Top 15 CV mistakes (as experienced by the TableCrowd team)
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
It means you’re still expecting the whole CV will be read in detail. An employer might not want to or have time to invest in this. That profile is right at the start - this is the introduction. Have a summary that simply explains you, your experience, your top achievements, and what you’d like to do next. Think of it as a film trailer - it’s there to persuade your audience to read the full thing. 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”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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