you identify any potential red flags that may tell you whether or not it’s worth applying or if it’s even a good fit for your experience level and career aspirations.

3. Reach out to Former Colleagues

There’s nothing wrong with sending an email to your contacts asking them to pass along your resume or to just give you some advice on how to best market yourself. It might feel like begging, but you’re showing that you have skin in the game and are willing to do what it takes. And if they won’t forward your resume, they almost certainly know someone who would be more than happy to read it. (Plus, many employers will ask where else you are applying.)

4. Find Out About The Culture

Look at your prospective employer’s website and see what it says about its company culture. If you’re lucky, you can even get to know some of your future co-workers through social media. Talk to people who are currently employed by your potential employer, on or off-the-record (if it’s a smaller organization) and ask them about their experience working there. What do they like? What don’t they like? If you’re already doing work in that industry, find out if there are any trade groups or professional organizations where you can talk to people who work there directly. Find out what’s great, what’s not so great and even why they chose to leave.

5. Review all Requirements

Confirm you have all of the requirements listed on your job application. While some jobs are fairly easy to fill out (title, name, email address, etc.), others might have more specific requirements—including those you can’t control. For example, if you’re applying for an account manager position in Pretoria with extensive experience managing existing clients from Durban and Cape town, most employers will also want to see professional references from both regions as well. If you’re missing any requirements and want to avoid getting cut out of contention early on, go ahead and reach out with questions about whether your background is acceptable or if there’s something else that needs to be added (or removed).

6. Write an Inspiring Cover Letter

First impressions count. To really get your foot in that door, you have to make sure you’re looking and feeling as good as possible. First impressions are generally made when you walk into an interview, but they begin well before then. A good cover letter is one of your best opportunities to make a great first impression. Here are seven things you should do when putting together an application package before applying for jobs.

7. Don’t forget about References

When you’re first starting out in your career, references can feel unnecessary. And while they’re not 100% necessary—most recruiters and employers will conduct basic background checks on you anyway—not having them is something to avoid if possible. When applying for a job, you usually have to list three professional references who are familiar with your work. When choosing these three people, pick people whose opinions are important to you and make sure they know that their reference of you is required and why it’s important that they complete it. In some cases, employers ask questions such as What was [your name] like to work with? or How would you describe his/her strengths? when evaluating job candidates.

Conclusion

Your job search will be smoother and more successful if you take some time to plan ahead. Make sure you’re focusing on your career goals and that your application materials are well-crafted and convey an accurate picture of who you are. When you take these measures, hiring managers will not only be impressed with your knowledge and preparation but they’ll also have confidence in placing you at their company – increasing your chances of getting hired! Good luck!

Improve your cv by following this 5 tips

CV Tips / April 25, 2022
Top 5 tips to improve your cv

1.Personal information

Continuously incorporate your own telephone number and individual email address. Your postal location and LinkedIn profile are discretionary. In any case, do exclude your photograph, date of birth, conjugal status, religion and other individual data that could draw in segregation to improve your cv.

  • a singular’s name, signature, address, telephone number or date of birth.
  • touchy data.
  • credit data.
  • worker record data.

2.Employment history

The business history part of your CV is many times quite possibly the most fascinating one for employing administrators. It features the work jobs and experience that you have embraced up to this point. It ought to effectively show them what sort of work you’ve done, where you’ve done it, and for how long.

The business history part of your CV is many times quite possibly the most fascinating one for employing administrators. It features the work jobs and experience that you have embraced up to this point. It ought to effectively show them what sort of work you’ve done, where you’ve done it, and for how long.

Assuming you’ve proactively acquired some insight, you could observe this segment can possibly occupy a great deal of room. Then again, in the event that you’ve not had many (or any) positions before, you could be confronted with an overwhelming undertaking. It’s accordingly worth realizing what merits including and what you can forget about:

3.Reference

Whenever you go after positions, you will be requested references. A reference is somebody who can address inquiries concerning your work history, abilities, capacities, and work style.

How to Include References in my cv? :

  • Give your reference’s complete name and occupation title so the spotter will realize this is a legitimate individual.
  • Add the name of their organization and place of business.
  • Give the reference’s work telephone number and email yet make a point not to give out any private contact data.
  • Request that consent incorporate the reference.
  • Incorporate the reference’s organization and place of business.
  • Give a short portrayal of your relationship.

