In recruitment we scan through hundreds of CVs a week and it becomes obvious very quickly the ones that stand out for the right reasons and the ones that don’t. The way you make your CV can vary depending on the person and successful CVs can come in a variety of different forms and layouts, however there are certain things that simply do not need to be included on your CV. Take a step in the right direction and check out 5 simple things below we suggest removing from your CV immediately:
- Images and colourful visuals
Unless you are going for a design role and they ask you for a funky CV, then do yourself a favour and keep your CV layout simple. Unnecessary clipart just takes up valuable space and random graphs/charts with pictures don’t actually present actual information so they don’t need to be there. Similarly, a strong and bright background colour might seem to look nice, but it can make your CV more difficult to read and distract from the content. It’s all well and good making a pretty CV but remember you want it to be practical at the end of the day so keep things simple.
- Your photo
This is something that can really confuse people – do I include this / do I not? In some countries it can be custom to include this on your CV however in Ireland this is not needed. When preparing your CV and including information think of it this way, does what I’m including affect my ability to do the job I’m applying for? If the answer is no then remove it! In the case of the photo the way you look has nothing to do with your skills and experience, which is what you should be judged on so best to remove your photo if you include it. If you are applying for jobs in a country where it would be customary to include a photo, then ensure you use a professional-looking photo and not a selfie from a night out.
- Age and date of birth
This goes back to my point above, if it doesn’t affect your ability to do the job then remove it! Employers should judge your ability to do a job based on your amount and type of experience and not on your age. Under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 in Ireland it is illegal for employers to discriminate against candidates because of their age and therefore, recruiters and employers should not ask for this information nor should you include it on your CV.
- Marital status or dependents
Like both Age and Photo, this does not affect your ability to do a job so it should not be included. Again in Ireland it is illegal for employers to discriminate on this basis under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015.
- References
When applying for jobs there is an expectation that should you be successful in the interview process for a role, you should be able to provide references to a prospective employer. It is always a good thing for you to know whom you can approach and call upon to provide a reference should you need one, but until you are asked to provide this information it is unnecessary to include the referee details.
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In recruitment we scan through hundreds of CVs a week and it becomes obvious very quickly the ones that stand out for the right reasons and the ones that don’t. The way you make your CV can vary depending on the person and successful CVs can come in a variety of different forms and layouts, however there are certain things that simply do not need to be included on your CV. Take a step in the right direction and check out 5 simple things below we suggest removing from your CV immediately:
- Images and colourful visuals
Unless you are going for a design role and they ask you for a funky CV, then do yourself a favour and keep your CV layout simple. Unnecessary clipart just takes up valuable space and random graphs/charts with pictures don’t actually present actual information so they don’t need to be there. Similarly, a strong and bright background colour might seem to look nice, but it can make your CV more difficult to read and distract from the content. It’s all well and good making a pretty CV but remember you want it to be practical at the end of the day so keep things simple.
- Your photo
This is something that can really confuse people – do I include this / do I not? In some countries it can be custom to include this on your CV however in Ireland this is not needed. When preparing your CV and including information think of it this way, does what I’m including affect my ability to do the job I’m applying for? If the answer is no then remove it! In the case of the photo the way you look has nothing to do with your skills and experience, which is what you should be judged on so best to remove your photo if you include it. If you are applying for jobs in a country where it would be customary to include a photo, then ensure you use a professional-looking photo and not a selfie from a night out.
- Age and date of birth
This goes back to my point above, if it doesn’t affect your ability to do the job then remove it! Employers should judge your ability to do a job based on your amount and type of experience and not on your age. Under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 in Ireland it is illegal for employers to discriminate against candidates because of their age and therefore, recruiters and employers should not ask for this information nor should you include it on your CV.
- Marital status or dependents
Like both Age and Photo, this does not affect your ability to do a job so it should not be included. Again in Ireland it is illegal for employers to discriminate on this basis under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015.
- References
When applying for jobs there is an expectation that should you be successful in the interview process for a role, you should be able to provide references to a prospective employer. It is always a good thing for you to know whom you can approach and call upon to provide a reference should you need one, but until you are asked to provide this information it is unnecessary to include the referee details.
Looking for a move in the science industry?