10 THINGS TO REMOVE FROM YOUR CV – do this and increase your chance of getting a job

10 THINGS TO REMOVE FROM YOUR CV – do this and increase your chance of getting a job

Below are the 10 things to remove from your CV as they do not contribute much to you getting the job – in fact in some cases they contribute in the negative way. Therefore remove them and improve your chances of getting your dream job.

1. Photo

A photo is one of the 10 things to remove from your CV.

There is basically no need of putting your photo on your CV unless this is a stated requirement. Another reason might be if your probability of getting a job highly depends on your looks – maybe necessary for models positions. 

You don’t want to be in a situation where attention is focused on your appearance rather than your actual talents, experience, etc. because recruiters, like everyone else, have innate prejudices. However there are situations and some few countries that might specify or need a photo for various reasons.

2. Generic Career Objective

When you start your CV off with a Career Objective, it shifts the focus away from what YOU can do / why they should hire you / what problem you can solve. Most career objectives are generic and only provide the reader with what YOU are seeking or looking for.

“Seeking a role that will enable me to utilise my skills within a growing company”. Sound familiar? Do not make the intro about what you want, but rather what makes you the best candidate in relation to the role you’re applying for.

3. Uneccessary Personal Information

Personal information on your CV includes your specific home address, ID Number, number of dependents, health info, date of birth, marital status, religion, etc. What else am I missing? All these need not to be included on your CV. 

The other point to note is that all this information take up unnecessary space on your CV which could be used to highlight key achievements related to the job. For example rather than writing your exact full address just write city and Country.

4. Additional Documents

Unless otherwise stated, DO NOT combine any extra documents such as your certificates, copy of your national identification (ID) to your CV. Your CV should be a file on its own.

If the job application requests the docs to be sent, then attach them as separate files unless asked to specifically combine everything as one document. 

5. Jargon and Buzzwords

Jargons and buzzwords are some of the 10 things to remove from your CV.

Due to their frequent use, many words have now lost their meaning. words or phrases like “hard-working,” “motivated,” “reliable,” and “diligent.”

Imagine having to sift through numerous of resumes when each applicant describes themselves as “hard-working and motivated”? Nothing about it makes you stand out from other applicants.

6. Graphics – For Example Logos, Charts and Tables

These may be excellent for a human to review, but not for the robot (ATS) that must first scan your CV when you submit an online application. The ATS is unable to read these kinds of visuals (depending on which ATS it is).

7. Unnecessary Pages

Your CV doesn’t require a cover page or the heading “Curriculum Vitae of…” Less than 6 seconds are spent by recruiters reading each CV. You’ve got about 7 seconds to show the hiring manager that it’s worth their time to continue reading. 

Therefore, get straight to the point!

8. Long paragraphs

Your Resume will be difficult to read as a result. Your introduction summary should just contain 2 to 3 phrases. Your obligations must always be listed in bullet points. Also, please refrain from copying the entire text from your cover letter and pasting it into your resume.

9. Your life story

Your CV shouldn’t be an exhaustive list of everything you’ve ever done, similar to a Wikipedia entry. In essence, it ought to mirror a website’s landing page. 

You should be able to articulate your unique value proposition. It ought to adhere to a comprehensible framework. Succinct. Direct and to the point

10. Current Employer Email Addresses

This one is a red flag so please don’t make the mistake. Do not use your current employer’s email address when applying for other jobs at other companies.

Always use your own personal email on your CV and for job application purposes no matter how good your current employer is to you or how senior you are in the organization. 

It’s quite unprofessional, and on top of that, it gives the hiring manager and recruiter the impression that you apply for positions on business time.

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