From Rejected to Recruited: 40 CV/Resume Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make
If your job hunt is failing, chances are your CV/resume is letting you down.
Your CV is all an employer has to build a first impression of you, so just one mistake can seriously damage your chances of landing job interviews.
I’ve compiled a list of the 40 most common CV/resume mistakes that lead to rejections and surveyed a group of recruiters to rate how damaging each one is.
1. Not tailoring your CV/resume
Your CV/resume must be targeted to appeal solely to the niche of employers and vacancies that you are applying to.
One of the most common—and costly—CV mistakes is failing to tailor it to the specific role you’re applying for. If your CV or resume isn’t clearly aligned with the needs of your target employers, it’s unlikely to make it past the shortlist stage.
Think of your CV as your personal marketing pitch. It should speak directly to a specific audience: the employers and hiring managers in your chosen niche. A generic CV won’t cut it—no matter how well-written or nicely formatted it is.
If you’re going to fix just one thing on your CV, let it be this. Make sure it’s tailored.
Before you start writing, take the time to research what your ideal employers are actually looking for. Look at relevant job adverts, company websites, and even LinkedIn profiles of people in similar roles. Then, make sure your CV clearly showcases the skills, experience, and knowledge that match those expectations.
Tailoring your CV for every job application might take a bit more time—but it dramatically increases your chances of landing interviews.
Damage rating: High
2. Wild unproven Claims
Phrases like:
- “Best salesperson in Europe”
- “Top project manager in the industry”
- “Leading figure in merchant banking”
…might sound impressive in a pitch meeting or reality TV audition, but on a CV, they tend to come across as exaggerated—and even a bit cringeworthy.
These kinds of statements are usually impossible to verify and can damage your credibility. Employers aren’t looking for bold, unsubstantiated claims—they’re looking for evidence.
Instead of making sweeping declarations, focus on specific, measurable achievements. Use hard data and real examples to show your value. Think:
- “Increased sales revenue by 40% within 12 months”
- “Delivered £2M project ahead of schedule and under budget”
- “Built and led a team of 10 analysts to streamline reporting processes”
By grounding your CV in facts rather than hype, you’ll come across as professional, capable, and trustworthy—qualities every employer wants.
Damage rating: Medium
3. A ridiculous email address
You might be trying to present yourself as credible and professional—but if your contact details start with something like:
im_anhonest_geeza@yahoo.combadgirls783@hotmail.com
…it’s going to raise eyebrows for all the wrong reasons.
An unprofessional email address can instantly damage your first impression. It suggests poor judgement and can make recruiters question your overall approach to work.
If you’re still using an old email that seemed clever at the time but now feels slightly embarrassing, don’t worry—just create a new, professional one specifically for job applications.
Keep it simple and clean: Use your first and last name if possible, and stick to a trusted provider like Gmail. For example: firstname.lastname@gmail.com.
It’s a quick fix that helps ensure your CV gets taken seriously from the very first glance.
Damage rating: Low
4. Big chunks of text
Long, unbroken paragraphs on a CV are one of the quickest ways to turn off a hiring manager—especially when they’re reviewing hundreds of applications in a short space of time.
Big blocks of text are hard to read and easy to ignore.
Instead, make your CV easy to scan by breaking up your content into short, focused paragraphs and bullet points. This improves readability and helps recruiters quickly find the key information they care about—like your achievements, skills, and relevant experience.
Effective CV formatting doesn’t just look better—it makes your content more impactful. When hiring managers can absorb your value in seconds, you’re far more likely to get shortlisted.
Damage rating: Medium
5. Not showing your impact
Show Your Value: Turn Responsibilities Into Results on Your CV
Listing your skills and responsibilities on your CV is important—but stopping there won’t set you apart. To truly impress employers, you need to go one step further: show the impact of your work.
Don’t just tell recruiters what you did. Show them what difference it made.
Responsibility + Result = Real Impact
Here’s a quick example:
Do not write: “Producing financial reports and reviewing spending”
Instead, do write: “Produced monthly financial reports and reviewed spending, resulting in a £10k annual saving”
See the difference? One tells, the other sells.
By quantifying your achievements—whether through savings, efficiency gains, revenue increases, or team improvements—you give employers real, tangible reasons to shortlist you.
