When it comes to preparing your CV there are certain things that should/should not make it into your resume. Some of these things can be more obvious than others, while others can be harder to spot. If you’re planning on going on the job hunt anytime soon and are scouring the Job Boards as part of your 2019 resolutions, have a look at some of the below points it might be worth revising on your CV before you press the “Send” button.
- The “Objection” section
There can be dividing opinions on this section and whether it is necessary to include it in a CV. If you do plan to include this segment in your CV try and refrain from using generic sentences. e.g. I want to work in an established organisation in a challenging position – that’s great but anyone could have written this.
What you’re better off doing is using this passage more like a summary to highlight what you know about the area and what you know the reader will be interested in reading. You want the hiring manager to be interested in what you have to say and why you’re interested in the role, so by making this section more specific and relevant to the area it will help them see you’re a good fit and separate your CV from the generic applications.
- Using unnecessarily complicated language
Does this sound like you – you’re writing your CV or cover letter and you find yourself overusing a certain word so you turn to the Thesaurus on Microsoft Word? This happens to all of us, but just be careful that when you’re choosing your words you don’t go over the top! By choosing unnecessarily complicated words your CV might not read very well, so when in doubt keep things simple and go for more conversational language. Remember, it’s the content that’s most important not how big your vocabulary is.
- Writing your CV in the third-person
People’s opinions can be divided on this point but I find that when you’re reading a CV that is written in the third-person voice it can come across as a bit unnatural, similar to when you use unnecessarily big words. Although there is nothing actually wrong with writing this way and some people do prefer to do it, it can seem overly formal and may come across as a little pretentious depending on whose reading it. This may then cause the reader to be distracted from the actual content of the CV, which is the important part at the end of the day, so for this reason I think you’re better off sticking to writing in the first person – this will feel more natural for you anyway!
- Unprofessional email address / work email address
The email address you include on your CV isn’t something you’d think you could be judged on, but if it stands out for the wrong reasons then you’re wrong! If you have an email address that doesn’t look professional then it could make you look unprofessional. Now, when I say “professional” email, I don’t mean it has to be formal, but make sure that it’s inoffensive. Similarly, don’t use your work email address for your CV as potential employers might wonder why you’re looking at jobs while you’re meant to be working.
- Lies
This might seem like common sense, but don’t include any lies on your CV or if you have already included them then remove them immediately. This could be anything from a fabricated qualification to saying you were in a job 6 months longer than you were. The last thing you want is to be called to an interview and asked a question about something you included on your CV that you can’t talk about, or get to reference checks with a company before being formally offered a position and for them then to realise during references that you lied about how long you were with your previous employer. If you’re caught in a lie, you won’t get the job, so don’t lie and make life easier for yourself.
Looking for a new job within the Science industry?
Get in touch
When it comes to preparing your CV there are certain things that should/should not make it into your resume. Some of these things can be more obvious than others, while others can be harder to spot. If you’re planning on going on the job hunt anytime soon and are scouring the Job Boards as part of your 2019 resolutions, have a look at some of the below points it might be worth revising on your CV before you press the “Send” button.
- The “Objection” section
There can be dividing opinions on this section and whether it is necessary to include it in a CV. If you do plan to include this segment in your CV try and refrain from using generic sentences. e.g. I want to work in an established organisation in a challenging position – that’s great but anyone could have written this.
What you’re better off doing is using this passage more like a summary to highlight what you know about the area and what you know the reader will be interested in reading. You want the hiring manager to be interested in what you have to say and why you’re interested in the role, so by making this section more specific and relevant to the area it will help them see you’re a good fit and separate your CV from the generic applications.
- Using unnecessarily complicated language
Does this sound like you – you’re writing your CV or cover letter and you find yourself overusing a certain word so you turn to the Thesaurus on Microsoft Word? This happens to all of us, but just be careful that when you’re choosing your words you don’t go over the top! By choosing unnecessarily complicated words your CV might not read very well, so when in doubt keep things simple and go for more conversational language. Remember, it’s the content that’s most important not how big your vocabulary is.
- Writing your CV in the third-person
People’s opinions can be divided on this point but I find that when you’re reading a CV that is written in the third-person voice it can come across as a bit unnatural, similar to when you use unnecessarily big words. Although there is nothing actually wrong with writing this way and some people do prefer to do it, it can seem overly formal and may come across as a little pretentious depending on whose reading it. This may then cause the reader to be distracted from the actual content of the CV, which is the important part at the end of the day, so for this reason I think you’re better off sticking to writing in the first person – this will feel more natural for you anyway!
- Unprofessional email address / work email address
The email address you include on your CV isn’t something you’d think you could be judged on, but if it stands out for the wrong reasons then you’re wrong! If you have an email address that doesn’t look professional then it could make you look unprofessional. Now, when I say “professional” email, I don’t mean it has to be formal, but make sure that it’s inoffensive. Similarly, don’t use your work email address for your CV as potential employers might wonder why you’re looking at jobs while you’re meant to be working.
- Lies
This might seem like common sense, but don’t include any lies on your CV or if you have already included them then remove them immediately. This could be anything from a fabricated qualification to saying you were in a job 6 months longer than you were. The last thing you want is to be called to an interview and asked a question about something you included on your CV that you can’t talk about, or get to reference checks with a company before being formally offered a position and for them then to realise during references that you lied about how long you were with your previous employer. If you’re caught in a lie, you won’t get the job, so don’t lie and make life easier for yourself.
Looking for a new job within the Science industry?
Get in touch