We often hear people talk about all the things that you should put in your CV; things like your work experience, education skills, and so on, but how often do we hear the things that need should not be in your CV? That is why I’ll be sharing ten things you should remove from your CV today.
It’s the beginning of a new year, and the great workplace reshuffle is still going on. People are leaving their jobs for more fulfilling ones and employers are offering more pay to bring in new talent.
This is the best time to evaluate what you want from your career and what you need to get there. So if getting a new job and making significant progress in your career is one of your 2022 resolutions, then this post is for you.
If you have been putting these things in your CV, it’s time to click the delete button.
1. Photograph
If you are not applying for a modeling or acting job, the recruiter does not need to see your picture. The HR manager does not need to see how cute or pretty you are. So take it off your CV now.
2. Vacation, Weekend, and Irrelevant Part-Time Jobs
Side hustles that you have done to fill space should not be in your CV. All the job you did flipping burgers, riding Uber, and wearing a chicken costume doesn’t need to be in your CV for the professional management job you are trying to go after now. It is taking up space that you could use to tell the recruiter or the organization about other skills or work experience you have.
3. Your Private Information
You don’t want to include information about your religion, your favourite football club, your sexual orientation, your political affiliation, or the political party you voted for in the last election. These are private information that may cause discrimination against you. And because companies are also trying not to discriminate, you mustn’t provide information that may put them in that position. If you have been adding this private information to your CV, it is time to take it out.
4. Reference Information
In the past, adding your reference details to your CV was acceptable. I remember including the exact name and contact address of my referees on the CV I used to get my first job back then so that the company could get in touch with them. However, after a few years, we stopped including those details and started writing “references available on request” which is also no longer necessary. You don’t need to include that in your CV. A recruiter understands that it can be gotten from you on request. So that line is not necessary.
5. Salary Information
Another thing you may want to take out from your CV is what you earned in the past or what you hope to earn in this job. You don’t need to put that in because you could short-change yourself by requesting a salary that is too low since you have not gauged what the recruiter wants, and they have not declared what they are planning to pay. On the other hand, you may be asking for too much, and they might kick out your CV from the onset because you have not had a chance to prove to them that you deserve the money you are trying to ask for. Do not talk about salary until you have gone for your interview.
6. Bad Grammar and Big Words
You need to read your CV more than once or give it to someone to review if you are not sure. Do not have spelling mistakes and bad grammar on your CV because this may get you kicked out of the process too early. Also, if there are shorter words you can use for anything, use them instead of using big ambiguous words.
7. Abbreviations
Abbreviations are another no-no. Do not say things like “I executed ABG for the WIT project”. Take them out of your CV. It is a turn-off for recruiters, and you may not get the job if your recruiter cannot understand what you have in your CV.
8. Unprofessional Email Addresses
You should have a professional email address for job hunting. Gmail is an easy one to register. Registering a professional email address could be done within 10 to 15 minutes on your phone or laptop. The email on your CV should not be something like dirtybombastic@gmail.com or dirtybeardkingjoe@upmail.com. It should be professional. You could use your first name and your last name @gmail.com. If you have been using email addresses like sexysexydirtysiren@upmail.com, it is time to change it.
9. Tax and Bank Details
You should not provide your tax or bank details on your CV. Information like your National insurance number, social security number, or account details should never appear in your CV as they could be stolen and would not be used to access whether you should be employed or not. So, if you have put these details on your CV, it is time to remove them.
10. Patterns, Borders, Graphics, Emojis, and Funky fonts
I know you are desperate to show your creative skills, but your CV is not a place to do that. Do not use patterns, borders, graphics, or emojis on your CV. Also, stay away from funky fonts on your CV. I always recommend fonts like Arial, Times new roman, Calibri, and other steady fonts while writing your CV. This is not the time to use a cursive or difficult-to-read kind of font. If your CV has any of these, please take it out today.
I have just shared ten things that you should remove from your CV. I hope you have enjoyed this post, and it adds value to you. Once you improve your CV, have it ready to share with recruiters as you start your job-hunting process, and keep the hope alive.
If you need help with making your CV stand out – send me an email at Ronke@ronkeodewumi.com
I look forward to hearing the good news about your interviews and how you have gotten your dream job.
Till next time.
With love,
Ronke O.