Recruitment Advice - Why was my CV rejected?

Why was my CV rejected?

It’s a common fact that the majority of us get rejected for job applications at some stage in our career. Below you will find some of the simplest, yet most common reasons behind this:

Not grabbing the reader’s attention? Think of your CV is a personal sales pitch – you have just one chance to grab the reader’s attention otherwise your CV may find its way to the bin. Unfortunately, an employer is only likely to spend around 60 seconds browsing your CV.

Jargon: You may believe that using industry-specific jargon is a good idea when compiling your CV in the knowledge that the reader will understand it, but using acronyms without explaining them can be confusing and may deter someone who is not familiar with them.

Length of CV: Generally, a CV should not exceed 2–3 pages of A4. As a rough guide – recent graduates should be looking at around 1 page and senior executive, no more than 3/4.

Too much information: Including too much information will decrease the chance of you being included on their shortlist as the reader will become bored of reading or find it takes them too long to find the information they are looking for. Where possible, try to tailor your CV specifically for the job you’re applying for.

Spelling / grammatical errors: It’s been proven that checking a written document you compiled on your own is the hardest thing to proofread. It may be worth asking a friend/family member to check over your CV and do not rely on spell checking software! (e.g.: MARTIAL status instead of MARITAL status)

Incorrect personal details: OK, you now have a powerful and eye catching CV but how will this be of any use if your address, phone number or email address are wrong? One digit/letter out on your email address will prevent you from receiving emails from interested recruiters.

The CV Store provides professional CV writing services to job seekers of all levels. Clients from hijobs.co.uk are entitled to a free CV review by emailing enquiries@thecvstore.net