Glassdoor has recently carried out a study which reveals the most common mistakes candidates make on their CV. This got us thinking at Brand Recruitment, so we’ve put together a list of common ‘mistakes’ we come across daily.
We agree with one of the main points Glassdoor makes about the jargon that candidates use on their CV. We find that meaningless and misused jargon infers that the candidate does not understand the job they are applying for. Brand Recruitment specialises in marketing jobs and we would recommend only using specific marketing terminology if you are 100% sure what it means and that it is relevant. For example, if you say that you have knowledge of PPC, make sure you know what PPC means and have evidence to back this up through key achievements.
It is good to include your interests on your CV so that the potential employer knows that you have a personality but keep these short. Recruiters want to know that you like to travel or enjoy cooking as it will allure the reader and entice him/her with information that will make him/her want to continue reading to learn more.
We would never recommend posting a photo of yourself on your CV. Employers are interested in whether you have the skills and experience to do their advertised job. If you are applying for a Brand Manager job why would a potential employer want to see a photo of yourself on a night out with your friends.
Please read the job specs! So many candidates apply for roles which they do not have any experience for. An example would be a candidate who recently applied for an Online Marketing Manager role but who had been working as a Restaurant Manager for the past year with no mention of online marketing or digital on their CV. If the client is looking for someone with strong SEO and PPC knowledge, along with affiliate, social media and email marketing experience then you need to be able to demonstrate that you have these skills and use them in your current role. We would recommend going through the job spec and picking out the specific skills you have that match with the job description and incorporate these into your CV for each application made.
For some industries, such as Graphic Design, a creative CV will showcase your graphic design skills but for a marketing role you should stick to a simple layout. We would recommend structuring your CV in chronological order (most recent first) and in each role detail your key achievements and responsibilities.
Our biggest pet peeve is a CV written in the third person. Your CV is detailing and outlining your work experience so why wouldn’t you personally write it?!
Visit Brand Recruitment’s website for further CV tips.