Common Errors

Hiring Managers and Human resourcing staff often have little time for reading Resumes in depth. There are no second chances and if your Resume is not clear and concise it is more likely for them to reject your application than contact you for clarification! The following is a list of seven common Resume writing errors discovered on many applications -

1. Poor presentation – Your Resume presentation is as important as the content and is often regarded as a strong indication of your professionalism and broader skill set. We believe that up to a third of candidates with excellent experience are rejected due to poor presentation.

2. Resume is the incorrect length – A Resume needs to be concise and clear, too much information and your skills are lost in text; not enough and you do not provide a complete picture of your skills.

3. Resume fails to add any value – A standard Resume that looks similar to 40 - 50 other candidates will fail to differentiate you from the herd. It essential that you stand out! Do this by presenting a unique profile that has memorable appeal and WOW factor!

4. Bad spelling and grammatical errors – Spelling and grammar must be perfect on all your communication with a prospective employer from Resume to Cover letter to email correspondence. It essential that all your information is thoroughly checked and edited to ensure you avoid silly mistakes!

5. Unimportant information – The content of your Resume must be relevant to your current circumstances. A prospective employer does not need to know that you took a 4 week French course 20 years ago as it is neither current nor relevant. Present concise information related to the position to avoid prospective employers having to hunt for information which they often simply can’t be bothered doing.

6. Lack of focus – It is amazing how few people consider the focus and context of roles they are applying for. Consider your application carefully, establish the skills you have that are appropriate and create a Resume with a specific focus.

7. Picture perfect - It is not advisable to display a photo on your CV. Nevertheless if this is necessary it is always wise to present a professional image.

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No problem! Contact Global CV Solutions to receive a no obligation assessment of your existing Resume or if you prefer you can purchase one of our great Resume Packages today and one of our expert consultants will be in touch within 24 hours

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Rejections

In the event you receive a rejection it is vitally important you ask for feedback as to why. Often there is little or no information provided so contact the organisation and ask for more detail. Remember you may have spent a considerable amount of time and money preparing your application and the information will enable you to better prepare next time. It is not good to hit the same stumbling block twice so make sure you do this!
Below are three common reasons for rejection-

1. You have too much experience
You may be declined because your Resume reflects too much experience for the position. This can be because your Resume illustrates an excessive skill or experience history and a prospective employer may believe you will move on as soon as something better comes along. High level expertise is not a negative however employers will generally question your motivation.

If you ask yourself the question: “Am I going to last in this role?” and you are able to confidently answer yes then your best avenue may be to explain your experience in a fashion that emphasises your suitability for the position and how you will be able to add value long term, as opposed to coming across as just needing a job and not having considered the repercussions for your career. Most employers want an employee to be happy and interested in their work not doing something they feel is beneath them.

2. Wrong team or culture fit
This response may be related to many things and is a common answer when an employer cannot quite put their finger on why you will not be suitable because they don’t have the right information to evaluate you properly. Often it is not a reflection on you but a way of saying, “We have other candidates that look better”. You may find you get this response if your:

Resume is generic.
Resume is highly technical and has no profile or career information.
Resume is focused on a particular industry and not on the transferable skills you have. If an employer doesn’t have knowledge of your current or previous industries they may not be able to understand how your abilities relate to their organisation.
Resume may lack corporate experience or have too much.
Resume and/or cover letter reflects a ‘personality’ considered not in keeping with the company culture.
Previous companies are not considered similar in size, nature and culture to the position you are applying for i.e. jumping from a long term corporate background to a small business unit.

You can counter this rejection by highlighting your transferable skills and/or transferable experiences/competencies in your Resume. Try to ‘humanise’ and portray your unique personality via your cover letter and counter any possible objections such as industry change, lack of required qualifications or location issues.

3. Wrong industry fit
This is most common rejection when your Resume contains a large amount of technical or industry specific information. Care must be taken to present your skills in a transferable manner so it can be easily understood how you will be able to fit into a new or different industry. Avoid industry specific jargon and remember that if someone doesn’t understand your industry they have no basis to evaluate your skill set properly.

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Design and Format

This is one of the most important aspects of Resume preparation and there are many factors to consider. Next time you are reading a newspaper article take a moment and think about how you evaluate the content. How long does it take for you to make a decision on whether you are going to read the entire piece? Do you make your decision based on the headline? Or the first lines of text? Do you ever read the entire article before you make a decision on the content? A Resume is often treated in a similar fashion; it needs to be structured in a way that encourages the reader to keep reading. If you have your most relevant experience buried in a dense text on the second page of your Resume an employer may never see it. Choosing the content of your Resume can be extremely difficult and is an aspect that can be greatly assisted by objective, professional advice. Your Resume must have a correctly focused appearance to gain you maximum exposure. Get this right and you are halfway there!

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Style and Appeal

First impressions are everything. It only takes a few seconds for people to forge an opinion and often they do not have a clear opinion of why. This is very common across many aspects of everyday life and the same can be said for buying a car, meeting new people, watching the television or reading a holiday brochure, your Resume is no different!

Put yourself in the place of an employer, you have advertised a role and received 170 responses. How much time do you really think will be dedicated to each Resume? Ten minutes? Five minutes? Five seconds?
If the Resume is presented with style and appeal you instantly encourage people to read and continue reading your information.

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Ensure you are the best!

To be in a position to secure that all important interview you need to identify yourself as the best candidate for the vacancy.

For example –Auto Promotions are advertising for a Business Development Manager. They place an advertisement on the internet and receive 200 applicants for the position. The Sales Manager is recruiting for the role and due to time commitments can only interview a maximum of 10 candidates.

This is a typical situation in today’s market and in many cases only 4-5 candidates will be interviewed. From those 200 resumes 30-40 will be well presented documents with visual appeal. It is essential that your information is not only professionally presented with logical readable content that matches the employer’s needs but you must also distinguish yourself by identifying yourself as the top candidate for the position! It is essential to be able to set yourself apart by highlighting your Value Add potential. Adding value is not as simple as adding a list of major achievements. You must demonstrate your key competencies and be able to illustrate how those competencies can add value to your future employer's business.

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Letters

COVER LETTERS

Your cover letter is an essential part of your application. A well written letter will greatly enhance your chances of getting an interview. A poorly written example can destroy your appeal. It is an indispensible part of your application to highlight your best qualities while providing a transferable context that underscores your key skills. Make it very easily understandable how your abilities can enhance a potential employer’s organisation. It is essential to present the correct and concise information targeted to the position you have in mind. Envision yourself working with the company by ensuring you have asked yourself the following questions:

Have I described how I will add value?
Have I outlined my successes, making sure the reader will be fully aware of my skills and abilities?
Have my achievements reflected the demands of the position?
Am I able to discuss the key points of my cover letter at interview?
Have I decided on my salary expectations? This may be relevant if you have been working in a different industry. If you are flexible you are best to say so!
Have I portrayed myself with confidence?
Have I demonstrated that I believe in my skills?
Have I double-checked my spelling and grammar?

RESIGNATION LETTERS

Resigning from your current role may be one of the hardest things you have to do. Employers may require an extended period of notice and this may be the most scrutinised period of your position! It is essential that you word this letter well, taking into consideration that you deal with superiors in a sensitive manner. This can be one of the most powerful tools in your ability to secure future role as a well worded resignation letter will establish valid reasons for leaving while expressing neutral or positive motives for you to progress you career. Who knows, one day you may return to the same company!

Looking for some help?

No problem! Contact Global CV Solutions to receive a no obligation assessment of your existing Resume or if you prefer you can purchase one of our great Resume Packages today and one of our expert consultants will be in touch within 24 hours

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