You’re always told what you should put in to your CV, but what should you be taking out? Those who regularly read CV advice will have heard that recruiters are busy people, and your CV must stand out in order to be noticed. So how exactly do you stand out?

Make them notice you – have a quirk. It doesn’t have to be a particularly positive perk (nor negative!) but something that will make them think – for example, something they would want to tell another employee. Imagine they’re sat at their desk filtering through CV’s, and they see yours. They see something and go “Hey, Joe, look at this!”
Whether ‘this’ is something like an unusual hobby, talking in the 3rd person or listing an interesting experience.

e.g ; ‘I love to travel, to experience different cultures. I feel it makes me a well rounded person who is able to integrate in any community (Did you know that in Japan, males used to shave their heads as a sign of an apology?)

Showing personality is fine, as long as your content is relevant. This statement may make the employer smirk, tell a friend or just remember you. You’ve also included a skill here – you’re adaptable and comfortable in new situations.

Here’s what you should remove;

Try to avoid saying ‘I’ as much as possible. Instead of:

“I am a talented individual and I wish to use my skills in a role I am experienced in”

use

“The talents and skills built over my 10 year experience would benefit a similar role.”

Typing errors

Typing mistakes give the impression that the document was rushed or not crafted with care. Spell check doesn’t always rid of every mistake, such as mixing up ‘your’ and ‘you’re’ and often the language pack on your computer will be set to American – English, meaning auto correct will change ‘apologise’ to ‘apologize’. Take the time to read it through, and rid yourself of anything wrong!

Work History

Your work history should be listed from the most recent to the oldest, so always start with the last job you worked in, or the one you’re working now. If your history is extensive, remove the descriptions of anything irrelevant or anything really old.

Tip: Don’t leave unexplained gaps in your work history.

Irrelevant information

You’ve only got 2 pages maximum to work with (unless you’re an exception to the rule – DR etc) so ditch anything that doesn’t help you out. Think of this document like a law suit – if the evidence won’t help you win your case, get rid. It’s time consuming and distracts from the good stuff! No one needs to know what your new years resolutions are (sorry).

This advice is for a general, every day CV. Everything depends on the job you’re applying for and therefore please use your own judgement. Applications should be made with care, and remember that 5 minutes now will save an extra week job searching! Good luck.

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