Top 7 things you shouldn’t put in your CV

People tend to miss great opportunities because of a sloppy CV. Not using the right text or giving information that’s not relevant to the described job, are things you should avoid doing in a CV. Here are the Top7 things you shouldn’t put into your CV:

Don’t apply for a job you are not qualified for:
you know your qualifications and what you are capable of doing so why apply for a job you won’t be able to perform greatly at. Put down the right qualifications that are needed for the job that you are applying for. If you have qualifications for another line of work, great but it isn’t necessary to put those qualifications on your CV.

Don’t slack on presentation:
Don’t use more than 2 fonts when typing out your CV. Always type out your CV, use the correct format and professionalism is important.

Don’t lie in your CV:
Don’t refer to qualifications you don’t have or are in the process of getting. Coming across as overqualified in your CV but when given the job you aren’t able to perform accordingly.  Be straight forward, mention the necessary qualifications and your achievements. Look good with the truth, instead of ruining your credibility with a “white” lie.  

Don’t include your physical attributes:
No employer needs to know about how you look. If you can get to the work place and get the job and have the qualifications then you really don’t need to try get the job with your physical appearance. Including a picture with your CV is only necessary when applying for a modeling job or when applying for a job where appearance “matters” over everything else. 

Don’t mention the number of dependents you have:
Including the number of dependents you have in your CV is not of priority. Avoid bringing up personal information. Your CV is for you to represent yourself as a professional individual with great successes looking forward to contributing to the company and it’s future successes.  Sell yourself not your family.

Don’t bring up your religious affiliations:
Avoid bringing up religion and your personal beliefs towards other religions. Your future employer may take offense to this and you just might end up not getting the job because of this. You can bring up religion after you are employed, only if you are a part of an environment that isn’t closed to having controversial discussions.

Don’t put references you haven’t consulted:
You don’t want your potential employer to call your previous employers and have them hearing ” No that person has never been employed by us” because they just simply forgot about you in the split moment. Try get in contact with your references and let them know that you have mentioned them as a reference and that they should expect a call from someone looking to employ you. Also let them know that it would be great to have their reference in influencing your fate.

It’s important to look good on paper before looking good in appearance at the interview. Present yourself well to get the job that you deserve.

Mbali Ntuli