Written by Nick Roud, Career Coach, New Zealand
The Real Dangers of A Poorly Written CV, Sept 2023
I am going to be very blunt. You will not be invited in for an interview with a CV that is written poorly.
To many professionals who seek a new position take very little time and or effort when applying for a job, and, then wonder why they are not being invited in for an interview.
With some effort, time, thought and looking at things slightly differently your CV can and should make a positive impact on the reader which will in turn ensure that the phone will ring inviting you in for an interview.
I have written in many career coaching blogs since 2016 that ‘first impressions really do matter’ and I believe that this is more important than ever before. The enormous demand for quality talent has seen a rise in job listings. Whilst many pundits will say its an employees time and others say its an employers time, you still must ensure your CV shines a bright light on your skills, contributions and achievements. Don’t let yourself down.
Recently I was contacted by a CIO of a global technology organisation who wanted me to support him review CVs for a leadership position, and, the amount of CVs received for the role was not only shocking but on closer inspection we could tell that of the 87 applicants very little effort had been given by the applicants. Only 3 people were contacted and invited in for an interview. On reflection and speaking with other hiring managers this is more common than you would imagine.
There is a sense that professionals are just hitting send and waiting for the phone to ring! Well unfortunately you will just receive a thanks but no thanks response or no response at all.
These are some common mistakes professionals do and you would be surprised by the top two
- forget to update contact information
- Mention another organisation / job title in there covering letter.
If you are trying to make an impression on your potential next hiring manager and or organisation why not ensure your CV basics are in place? Why not make a point of really looking in the mirror and ensuring you put your best foot forwards!
What hiring managers also informed me is that with the aid of modern hiring technology they will make a ‘mark’ on your file so any future applications made by you to the organisation you will get an automatic No response. This really does make a huge impact on your future dealing with a organisation.
It pays to really get your CV sorted first time don’t you think!
When a hiring manager is looking to attract an individual to an organisation they want to read about you. They are not looking to read a CV that been written by someone or something else. Hiring managers are smart and they can tell pretty quickly when a CV is not genuine and or authentic. Be very mindful when getting someone else to write your CV. You may well be receiving a No to your application.
So where does that leave you?
I hope the above has given you a current state of CVs and the real dangers of not ensuring your CV is set up for your future success. I hope you are now better informed of what hiring managers and organisations are sharing with me and above all I hope you spend time to really build a winning CV that not only gets results but you are proud of.
If you find this blog of value and interested in our CV Coaching then I’d encourage you to check out our CV Coaching page on my website nickroud.com/cv-coaching and should you believe some 1:1 CV Coaching would be of help to your job search then just give me a call on +6421375630
Nick x
Nick Roud is a multi-award winning coach and has been helping professionals in their leadership & careers since 2006
nickroud.com | global award winning leadership coach | +6421375630
