Guides · 6 min read · 2026-04-15
10 Common CV Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
The CV mistakes that quietly kill applications — and the simple fixes recruiters wish every candidate knew.
1. Generic objective statements Swap "Looking for a challenging role" for a 2-line factual summary.
2. Listing duties instead of achievements "Managed social media" → "Grew Instagram from 4k to 22k followers in 9 months".
3. Walls of text Keep bullets to 1–2 lines. White space is your friend.
4. Inconsistent formatting Pick one date format, one bullet style, one font. Stick to it.
5. Spelling errors Run spell-check, then read it backwards line by line, then ask one human to proofread.
6. Including irrelevant experience A 6-year-old part-time job does not need three bullets. One line, or cut it.
7. Photos and personal details In most countries (UK, US, Ireland, Canada, Australia), don't include a photo, age, or marital status.
8. Vague skills "Good communicator" means nothing. "Presented quarterly results to a 50-person board" does.
9. Wrong file name Name the file Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf, not "CV-final-final-v3.pdf".
10. No tailoring The same CV for every job is the #1 cause of silent rejection.
Advertisement