You won’t be able to do this for every line of your CV, and that’s okay. But aim to highlight measurable outcomes wherever possible.
Damage rating: Medium
6. CV/resume Keyword stuffing
You’ve probably heard that your CV often has to pass through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) before it reaches a recruiter’s hands. These automated systems scan resumes for specific keywords related to the job, filtering out those that don’t match the criteria. Only CVs with the right keywords get through.
This knowledge can cause some candidates to panic, leading them to overload their CVs with keywords in an attempt to “beat the system.”
But here’s the catch: keyword stuffing isn’t the solution.
Why?
First, cramming your CV with keywords makes it read unnaturally and disrupts the flow of your writing. When a real person finally reviews your CV, it won’t make a good impression—it’ll seem forced and hard to follow.
Second, not all companies rely heavily on ATS. Many recruiters still focus on human review, using software only as a supporting tool. So, it’s critical that your CV appeals to people first and machines second.
The best approach is to write a clear, compelling CV that highlights your skills and achievements naturally. Then, tailor it by incorporating relevant keywords thoughtfully—without sacrificing readability.
Damage rating: Medium
7. Not giving a high level summary of roles
When describing your past roles on your CV, avoid jumping straight into detailed tasks without context. Doing so can make it hard for recruiters to see the bigger picture—how your work fits within the team or contributes to the company’s goals.
Start each role with a brief overview that explains what the organisation or team does, and how your role supports their objectives. This sets the stage and helps readers understand the impact and relevance of your responsibilities.
Giving context upfront makes your CV clearer and more compelling—showing not just what you did, but why it mattered.
Damage rating: Medium
8. Meaningless clichés
Your CV should highlight clear, hard facts—your skills, achievements, and industry knowledge. Avoid overused clichés like:
- “Works well on my own initiative or in a team”
- “Affluent thinker with a can-do attitude”
While these phrases might sound impressive, they don’t actually show recruiters what makes you stand out.
Instead, focus on concrete examples of what you’ve accomplished for past employers and how your work benefited the organisation. This not only demonstrates your technical and interpersonal skills but also clearly communicates the value you bring.
Filling your CV with vague or overly complex statements just confuses and frustrates hiring managers—don’t let that happen to you.
Damage rating: Medium
9. Adding reasons for leaving
Recruiters don’t need to know why you left every previous job on your CV. Your resume should focus entirely on showcasing your skills, achievements, and work ethic—selling your value to potential employers.
If you want to explain your motivation for leaving your current role and moving on, the cover letter is the right place for that. Keep your CV clean and focused on what you bring to the table, not on past departures.
Damage rating: Low
10. Elaborate fonts
One of the most important factors in an effective CV is readability. While it might be tempting to use fancy or decorative fonts to make your resume stand out, this can actually work against you by making your CV harder to read—and potentially frustrating recruiters.
Imagine reviewing hundreds of CVs every week—would you prefer to see a clean, simple font or something ornate that slows you down?
Stick to classic, professional fonts like Arial or Tahoma to ensure your CV is clear and easy on the eyes. A straightforward design helps recruiters focus on your skills and experience—not on deciphering your text.
Damage rating: Medium
11. Salary requirements/details
The main goal of your CV is to secure job interviews by showcasing your fit for the role—not to discuss salary.
Being upfront about your salary expectations too early can actually work against you. For example, if a company is willing to offer £40k but you’ve already indicated on your CV that you expect £35k, you limit your negotiation power later on.
Salary discussions are best left until after you’ve made a good impression—usually during the initial phone interview or when the employer brings it up. Jumping the gun on salary can come across as premature and may hurt your chances.
Damage rating: Low
12. Logos and images
You might be surprised how often I come across CVs cluttered with logos and images—but they’re usually more harmful than helpful.
Logos and graphics often don’t format well and take up valuable space that’s better spent highlighting your skills and achievements with clear, concise text.
Plus, too many images can increase your CV’s file size and confuse Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), causing delays or even preventing your CV from reaching recruiters.
For the best results, keep your CV straightforward and text-based. Simplicity helps ensure your application is both easy to read and ATS-friendly.
