7 Things Not To Put On Your CV


Put in everything relevant, but do not overdo it

As a job hunter, you probably know in your heart that the more concise and relevant a CV is, the more likely it is to be read with interest. And the more interested a recruiter is in your CV, the more likely they are to shortlist you for an interview.

However, nowadays it seems that some people think CVs have to be all-singing, all-dancing multi-media presentations. It is tempting to follow the crowd and join in. But before you start making your resume as jazzed up as a Hollywood blockbuster, read our list of seven things you really want to.

A video: If you are applying for jobs by sending out CVs, you are probably not a pop star. So why make a video and include it in the CV when it is just going to take up room and potentially make the attachment difficult to download?

A photo:  Unless you are applying for a modeling or acting job, what you look like should be irrelevant when employers consider you as a job candidate.

A joke: Do not put down President Obama as a reference (unless you know him and he has agreed to act as a referee) or list juggling pineapples as a skill (unless you can juggle pineapples and it is relevant to the job). Save the jokes for your friends, not your potential employer.

Your age: If, for example, you put your age on a CV that you then forward to recruitment agencies to give to potential employers, some agencies will edit out this detail. This is so employers cannot discriminate against you on the basis of how old you are.

Any style font that is not Times New Roman: Do you know why Times New Roman is the most used font? It is because it is the clearest one to read. People with bad eyesight can have trouble reading other fonts. As you do not know if the person who is going to be reading your CV has bad eyesight or not, it is best to play it safe.

Any color font that is not black: Do you know why black is the most used color font? It is because it is the clearest one to read. You must know how the rest of this goes.

Anything that is not true: Do not lie or fabricate on your CV, because you will be found out somewhere along the line- if not at the interview, then when you are doing the actual job. If, for instance, you have lied that you know how to use MS Access, what are you going to do when your boss asks you to enter data into it?

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