"Here's my CV, you'll see I avoided all these common mistakes." "Ah yes, well done. You're hired." That's what will probably happen if you follow this advice. Photo / Getty
"Here's my CV, you'll see I avoided all these common mistakes." "Ah yes, well done. You're hired." That's what will probably happen if you follow this advice. Photo / Getty
Tina Nicolai knows what she's talking about when it comes to flawed resumes. She began working as a recruiter for Walt Disney World in the late 1990s and now runs her own resume advice website.
Since launching the company, she's read over 40,000 resumes, she told Business Insider, and there's a few "irritating" mistakes she's seen one-too-many times.
So here they are:
1. Sloppiness
"The biggest mistake job seekers make: They are sloppy. They pay poor attention to detail. They are lazy!" she told Business Insider.
"After a while, the summaries can read like a lengthy chapter in a book. It's better to list a few bullets with pointed achievements and a branded tag line stating, 'known for achieving XYZ.'"
3. Too many buzzwords
HR buzzwords are just that, buzzwords. Nicolai says a good CV will convey these concepts "succinctly and creatively," rather than saying they're a "team player."
4. Starting a bullet point with "Responsible for"
Nicolai told Business Insider that starting a sentence with "responsible for" tells the reader their job description, not the job they did.
"It does not state that the candidate was successful in these functions. Don't be lazy: Take the extra few minutes to explain what you accomplished - not what you were expected to accomplish."
5. Being too formal
CVs that are too formal are not engaging, says Nicolai, and don't give the reader an idea of the applicant's personality.