Damage rating: Low
13. Not enough detail in current role
When recruiters skim your CV, one of the first places they look is your current or most recent role. This section offers the clearest insight into your current skills, experience, and professional level.
If you rush through updating this part or leave out important new skills and achievements, you’re missing a crucial opportunity to showcase your value.
Take the time to craft a detailed, well-written description of your latest role. Investing effort here will pay off by giving recruiters a strong reason to consider you for the next step.
The only exception is if you’re a recent school leaver, where education or other experiences might take priority over your most recent job.
Need inspiration? Check out my professional CV samples to see some real life examples of effective CVs/resumes.
Damage rating: High
14. Too much detail in older roles
Employers don’t need a detailed list of your daily tasks from jobs you held 10 years ago. At best, they’ll give these older roles just a quick glance.
When it comes to older positions, a concise summary is enough. This approach frees up valuable space to highlight your more recent and relevant experience.
Remember, recruiters and hiring managers are primarily interested in your last 5 years of professional history.
Damage rating: Low
15. Crazy CV/resume colours
Adding a touch of colour to your CV has become more popular, especially when applying to creative or less traditional companies. However, it’s important to be cautious about how much colour you use—and which colours you choose.
If you decide to include colour, stick to safe, professional options like black, navy, and white, and limit their use to headings or section dividers.
Avoid going overboard with bright neon text, colourful backgrounds, or multiple colours (six or more), as this can cause Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to reject your CV.
For more traditional industries—like banking or law—it’s best to keep things classic with a clean black-and-white design.
Damage rating: Medium
16. CV Skills graphs
Skills graphs may seem like a quick way to showcase your abilities visually, but they often fall short. Without a clear scale or context, they leave recruiters guessing about your actual proficiency.
Instead of relying on these graphics, focus on straightforward, text-based facts that clearly demonstrate your skill level.
Use measurable details recruiters can relate to, such as:
- Length of experience: “3 years of HTML coding experience”
- Qualifications and certifications: “PMP-certified Project Manager with 5+ years delivering projects in the Tech sector”
- Scope of responsibility: “Led a team of 7 to manage a £60k event”
Concrete examples like these communicate your skills much more effectively than vague graphs.
Damage rating: Medium
17. Inconsistent use of fonts
Few things make a CV look untidy faster than a mix of different fonts scattered across the page.
For a polished, professional appearance, use a single font throughout your CV—or at most, choose one font for the body text and a complementary font for headings.
Consistency in fonts helps ensure your CV is easy to read and visually appealing to recruiters.
Damage rating: Medium
18. Excessive word repetition
Using the same word repeatedly in a short section of your CV can give the impression of poor writing and a lack of creativity.
Aim to write in a more polished and engaging style to capture recruiters’ attention.
If you notice repeated words in your CV, try restructuring your sentences or explore synonyms using resources like thesaurus.com to vary your language.
If you’re struggling and need further clarity, I can help!
Damage rating: Medium
19. Messy CV/resume page transitions
Your CV is a professional document and should be formatted to reflect that. Messy page breaks and awkward transitions can look sloppy and raise concerns for recruiters.
Think about it this way: if you received a poorly designed leaflet from a business, you might hesitate to trust them—recruiters feel the same when they see a cluttered or unevenly structured CV.
While not a deal breaker, it’s worth fixing by adjusting page margins or moving sections to avoid awkward breaks.
Damage rating: Low
20. Photographs
Unless you’re applying for roles in modelling or acting, including a photo on your CV won’t add value—especially not a professionally staged shot with a “serious” pose.
At best, it might get a few chuckles as it circulates around the recruiter’s office.
With limited space on your CV, it’s far better to focus on compelling, role-specific content that convinces hiring managers you deserve an interview.
Damage rating: Low
21. Too many pages
A seven-page CV is unlikely to be read by busy recruiters or hiring managers—they simply don’t have the time when sorting through dozens, if not hundreds, of applications.
Aim to keep your CV as close to two pages as possible. Use clear, concise language to communicate your key points quickly and effectively, creating a high-impact CV that stands out.
Damage rating: Medium
22. Basic language
Your CV should present you as a polished, professional candidate, and the language you choose plays a crucial role in achieving this.
