So now you've written your CV and Covering Letter, how can you make sure you're one of the ones to get that call for an interview?  Well first of all you need to make sure you avoid these five crucial mistakes:

1.  FAILURE TO TAILOR YOUR CV AND COVERING LETTER
 

We all know applying for jobs is hard work, in fact it's a full-time job in itself, or at least it should be if you're going to do it right.  Simply sending a generic CV and Covering Letter out for each application just won't cut it and they can be spotted a mile off.  As a HR Professional who has reviewed hundreds of CVs, these are the ones I bin first.  Every CV and Covering Letter needs to be tailored to every application so the specifics of the role are addressed in your CV, the tone of the advertisement is matched in your Covering Letter and the cultural alignment between you and the organisation can be demonstrated.

2.  HAVING SPELLING MISTAKES AND POOR GRAMMAR  
 

We all make mistakes, today we're even told that making mistakes are good, that we'll learn from them - WRONG!  Your CV and Covering Letter is the one place you can't afford to make a mistake.  Worse still is when your sentences don't make sense and your grammar is incorrect.  To a recruiter or future employer spelling mistakes shows a lack of attention to detail which in turn reads as a lack of care or interest in the role.  Simply asking a friend to read over your CV and Covering Letter with a fresh pair of eyes will help to spot those mistakes or you can use platforms like Grammarly to help you.

3.  POOR FORMATTING OF YOUR CV AND COVERING LETTER
 

The most important thing when presenting your CV and Covering Letter is to make it easy and appealing to read.  Unless you're applying for a creative design role, your CV should not be a work of art, however, neither should it be paragraph upon paragraph of writing.  Both of which make it difficult to read and find the pertinent information and nowadays recruiters simply don't have time to search through your CV to find out if you can do the job.  You need to present the information clearly and concisely using a combination of short paragraphs and dot points.  Also don't assume recruiters will read between the lines, you need to spell it out for them because many hiring managers are a) not familiar with the role they are recruiting for and will simply compare your CV with the Job Description or b) too busy to read between the lines and work out if you can do the job or not.

4.  HAVING GAPS IN TIME IN YOUR CV 
 

If you took a year off to travel or took a career break to 'find yourself' or care for a loved one, be honest and say that's what you did, otherwise the recruiter may well take a wild guess and chances are, it won't be a good one.  I've always been very clear on my CV that for a few years I was a stay at home mum, I've nothing to hide and it ensures my CV makes sense and goes a long way to explaining why I made the career choices I've made.

5.  EVIDENCE TO BACK UP WHAT YOU SAY

Ensure that everything you write in your CV and Covering Letter is the truth and you actually did it.  When writing your CV, think about whether you can talk to it in an interview.  Chances are that nowadays you'll be asked some behavioural type questions when you get to the interview so ensure you're thinking of this for everything you write.  Think about how you would explain it and talk to it as you write it.  Don't forget to write about your achievements just as much as your duties, this will add credibility and authenticity to your CV and Covering Letter.

OVER TO YOU.....

Writing a CV and Covering Letter is not something we do all the time and it can be a daunting process, but you don't have to do it alone.  If you need some advice and guidance, let me help you.