Hiring managers and employers are busier than ever and sometimes they evaluate your job application in mere minutes. One in two employers (57%) takes only between 1 and 5 minutes to decide whether your application is going in the “yes” or the “no pile”, according to this recent study by OfficeNeedle. Some of the key factors that help them decide on that include looking for some of the resume and CV mistakes they absolutely detest seeing on a candidate’s application.
While writing a CV or a resume, a job seeker needs to be aware of the following mistakes that could result in the rejection of the job application. First of all, you must tailor your application to the job opening, as almost one in two employers (47%) could reject a resume or a CV that has no relation to the role you are applying for. Look at the job description to show that you have the targeted skills.
In the contact section of the CV or resume, make sure to put in a valid phone number, as around 9 in 10 employers (93%) want to see that on your application. Candidates often forget to include it or do not check if the number listed is their current phone number. On the other hand, only 14% of employers think you should also link your social media.
Almost every third employer (32%) might reject a CV or a resume because of bad layout and design, while almost every other (47%) admits to rejecting an application for use of more than one font. Use only one easy-to-read font, and make sure to divide each section to create a layout with enough white space. Also, proofread, as 75% of employers reject applications for bad grammar and spelling mistakes.
In the experience section of the CV or resume, ensure to list your roles in order from the latest down to the oldest. Employers are mostly interested to see what your latest role was, so around six in 10 employers (61%) will dislike it if you list your roles in chronological order from the oldest to the latest.
Check out the infographic from OfficeNeedle down below to see which other big and small resume and CV mistakes you should avoid at all costs if you want to secure a job interview. Otherwise, you might get rejected without a second glance regardless of your perfect-fit skills.
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