Using overly simple or vague wording can make you appear average and may suggest weak communication skills.
Avoid sentences like:
“Helping out with different important tasks to free up time for the manager.”
This phrasing is too basic and lacks impact.
Instead, opt for precise, well-structured language that clearly conveys your contributions. For example:
“Supporting various business-critical functions to relieve management of administrative duties.”
Clear, professional language helps you stand out and demonstrates your value effectively.
Damage rating: High
23. Ordering roles incorrectly
Your roles should be listed starting with your current or most recent position at the top, then working backwards to your older roles.
Recruiters focus most on your current abilities, so they’ll examine your latest role in detail. Older roles from 5 or 10 years ago are less relevant since your skills and experience have likely evolved.
This is a fundamental rule in CV writing — most candidates get it right, so make sure your CV isn’t the exception.
Damage rating: High
24. Unexplained Gaps in your CV/resume
It’s quite common to have gaps in your employment history, but leaving these unexplained can raise concerns for employers. Unaddressed gaps may give the impression that you were inactive during that time.
Be open about any periods spent travelling, pursuing personal projects, or other constructive activities. Many employers appreciate seeing proactive experiences like travel, which can highlight your initiative and interpersonal skills.
Don’t hesitate to include time taken off due to serious illness either—this is understandable and beyond your control. Good employers won’t discriminate based on such circumstances.
Being transparent about employment gaps shows honesty and can turn a potential red flag into a positive talking point.
Damage rating: High
25. Sending your CV/resume in a non-text format
Saving your CV as a PDF is often a good choice for a polished, professional appearance. However, avoid saving your CV as a non-text format like an image file for several reasons:
- Not editable: You’ll likely need to tailor your CV for different job applications. Keeping an editable version—such as a Word document—allows you to quickly update and then save a new PDF when needed.
- Wide compatibility: Nearly all recruiters and hiring managers use systems that can easily open and read text-based formats like Word documents or PDFs. Using a text-based file ensures your CV can be properly viewed and processed.
Choosing the right file format increases the chances your CV will be seen and considered. 99.9% of recruiters and hiring managers work with systems that are prepared to open and read text files like Microsoft Word documents or PDF files, so it’s best to use a text based system if you want to ensure your CV gets read.
Damage rating: Low
26. Including reference details
Employers typically don’t request reference details until the job offer stage. Including names and contact information for multiple former managers on your CV takes up valuable space unnecessarily.
Additionally, some recruiters may contact your referees without your consent to promote their services, which can strain your professional relationships.
To keep your CV focused and protect your network, save reference details for later in the hiring process.
Damage rating: Low
27. Poor file naming
When you email your CV, the file name is visible to the recipient. A vague or unprofessional file name can create a negative first impression.
Spend a few seconds renaming your file to something clear and professional—using your name followed by “CV” is simple and effective (e.g., JohnSmith_CV.pdf).
This small detail helps present you as organized and polished from the very first interaction.
Damage rating: Low
28. Wasting space
Your CV should ideally fit onto two pages, so leaving large blank spaces from wide margins or big gaps between sections isn’t ideal.
To make the most of your limited space, reduce your page margins, minimise gaps between sections, and keep your contact details compact at the top of your CV.
Use every inch wisely to showcase compelling reasons why an employer should hire you.
Damage rating: Low
29. Grammar mistakes
Employers expect top candidates to demonstrate strong written communication skills, so grammar errors can significantly damage your credibility.
Always proofread your CV carefully to catch any mistakes, and consider using a trusted grammar-checking tool for added confidence.
For a helpful resource, check out this infographic from CopyBlogger highlighting the 15 most common grammar errors to avoid.
Damage rating: High
30. Spelling mistakes
With automatic spell checkers built into most word processors like MS Word, there’s really no excuse for spelling errors on your CV.
Spelling mistakes can seriously undermine how recruiters perceive your application and damage your professional image.
However, don’t rely solely on spellcheck—it can miss typos or incorrect word usage. Always take the time to carefully proofread your CV yourself.
Damage rating: High
31. Writing in third person narration
Your CV is a direct communication between you and potential employers — so it should be written in the first person narrative.
Using third person narration can disrupt this connection, making your CV feel distant or even come across as arrogant.
