Are you in the process of looking for a new job? If you are, there is a good chance you will have sent out multiple copies of your CV – but have you had any luck? If the offers of an interview are slow coming in, it is possible that there is something in your CV which is not to the liking of the person receiving it. 

To stop your CV being overlooked, here are five things you should avoid: 

• Spelling and Grammatical Errors: There is nothing worse than a CV full of spelling and grammatical errors. Mistakes give employers the impression that you do not care and have failed to take the time to seek out errors. Once you have finished writing your CV, check it, check it again, and then check it again. Read it aloud to ensure that it flows correctly and consider asking friends and family to look over it on your behalf.
  
• Gaps in Your Employment History: Employers will be keen to build a picture of your employment history. Your CV should include accurate dates to allow for background checking, with details provided in months and years for each role listed. Long gaps in your employment history are not a bad thing; it is possible you took time out of work to have a child, to do volunteering work or go travelling. However, these gaps should all be explained in your covering letter. 
  
• Irrelevant Information: Get to the point. Your CV should contain information which highlights why you are the most appropriate candidate for the role you are applying for. Whilst employers look at your hobbies and interests, it should not make up a large part of your CV – they simply aren’t interested in your 5 metre swimming certificate from primary school or a season by season history of your career as a Sunday league footballer. 
  
• Too Many Pages: Most employers will receive dozens of CVs for every role they recruit for. The last thing they want to be doing is searching through page after page of your CV trying to find the one piece of information they are seeking. Keep your CV short and well-structured, try and keep the length to no more than two sides of A4.
  
• Inaccurate Contact Details: Finally, always make sure that the contact details you list on your CV and covering letter are correct. The last thing you want is to impress an employer with an eye-catching application, only for them to not be able to offer you an interview due to a spelling mistake in your email address or incorrect phone number! 

Our Candidate Resources page offers an extensive list of tips and advice for anyone looking to write their CV or prepare for an important job interview – take a look!