4.Personal skills ,knowledge, abilities and working style

Individual abilities are perceived as delicate abilities which are difficult to educate (albeit certainly feasible). They are otherwise called relational or even ‘relationship building abilities. Models incorporate trustworthiness, flexibility, inspiration, critical thinking, and insightful abilities :

  • Keep your cv abilities pertinent to the gig you’re focusing on.
  • Remember key abilities for a different abilities area. Add your business related abilities in the expert experience segment. Mesh the most important abilities into your cv profile.
  • Make a point to add the most sought after abilities.
Improve your cv by listing your skills which includes:
  • Critical thinking Skills.
  • Decisive Thinking Skills.
  • Adaptability.
  • Relational abilities.
  • Collaboration.
  • Association Skills.
  • Inventiveness.
  • The capacity to appreciate anyone on a deeper level.

5.publications

If you want to improve your cv you don’t need to incorporate your distributions/introductions and praises/grants. It is not necessarily the case that you can’t, yet for the most part it is less anticipated that these future remembered for the cv . We suggest having a supplemental rundown of distributions and introductions to give managers assuming they ask to it

Distributions on a cv:
  • Put them in a different cv segment called “Distributions.”
  • Add your distributions area underneath your schooling.
  • Remember every distribution for another list item.
  • List the year and title.
  • Add the name of the magazine, site, or diary.
  • Stay with distributions that show required abilities.

you can also check cv templates to improve your cv on other aspects that are not included on this article

5 tips Recommended for CV structure

CV Tips / April 25, 2022

1.Start with name, address and contact details

While you’re composing a CV , it’s critical to incorporate all of your appropriate contact data at the top so bosses and enrollment specialists can undoubtedly find it. While this CV tip might appear glaringly evident, a Top CV investigation discovered that one out of four individuals either neglect to incorporate the entirety of the essential subtleties or neglect to arrange them in a manner that can be recognized by the product businesses use to sort out and deal with their inbound applications.

2.Introduce yourself

An “about me” area is a concise section in your CV that features who you are as an expert, depicts your most prominent assets and exhibits your most noteworthy expert achievements. The “about me” segment in a CV ought to momentarily furnish the peruser with a response to the inquiry, “For what reason would it be advisable for us we recruit you?” An “about me” area ought to incorporate a few components

  • Your expert title. Your “about me” segment ought to portray who you are as an expert. Counting your present place of employment title. It rapidly educates the peruser regarding your degree of expert experience.
  • Pertinent abilities and achievements. Your “about me” segment ought to likewise feature the abilities applicable to the position you are applying for that are your most noteworthy assets. It ought to incorporate an illustration of an expert achievement that features those qualities.
  • Your profession objectives. Your “about me” segment ought to likewise clarify what the motivation behind your CV is. This can incorporate both short-and long haul objectives.

 

3.Summarise your skills in your CV

As indicated by ongoing reports 75% of HR experts concede there is a deficiency of abilities in possibility for employment opportunities. However, what do they mean by “abilities?

Abilities are your normal gifts and the skill you create to play out an assignment or a task. Fundamental abilities assist you with managing day to day assignments in all everyday issues while proficient abilities permit you to perform explicit work obligations. There are a few vital kinds of abilities: delicate abilities, hard abilities, area general, and space explicit abilities.

4.Highlight relevant experience

Significant experience is past work experience that is pertinent to the gig you’re focusing as far as the abilities or information required. Applicable experience is exceptionally pursued by businesses and frequently a necessity secured on position postings, so it’s vital to feature on your CV and introductory letter

  • Survey the expected set of responsibilities.
  • Contrast the set of working responsibilities with your ongoing capabilities.
  • Stress pertinent encounters.
  • Zero in on accomplishments and assignments.
  • Reuse abilities and encounters.

5.Shout about your achievements

It’s obvious, most occupation searchers just discussion about their obligations and everyday undertakings.

However, that is not what will make you stick out. The employing chief knows EXACTLY what obligations you have for your calling. All things considered, they’re the one that composed your set of working responsibilities!. All things considered, to truly advance beyond the opposition, you ought to discuss your accomplishments and most noteworthy achievements.  Along these lines, your CV is centered around how you stick out and not on what your work title is