In my experience, third-person CVs sometimes give the impression the candidate is overly formal or detached — not the approachable image you want to project.
Stick to first person writing to engage readers authentically and show a down-to-earth, professional attitude.
Damage rating: Medium
32. Your date of birth or age
Employers do not need to know your date of birth or age to make a decision on whether to hire you or not – they only need to know if you have the right skills and experience.
Damage rating: Low
33. Your full address
Including your full address is unnecessary and takes up valuable space that could be better used to showcase your experience or skills.
Recruiters only need to know your general location — something simple like “London” or “Manchester” is enough. If you’re open to relocating, you can mention that briefly.
This keeps your CV clean and focused, while still giving employers the information they need.
Damage rating: Low
34. Not keeping your personal information safe
Adding your full address to your CV is outdated and unnecessary.
Recruiters aren’t going to post you a letter — they just want to know where you’re based. A general location like “London” or “Manchester” is more than enough. If you’re open to relocating, a quick note will do the job.
Save that valuable space for something more impactful — like your achievements, skills, or career highlights.
Damage rating: Low
35. Strange or controversial interests
Some hobbies and interests are better left off your CV.
If any of your personal activities could raise eyebrows, offend, or simply seem out of place in a professional context — don’t include them.
Even if they feel important to you, they’re unlikely to add real value to your application. At best, they’ll be ignored. At worst, they could create the wrong impression and cost you an interview.
Damage rating: Medium
36. Padding
If your CV feels a little short, especially early in your career, don’t fall into the trap of padding it out with long-winded sentences or unnecessary details.
Recruiters aren’t judging you on length — they’re looking for clear, relevant information that proves your value. Fluff and filler only dilute your message and slow them down.
Worried you’ve missed something? Browse LinkedIn profiles of people in similar roles and note what experience or details they’ve included that you might genuinely be overlooking.
Damage rating: Medium
37. Lies
Lies on your CV/resume such as improved qualifications or fabricated experience are not advised.
It might be tempting to stretch the truth on your CV — whether that’s boosting your qualifications or inventing experience — but it’s a dangerous game with high stakes.
Yes, some people lie and get away with it… temporarily. But experienced recruiters will spot red flags. Discrepancies can quickly lead to rejections, blacklisting by agencies, or worse — being exposed on the job when you can’t deliver what you claimed.
Even if you land the role, the stress of pretending can be career-damaging. It’s not just unethical — it sets you up to fail.
Damage rating: High
38. Overuse of personal pronouns
Recruiters and employers will understand who you are referring to without the need to frequently repeat the words I, me etc.
Sometimes you will need to include personal pronouns but it should be the exception rather than the rule.
Damage rating: Medium
39. Leaving CV/resume template instructions in
Using a quality CV/resume template can give you a helpful head start — but there’s one mistake you absolutely must avoid:
Leaving the default instructions in.
Phrases like “Insert your job title here” or “Write a brief summary of your responsibilities” make it instantly clear you’ve copied and pasted without care — and that’s a huge red flag for recruiters.
It suggests a lack of attention to detail, and worse, it makes your application look rushed or careless.
Damage rating: High
40. Unclear CV/resume section divisions
If your CV/resume lacks clear structure, it won’t just look messy — it’ll feel messy to recruiters too.
Poorly defined sections make it harder to navigate, harder to scan, and much harder to trust. And in a stack of 100+ applications, guess what happens to CVs that feel confusing?
They get skipped.
✅ Make sure your headings stand out
✅ Use consistent formatting and spacing
✅ Guide the reader’s eye from section to section
Strong structure makes your CV easier to read and projects professionalism — a win-win.
Damage rating: Medium
CV Mistakes – Conclusion
There are a number of mistakes to avoid when writing your CV which can cause a range of negative effects on your job applications.
As a minimum, you should remove all of the high-damage mistakes but also try to remove all other mistakes when you have the time.
Don’t let your CV/resume stand out for the wrong reasons!
For further help in writing your CV/resume, please check out my website: https://kickstart-cv.com/ or drop me an email to book your 30 minute discovery call: hello@kickstart-cv.com
Good luck in your job hunt! ~ Mossayed
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