Every week, the TableCrowd team reads through hundreds of CVs, and it can be a challenging task. Some leave us scratching our heads, or worse - weeping into our pillows at night, wondering if we’d missed our calling - as perhaps we missed an English comprehension class in school? Others have us leaping for joy, breaking out the bunting, as we understand what the person did, their achievements, and where they’d like to go on their journey.
What we’re saying is that we’ve noticed there are candidates out there that put as much effort in their CV as a turtle in a marathon. We understand it’s a daunting task at times, but don’t let your CV make you look mediocre when you just might be the rockstar we’re after.
These are the top mistakes we find in CVs, and we’d love for you not to make them.
1 The CV is more than 2 pages long
No, thank you. Looking at it, it feels like hard work, and with dozens of people (or more) applying for the same role, you have little chance of being noticed. Please, cut it right down.
2 Overcrowded and busy
If you’re thinking of fixing the above point by reducing your font size and line spacing, don’t. If we need to up the zoom on our screen to read, we may also need to skip to the next CV in line.
3 Your name is not prominent at the top
Firstly, you want us to remember your name - if we cannot find it, chances are we won’t. Secondly, it makes you look shy and lacking confidence. Thirdly, we might think you didn’t really put much effort into this. Be proud of your achievements - say your name loud and clear (on paper).
4 Adding the words “Email”, “Address”, and “Phone” in front of said info
Everyone knows what those are. It’s pretty obvious. Save that paper space and cut it out. While we’re at it - keep that email address professional. You know what we mean.
5 There’s no profile summary
Assuming the reader will understand your journey is a huge mistake. If you’re making a significant career move, for example, leaving management consultancy or switching functions - you must explain it clearly. Don’t expect the employer to connect the dots. They won’t. They’re busy, they won’t call and ask you to clarify, they’ll just assume you’ve randomly applied for a job you’re not suited for.
Think of your profile summary like a film trailer: it’s there to hook the reader and make them want to dive into the rest. Keep it simple. Explain who you are, your experience, your top achievements, and what you want to do next — in a few clear sentences.
Avoid vague fluff like "breadth of professional experience across multiple industries" or "broad range of skills." It means nothing and wastes valuable space. Be specific - or delete it.
And don’t leave out the good stuff. If you have a first-class degree, prior startup experience, a big-name company on your CV, awards, or major sporting achievements, include them upfront. You're persuading someone to invest time in you. Make it easy for them to be impressed. Check this out.
6 Not hyperlinking the companies you’ve worked for
Yes, we and your potential employer will want to check out who they are. So make it easier and make your CV interactive. Don’t make your potential employer copy/paste into Google - they could still get the wrong company so you’re potentially shooting yourself in the foot.
7 The date of your previous jobs is the most prominent detail
When it started, when it ended - it makes little difference to your future employer. It is THE least important piece of information. Lead with that hyperlinked company name, and your role, and add those dates somewhere in a shortened form.
8 Writing paragraphs, not bullet points
Don't take it the wrong way, we love a good story. In a book, in our own time, preferably on a sunny beach. A paragraph on a CV takes up precious space, looks like hard work, and is sometimes difficult to understand. Use those bullet points and lead with strong verbs in the past tense (Led, Managed, Delivered, Designed…). We also know it’s about you so no need to start with “I have” or ‘in my role I was responsible for’.
9 Forgetting to explain what you actually did in your role
We know a lot, but we don’t know every company out there and often that employer won’t either. Nor will they know the structure or the job you had, so you need to be able to explain simply what you did and what impact this had on the business. Imagine you’re explaining it to a child. Keep it simple. Focus on achievements, not responsibilities.
Your first bullet should explain a big WOW that you acheieved in the role, and then you explain the ‘how’. Delivered 50% increase in email open rates by …. Achieved 125% of annual sales target by… Increased CSAT score from 70% to 90% by…
It should be the most impressive stats first and then decreasing. WOW then HOW.
