Published: 8 April 2021
CV writing is something of an art. It takes a lot of thought, practice and work to put together the perfect resume.
We’ve already discussed the importance of keywording before you apply. Now, we want to take some time to consider the words you should be taking out. Scan through your CV and make sure you get rid of the following.
1) Unemployed
You might well have gone through a period where you weren’t working. That could be for any number of reasons including focusing on family life, studying or simply taking time out to find yourself.
While all of that is completely fine, you don’t need to highlight it in your resume. That’s simply because the start and ends dates of your employment will show whether you’ve been in work or not.
2) Hardworking
Yes, of course working hard is a great thing. Every employer wants to hire the person who will show up on time and get their work done. But you don’t need to tell them that on your CV.
Everyone that applies for any job will want the recruiter to think they’re hardworking. It’s easy to say, but you should be looking to demonstrate it. Your work experience and your cover letter will do that for you.
3) Misspelled words
It’s no use talking about how detail-oriented you are if you’re sending in a CV filled with spelling errors.
Avoid costly mistakes by reading through your resume several times, print it out and mark any words you need to change or have someone else read it.
Don’t rely too much on spell-checkers as these often miss things you can pick up just by looking through it yourself.
4) Microsoft Office
When you are filling out your skills section it’s tempting to put that you’re an expert in the Microsoft Office suite of programmes (Word, Excel and PowerPoint for example).
But these are things everyone who applies will know and use well – it's a given in the modern working world especially as you’ve most likely used Word to write your CV.
The skills section is really for things others might not have, like Photoshop and Premiere Pro or the ability to speak Arabic or French.
5) Synergy
This is an example of a word that’s become very overused in the business world. It also doesn’t mean too much and will simply take up space on your CV.
Avoid using it completely, and look out for other similar phrases like wheelhouse, empower, bleeding edge and corporate values.
6) References available upon request
Some companies ask for you to include your references with your application. Others will get back to you if you make the shortlist.
But putting that you can send references doesn’t tell the recruiter too much and ends up just sounding a little bit too keen.
Instead, save the space and wait for them to get back to you. Contacting references is a long-established part of the process so don’t worry about making a specific point of it unless you’re asked.
Like with any CV writing, the aim when removing words is to show the recruiter you can do the job, rather than simply telling them.
When going through and editing, try and put yourself in the mindset of the person you’re sending the CV to.
Ask if this resume shows a candidate who can do the job better than anyone else. Follow the rules above and the answer might just be yes.
The University of Sunderland in London’s Careers and Employability office is here to help you get ready for life after you graduate.
To have a one-to-one chat with them, book a meeting through Compass.
Alternatively, email careers-london@sunderland.ac.uk. Find out more by following #WeAreSunLon on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.