Most Common CV Mistakes We See (& What To Do Instead)

Why Do People Make Mistakes On Their CV/Resume?

Nobody teaches us how to find employment in school or university. It’s a skill that we rarely take time to master, and then we wish we did when we don’t have any money coming in and stress is mounting. We know employers are selective, sometimes even ghosting candidates, and it’s not easy to make a strong first impression.

One thing you can control is perfecting the presentation and content of your CV/resume, making it engaging and easy to understand. Your resume must pack a punch to stand out as first impressions are everything! Below are some of the repetitive mistakes we see from job candidates that you should avoid during your job search.

Overcoming Common Mistakes on CVs

Mistake: Submitting a one-page resume

It’s an urban myth that Canadian employers expect a one-page document. Only a graduate could summarise their career in one page so don’t fall into this trap. Focus on quality content and don’t restrict yourself to one page.

Feel free to use 2-3 pages, depending on your experience. An even longer resume is perfectly fine for senior candidates with 15 or more years of experience – just don’t go beyond four pages as anything over this is too much. Brevity is a skill.

Mistake: Using a poor resume template

Choosing to use substandard templates for your valuable presentation is unforgivable.

Choosing a clean template that is easy to read is the key. It’s not an art contest, so simple text-only formats work best. You can access our resume tips and download our resume template which has delivered excellent results to candidates here. We recommend avoiding the following on your CV:

• two-column formats (more suitable for magazines and newspapers),
• expansive artwork, and
• adding your photo.

Mistake: Lack of quantification

Your purpose is not to educate a hiring manager to the general duties of a role, it’s to show them the value you have provided performing previous roles. Performance matters, so speak to it! Talk is cheap, performance is everything, so quantify as much as you can. Your resume should differentiate you from other candidates.

With that in mind, performance is best quantified in numbers, not words. Your job duties for a role are forward-looking actions that you will take, and therefore your resume should assess how you actually performed in the role — a look back. Put metrics on your performance if you want to make an impact on hiring managers with your resume.

Mistake: Lack of context

If applicable, you can highlight in the introduction summary that you have an approved work permit or permanent residency in Canada.

Mistake: No targeted job title

If you don’t know what you want, how can people help you?

Set the tone for your resume by outlining a target job title up top. Research suitable roles to apply for and be specific by listing one or two job titles at the top of your resume. This gives the reader some direction as to what you are potentially interested in or how your experience translates from another industry or country.

Examples:

• Project Manager / Superintendent
• Senior Estimator / Bid Manager
• Project Coordinator / Field Engineer

Not sure which roles to target? Check out our Construction Job Titles in Canada blog for guidance.