The most annoying CV mistakes

We’ve seen a lot of them, but these take the cake.

#1: Spelling your name wrong.

I know – is this even possible? Yes, it is. 

Chros, Matew, Jmaes, Cabel & Sophio… the list goes on!

Golden rule: always check your spelling before sending.

#2: Nice award, but they don’t care.

You might still be proud of winning your high school poetry competition, but does it support your application for a Financial Accountant role?

Probably not, right?

#3: That’s a professional email address.

We’ve seen some goodies, including those that can’t be repeated in public – in fact, no one could repeat them. In any setting. 

But here are some we’ve come across:

‘donotmesswithme@gmail.com’

‘anotherjobsearch@gmail.com’. 

Both don’t really scream team player or loyalty, do they? Be mindful of the email address that you use!

#4: Thanks for keeping my details private.

Including referee details on your CV.

Now, we’ll be honest, not everyone knows about this one, but it’s important to remember this is personal contact information that you are sending out every time you apply for a role.

Be sure to respect your referee’s privacy. Just put down, “References available on request”.

#5: Spelling mistakes

First and last names aside, general spelling mistakes are a big no, no, no, no!!!

• Charted not Chartered Accountant,
• Attention to detail (eek),
• Manger instead of Manager.

The list goes on. You’re best bet – install Grammarly and ban the spelling mistakes.

#6: Wait, when did I work there? 🤔

Missing dates for past experience or not knowing when you worked for a particular company. Yet another CV blunder, we see.

Once, we had a candidate with a year missing on their CV. When asked about it, they explained they had spent that time “property developing” – after a few checks, we found out that it was done from the comfort of their jail cell – for fraud.

Missing dates creates question marks for anyone with experience recruiting, and not knowing when you worked somewhere makes you look a little bit average…

#7: Nice photo, but no.

Unless you’re applying to be a model, the hiring manager doesn’t need to know what you look like.

Leave the photos off – please.

#8 TMI, we don’t need to know

Marriage Status / Parents Names / Religion / Birth Date / Height / Weight / Drivers Licence Number – you may as well throw your Credit Card and PIN number on there too (please don’t)…

Your recruiter and hiring manager only need the necessary info. If you’re not sure what that is, touch base with your recruiter and ask for a template.

#9 Waffly waffle.

Because everyone is a ‘team player who likes to contribute their best every day to the company strategy to ensure a win-win culture’.

Just keep it simple and leave the waffle off your CV! It just unnecessarily makes it longer.

#10 Life Mottos.

“An army of sheep led by a lion is better than an army of lions led by a sheep” can definitely be left off your CV.

Nobody needs to be reading between the lines or even reading life mottos at all. 

Unless you’re trying to get a poetry job, leave them off.

If you’ve made any of these mistakes that’s okay – we’re only human!

If you need any help with your job search journey, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team. We’re happy to help.

Looking for more job search resources? Check out our ultimate jobseeker guides.