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Five Lines That Are Killing Your CV

These days most people rely on various apps to get their CV ready. So, even though your CV is stuffed with your wonderful achievements, unbelievable hobbies and a pinch of self poetry, are you sure that it will make you stand out of the crowd? Is it what the recruiter looking for? because the people out there use the same strategies as you did with a subtle difference. If we need to get the job; your CV needs to be shortlisted at first, to make it happen it has to be unique and not weird. So, what to do? Let’s look at a sample suicidal note of CV.

“ I’m not an expert at XYZ? but I can do a2z ”

Trust me recruiter is not an optimist, so it firstly gives a negative impression on you as your focusing on your weaknesses instead of your strengths, and secondly, the recruiter would have seen it a ton of times before. If a certain skill is a must for the job then you can’t compensate for it with your optimistic actions. 

What to do?

Focus on your strengths instead of focusing on your weaknesses. Mention all your skills that can justify you are a good fit for the job. But don’t brag too much about your skills. Be conscious and confident about your skills. These things will help the recruiter understand you in a better way.

“ I work well under pressure ” 

You have to work under pressure. No matter what job you take you have to bear your superiors’ orders (more precisely anger) and have to finish the work within deadly deadlines. So, working under pressure will be a routine once you take up the job. The recruiter won’t get impressed by these generic statements. So don’t add things that make your CV look routine.

What to do?

So, make it more specific like how you can cope up with pressure by mentioning some past incidents where you did well even in difficult circumstances in an interview and not in the CV. Describe how you can handle a critical situation more efficiently than others. But don’t make up stories. Mention it if and only if it’s worth mentioning.

“I’m good at multi-tasking”

Multi-tasking is sure a great quality a company looks for in its employees. But it does become a common line in most of the applicant’s CVs, so it doesn’t make you stand out of the crowd. Moreover, once you get a job you will have to multi-task at times to get things done on time. It just makes your CV look unreal as you haven’t given any proof to your statement. 

What to do?

Try to mention how your multi-tasking ability can help the company achieve its goals, what type of tasks you can take up, is there any previous instances where you have used your multi-tasking ability to achieve something exceptional. Then it gives proof to your words and a positive impact on your CV. 

Also Read: Different Types of CV Examples And Samples

“ I’m a social person ”

It is an important quality especially when you are applying for marketing and management-related jobs. But what is a big deal about it, almost everyone is social. In a workplace, it’s obvious that employees should maintain coordination among themselves. It is not enough to state yourself as social you need to explain a bit more about it like how can you handle an argument or else you can prove how good is your communication skills at the time of the interview.

What to do?

Explain how you handle people, how your past relationship used to be with your clients and colleagues, What is your colleagues or client’s feedback and also mention if there is any situation where you used your social skills and solved some serious problems. But please don’t elaborate too much about it because you may end up frustrating the recruiter with unnecessary details. Keep it simple.

Also Read: Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid on Your CV

“ I’m a work enthusiast ”

Well nobody likes to mention that they hate to work because it is like saying I don’t like the job but I work for money. Even if you like it or not you must work enthusiastically. Instead of mentioning yourself as a workaholic or work enthusiast, you show how enthusiastic you are while facing the interview. This is also a commonly used line in most of the applicant’s CVs. It’s better not to mention these generic lines in your CV. The recruiter may get a bad impression on seeing these commonly used lines in your CV. Try to make your CV look unique not in the sense of visual appearance but the sense of content in it.

What to do?

Provide some evidence proving your commitment and enthusiasm towards your work. The skills you possess will play a big role in deciding whether your CV will get shortlisted or not.

Conclusion

Let’s conclude our discussion with the following points:

  • Focus on strengths and not on weaknesses
  • Minimize the use of commonly used lines
  • Try to justify your words by providing some proofs or past evidence
  • Mention skills in your CV that you posses
  • Don’t brag too much about yourself
  • Don’t add unnecessary details
  • Keep it simple

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Great Learning Team
Great Learning's Blog covers the latest developments and innovations in technology that can be leveraged to build rewarding careers. You'll find career guides, tech tutorials and industry news to keep yourself updated with the fast-changing world of tech and business.

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