Your resume is the first opportunity you get to make an impression on a potential employer. It is also the most crucial one. So, all job seekers must use it to the best of their capabilities. Make sure you try to avoid mistakes that can send your resume straight to the trash bin. The following are the most common mistakes job seekers make while creating their CVs. These mistakes often become the reason for candidates to get rejected.

1. Exaggerating Achievements and Fibbing

Stay honest when you are talking about your work history, skills and achievements. Amplifying these may come back at you when the recruiter runs a background check or wants you to do a certain task that you fibbed about. It takes very little time for the HR professionals to find out the truth. So stop bragging about things you don’t know or are aren’t experienced with as this may be the first and the last time you communicate with this company. Stick to facts that can be validated.

2. Mentioning Non-Contextual Work Experience and Hobbies

Only highlight work experience that is relevant for the profile in question. If you are seeking a graphic designing job, do not mention your stint as a ski instructor from five
 years ago. It may convey a message that you do not hold adequate relevant experience. Stay focused on the profile you are applying to and site past duties that can prove useful for the role in hand.

3. Self-Praise Without Quantified Proof

If your resume’s professional summary starts with “A dedicated professional…,’ the recruiters will lose interest and you lose credibility. Applicants must establish objective facts with the presence of figures, and not just boring clichés. The key is not to say it, but show it. Quantify professional achievements, for instance if you have enhanced client retention by 20% over the last one year, say so explicitly, rather than plainly saying you have excelled as a sales professional.

4. Over-The-Top Beautification

Your resume document must be light and quick to open. Use a font style that is common and do not add heavy images as that can make the file heavy. Using photographs is irrelevant, unless you are an actor or model. They also irk the recruiters because they unnecessarily consume extra ink and take away the focus from your skills. Also, stop designing the CV with borders otherwise a part of it may get cropped when it is printed. Keep it simple yet smart.

5. Using Different Job Titles

Make sure you use job titles that are common and widely-used. These must also be searchable as applicant tracking systems use them as keywords to screen several CVs. Complex words and flowery language may cause the ATS to forego some important information that could have otherwise been useful for your candidature. Even if your resume is in the hands of a human recruiter, uncommon words and unique phrases can alienate you and your application.

6. Generalizing the Content of the CV

As a job seeker, you cannot afford to have a fixed resume that works for all employers. Your CV must be customized each time you wish to apply to a new company. When you find an opening, take some time to carefully read the job description and then edit and personalize your CV before sending it out. You must also visit the company website to get a better idea of their line of businesses and requirements. And double-check the document so that you don’t mistakenly send the CV for Company A to Company B. You can name all resume versions differently.

7. Non-Serious Email Address

Always make sure the email address you use to mail your resume appears non-casual. It must not have numbers or adjectives, else it may seem like you lack professionalism. An address like sarah.cook@gmail.com is way better than coolestengineer@yahoo.com . Whether it is IT or media, a professional-looking ID can help you score more job interviews. If you don’t have such an account, make sure you make one before mailing the resume.

8. Typos and Grammatical Errors

Spelling mistakes can seem highly unprofessional. So make sure you do not make any typos or grammatical mistakes as this can hamper your chances of landing an interview. Also, avoid writing slang or SMS lingo. Shortcuts like ‘ur’ and ‘b4’ can cause trouble.

Hope the above points can warn you against some major blunders and help improve your resume. Happy job hunting!




http://blog.ngcareers.com/3300/biggest-cv-and-resume-blunders-made-by-job-seekers-and-how-to-avoid-them/

you are on point.

Alright, seen....

People saying they are proficient in Ms Packages when they never touch keyboard before ... I once read where an Indian company asked an interviewee to add some figures using excel, he come dey look them, after writing he was proficient on his CV ... Just have what you can confidently defend on your CV..

OP, it will be a sign of ungratefulness if i dont thank u for this eye-opening post. thank u!!!

i am guilty of number 6, but i will take correction now

OP, You for don get us the Format of a good Resume you are talking about.

Instead of talking and vomiting big big grammars

Absolutely correct!!!

NYC one op

u really make sense.

Forget all these things. If you know somebody that knows somebody that knows the Oga, they'll employ you first before asking you to bring your cv for documentation.

Nice tips

Abegi, its all God and Connection... I don't believe in perfect CV. A beautiful friend of mine who has horrible and typo errors in her CV got a job while me with perfect still find it hard to secure ordinary interview. Me and this my friend both went for this interview ooo but she was given the job.


Everything is not all about perfect CV jare, its God, connection, pleasure and luck to get good jobs in Nigeria.

Nothing to say jhoor...... make i jez buy land keep for here, i go dey develop am later......

Oildichotomy:
CV's again

VC's

And dnt forget abt having connection in high places.....lets nt delude ourselves...its all abt connection.

zick19:
.

What does this mean

olola4:
NYC one op

u really make sense.

Definitely

CV Cv Cv......











Give me jooooobbbbbbbbbbbb!

Lolzz...BTW,nnpc has started contacting people

For Real

Shinelle:
CV Cv Cv......











Give me jooooobbbbbbbbbbbb!

Lolzz...BTW,nnpc has started contacting people

Funny u

lordsharks:

What does this mean

bro, dat is d fastest way of spacebooking..

njuwo:
9. Writing on the part labelled 'Sex' Five times a week.

Did you have to quote all that?

thank for the info
but I don't need it because I create my job and work for my self

Nice. The email point us very essential. Imagine you almost certainly got the job and while shaking your hands, your prospective employer remembers something and requests for your email, and you say "bang_anything@hotmail.com"...Daz all

good one

Not all true.

You have to sex up your CV and sometimes outrightly lie to get noticed. I know many people that broke into their current field by outrightly lying and going all out cowboy.

Apart from Doctors, Engineer, Architects and similar jobs, most people can do most jobs. They just need on the job training. Every business wants an experienced Business Analyst or Project Manager but no one wants their business to be a training centre.

The job market is extremely competitive so you've got to 'market' yourself in the best possible way to stand a chance.

Hmm
Well dunno what to say oo

Based on experience when a job is urs,its urs no one will have time to check all that oo.

Good to fufil all righteousness sha

holatin:
thank for the info
but I don't need it because I create my job and work for my self

Good

Na wa oo all dis wahala because of job? Also "experience" palava...