10 Using acronyms
Sure, they may have been well used in your company, your team or even the industry, but it doesn’t mean anyone else knows what they are. Avoid using them unless you’ve explained it at the start. Acceptable ones include KPIs, CRM, B2B as these are widely used in almost every industry.
11 Education is in the wrong order
The most recent needs to come first, including years obtained and grades. You don’t need to list all GCSEs - just a number and how many A* to C. If your education was obtained outside of EU, please do make a note of what the equivalent would be.
12 No hobbies or interests
Life outside of work does indeed exist, and startups want to know you, the person, as a whole. We’re not saying you need to list your most personal interests, but add a few to show off who you are outside of work. YOU are interesting and we want to get to know you. But let’s make one thing clear - this is not a dating profile, the “i like going to the gym, walks on the beach and baking”. This is where you show you are a startup person through and through. Like this:
Geek in craft - employers want people who just love what they do because it makes thema better employer with a wider more honed skilled set. So people who read, listen to podcasts, attend events, do online courses, marketeers who write books, have their own etsy shops, mentor other startups devs who work on their own side projects.
Continuous learning - folk who are always learning consuming new info make great startup employees as they are not afraid of new, they are up to date with the latest tech going on in their industry and can absorb new info quickly. Online courses, books, podcasts, you tube, events, part time degrees - all count.
Drive + Resilience + Team work - Runners, marathon runners, endurace, mountain climbing, additional study whilst working, commitment to church, school PTAs, community activities... Startups are tough, think about how you can show you cope with the speed needed and the set backs. It is especially important and valuable to show your interest and ability to work in a startup if you haven’t before.
13 Formatting issues
We often see mixed use of full stops at the end of sentences, misaligned bullets, and differences in fonts, sizes, and spacing. Don’t overcomplicate it. There’s no need to use bold, underline, and/or italics. Choose one format, stick to the same typeface, and keep it simple.
14 Writing and design mistakes
From apostrophes gone wrong - save us the headache and check your CEOs, GCSEs, A Levels, KPIs - and grammatical errors, to using a typeface that is more decorative than readable, OH the stories we could tell. There’s nothing wrong with using tried and tested styles - think Helvetica, Times New Roman, Futura, and Open Sans…there’s a reason classics exist.
15 Failing to tailor your CV to the specific job you’re applying for
A well-written base CV (which you can use for prospective applications) won’t take much time to update when you find a role you like the look of. You have to show you’ve read the job description, you understood it and you know how you fit in that role.
16 Thinking the Reader Knows Your World
Your future employer doesn’t know your current/past boss, your KPIs, your team, or even your industry. Assume they know nothing about your world. Spell it out simply. If someone outside your company can’t understand what you do in 30 seconds, rewrite it.
17 Letting AI Write Your CV (And It Shows)
CVs pumped out by AI tools are painfully easy to spot. Overhyped, fake-sounding achievements and weird language will make employers skip over you fast. Use AI smartly - tweak your CV against the job spec - but always, always double-check it yourself before sending. It’s a tool, not a personal writer.
18 Weird Name Formats
Your name should match your LinkedIn exactly. No initials like "Claire E Jenkins" unless that’s what’s on LinkedIn too. Otherwise it just looks odd and distracting. Keep it simple. Help the reader focus on your experience, not your name formatting. And yes, they will look for you online.
Let’s make it a little easier - here is an example CV to help you on your way. Make sure to make a copy of this and tweak it to suit you.
And finally, if you have any questions about your CV, if you’re unsure about how to write something, or whether you should include a certain detail - please feel free to ask. We want you to succeed.
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Who we are
Offering personalised, consultative service, at TableCrowd Talent we’re a specialist recruitment agency with our finger on the pulse of the startup and scaleup scene. We are committed to matching graduates, professionals, and C-level executives to exciting startup and scaleup jobs across London, the UK, and Europe.
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