Common CV Mistakes

Writing a CV can feel like a balancing act.

You want to include enough information to demonstrate your experience, but not so much that it becomes difficult to read. You want to stand out, but you also want to appear professional. And with so much conflicting advice online, it's not always obvious what employers are actually looking for.

The good news is that many CV mistakes are easy to avoid.

Guidance from Harvard University, MIT, Stanford University, leading recruiters including Hays, Michael Page and Morgan Hunt, alongside applicant tracking system (ATS) best practice, is surprisingly consistent. The strongest CVs are clear, relevant, truthful and tailored to the role.

If you're applying for jobs and not getting the response you expected, one or more of these common mistakes could be holding you back.

1. Sending the same CV to every employer

This is probably the biggest mistake applicants make.

Every job advert highlights different skills, responsibilities and priorities. Even roles with the same title can vary significantly from one employer to another.

Sending the same generic CV to every vacancy makes it harder for recruiters to see why you're the right fit for their role.

Instead, keep a comprehensive master CV and create a tailored version for each application. The facts stay the same, but the emphasis changes depending on what the employer is looking for.

2. Listing responsibilities instead of achievements

Recruiters already know the typical duties associated with most jobs.

What they really want to understand is how you performed in those roles.

Instead of writing:

Answered customer enquiries.

Consider explaining the impact of your work.

For example:

Resolved complex customer enquiries while balancing customer satisfaction with company policy and maintaining accurate case records.

Achievements and outcomes tell employers far more than job descriptions.

3. Making unsupported claims

Almost every CV includes words like:

• Excellent communicator
• Hardworking
• Team player
• Motivated
• Reliable

There's nothing wrong with these qualities, but simply stating them isn't enough.

Your experience should demonstrate them.

If you describe yourself as an excellent communicator, your work history should include examples of communicating with customers, stakeholders or colleagues in meaningful situations.

Evidence is always more persuasive than opinion.

4. Writing a generic professional summary

Your professional summary is often the first section a recruiter reads.

If it contains vague statements that could apply to almost anyone, you're missing an opportunity to make a strong first impression.

Instead of filling it with buzzwords, briefly explain:

• Your level of experience.
• Your area of expertise.
• The value you bring.
• The type of role you're pursuing.

Keep it concise, relevant and specific.

5. Including information that isn't relevant

Many people believe a longer CV automatically looks more impressive.

In reality, relevance matters much more than length.

Older jobs, outdated software, unrelated qualifications or unnecessary personal information can distract from the experience that actually supports your application.

Every section should help answer one question:

Why am I suitable for this role?

If it doesn't, consider removing it.

6. Ignoring the job description

The job description tells you exactly what the employer considers important.

If you don't reflect those priorities in your CV, recruiters may struggle to see the connection between your experience and the role.

Read the advert carefully before applying.

Identify the skills, responsibilities and experience that appear repeatedly, then naturally highlight the parts of your career that match those requirements.

Tailoring doesn't mean changing the truth.

It means presenting the truth more effectively.

7. Overcomplicating the design

Modern CV templates can look impressive, but complicated formatting often creates more problems than it solves.

Multiple columns, graphics, skill rating bars and excessive colours can make information harder to read.

Both recruiters and applicant tracking systems generally perform better with straightforward formatting.

Simple doesn't mean boring.

It means professional.

8. Forgetting about readability

Imagine opening fifty CVs in one afternoon.

Which one would you rather read?

The one with clear headings, short paragraphs and consistent spacing, or the one filled with dense blocks of text?

Recruiters appreciate CVs that are easy to scan.

White space, logical sections and concise bullet points help your most important experience stand out.

9. Keyword stuffing

Applicant tracking systems have led to countless myths about filling CVs with keywords.

The reality is much simpler.

If the job description mentions project management, stakeholder engagement or customer service, and you've genuinely done those things, include them naturally.

Repeating the same phrases throughout your CV doesn't make your application stronger.

It usually makes it harder to read.

10. Exaggerating your experience

It can be tempting to make your experience sound more impressive than it really was.

Resist that temptation.

Recruiters regularly ask follow-up questions during interviews.

If your CV contains exaggerated responsibilities, inflated achievements or skills you don't actually possess, those inconsistencies often become obvious.

Your experience is enough.

Present it clearly rather than trying to improve it with fiction.

11. Leaving spelling and grammar mistakes

This remains one of the easiest mistakes to avoid.

A small typo probably won't ruin an otherwise strong application, but several mistakes can distract from your experience and create the impression that your CV wasn't checked carefully.

Before sending your application:

• Read it slowly.
• Check dates and job titles.
• Confirm names are spelled correctly.
• Test any website or LinkedIn links.
• Ask someone else to review it if possible.

Fresh eyes often spot mistakes you've overlooked.

12. Using unnecessary buzzwords

Some phrases appear so frequently on CVs that they've lost much of their meaning.

Terms like:

• Dynamic professional
• Results-driven
• Go-getter
• Self-starter
• Strategic thinker

don't tell employers very much on their own.

Your achievements should demonstrate those qualities instead of simply claiming them.

Clear, straightforward language is almost always more convincing.

13. Making your CV difficult to navigate

A recruiter shouldn't have to search for your work experience or education.

Use familiar headings such as:

• Professional Summary
• Work Experience
• Education
• Skills

A logical structure helps both recruiters and applicant tracking systems understand your CV more easily.

14. Forgetting that your CV is a marketing document

Your CV shouldn't tell your entire life story.

Its purpose is to persuade an employer that you're worth interviewing.

That means focusing on your most relevant experience rather than documenting everything you've ever done.

Think about the role you're applying for and ask yourself:

"What information would help this employer understand why I'm a strong candidate?"

Everything else is secondary.

15. Relying entirely on AI

AI has become an excellent writing assistant, but it shouldn't become your career historian.

Use it to improve grammar, structure and clarity.

Use it to tailor your wording to a job description.

Use it to identify gaps in your CV.

Don't use it to invent achievements, qualifications or experience.

The strongest applications combine accurate personal experience with thoughtful editing.

The bottom line

Most unsuccessful CVs don't fail because the candidate lacks experience.

They fail because that experience isn't presented clearly enough.

Fortunately, every mistake on this list can be fixed.

A strong CV doesn't need flashy design, exaggerated claims or clever tricks to impress applicant tracking systems.

It needs to be truthful, well organised, tailored to the role and easy for recruiters to understand.

That's the approach behind Prawda.

Built using research from leading universities, recruiters and employers, Prawda helps you create evidence based CVs that reflect your genuine experience and highlight what matters most to each employer.

Because getting an interview shouldn't depend on knowing recruitment myths.

It should depend on showing employers the value you already bring.