Are you struggling to get an interview from your CV? There could be lots of reasons why you are falling at the first hurdle. So to help you move forward with your career, we have compiled a list of the 3 likely reasons why your CV isn’t getting you an interview.
Spelling and grammatical errors
The number one reason why a CV gets rejected is because of a spelling or grammatical error. Even just the one mistake can quickly mean rejection, and with so many other error free applications to choose from it’s easy to see why.
Before you apply we would recommend you have your CV checked by someone else. Try to find someone who has experience in management, hiring and reading lots of applications. Not only will they be able to check for any errors, they may also offer advice on the overall quality of your CV.
Did you know that almost one third of CVs in the UK contain a spelling mistake? Click here for more information.
“An experiment showed that having a spelling mistake in a CV reduced the chances of a candidate getting a job by 50 per cent,” say Josie Cox and Ben Chapman of the Independent.
Adzuna chief executive Raife Watson said spelling errors on a CV can give a preview of what kind of employee a candidate might turn out to be.
Your CV isn’t relevant to the role
Second on our list boils down to how relevant the candidate’s credentials are to the role. In most cases, a lot of the applications which land on the hiring manager’s desk are a straight forward list of skills, qualifications and experience.
If your CV doesn’t clearly demonstrate how you are suitable for the role, you are just going to make the employer’s life difficult for no reason. It’s your job and not theirs to show how you are a match for the role and the company.
Read the job advert and conduct research on the business via their website and social media pages. A well tailored CV can only be written if you have a good understanding of how the business functions and what their goals are.
Highlight all the relevant skills, qualifications and experience. The hiring manager should be able to easily identify that you are the right person for the job with just a quick glance at your CV.
“If a job advert is asking for skills that you possess but haven’t included in the CV, then you need to add them. Similarly, if a requirement seems crucial to a role and you have only touched upon it, you should expand upon it to show off your expertise,” says Andrew Fennell of the Guardian.
Your CV shows no indication of performance
The employer wants to find out two things from your CV:
- That you have the right qualities as requested in the job advert
- That you have a proven track record and can deliver a strong performance
If your CV fails to demonstrate both of these things you are probably not going to get an interview. Whilst most candidates can offer the right skills, they will often fail to provide any kind of performance indicator.
So this is your chance to shine and stand out from the rest by providing evidence of your outstanding achievements to date, as well as a few examples of performance. Don’t be afraid to give stats and figures, revenue generated, customer service excellence, and anything else that’s relevant to their business.
“Without these figures you are just providing cliché statements on your CV without the evidence to back up your bold claims,” explains Martin Carline of CV Template Master.