Searching for a job is an exhausting and painstaking process, unless you’re equipped with an impressive CV! Whether you’re a fresh graduate or an experienced professional, crafting a CV is the most important part of your job hunt.

The old days of recruiters reading and filing resumes are long gone, as applicant tracking systems (ATS) take over. These days, your CV is scanned, sorted, and ranked by a software before it reaches a recruiter—and a staggering 75% of CVs are rejected before they reach hiring managers!

Here are six common reasons why your CV could get rejected.  

1. An Unprofessional Email Address

Does your email address sound something like batman123@xyz.com or foreoveralone@xyz.com?

If so, you’re sabotaging your job hunt because these ridiculous email addresses give off an instant negative impression.

2. Grammatical & Spelling Mistakes

An HR manager makes up their mind about you within the first sixty seconds of reading your CV! And 59% of recruiters will reject a candidate because of poor grammar or spelling errors.

So take a minute out and eliminate any grammatical and spelling mistakes and wrong punctuation usage.

Proofread your CV at least three times before sending it in and ensure that it reads smoothly—get someone else to read it too to identify missing or incorrect text. And if you're translating your CV into another language, make sure it's foolproof.

3. Inaccurate Date Formats

The date formats included in your educational, professional, and other background fields should be consistent and in-line. Spell out the date ranges and avoid inserting exact dates, such as:

2nd February 2017 – 5th March 2020; the HR manager doesn’t want to solve a math problem!

Instead, use the format given below:

February 2017 – March 2020

Moreover, the writing and counseling experts at Purdue and Virginia Tech Universities suggest you avoid abbreviating information or using too many symbols in your CV.

4. Adding a Photograph

While a picture may be customary on CVs, more than 88% of CVs with a picture are rejected —why? Because your photograph may lead to biased decisions and fuel discrimination in the recruitment process.

5. Too Much Information

Hiring managers need concise & dense information, but they don't want to read a three-page long CV. The art of appealing to recruiters involves fitting in just the right amount of information and leaving the rest for the interview.

Complement your CV with a customized cover letter where you state your biggest accomplishments and other information that saves space on your resume.

6. Weird Formatting with Cliché Words

Keep your CV as professional as possible. Avoid using five different types of font styles and colors and unnecessary bold/italic text. The golden rule of writing a CV is keeping to use one easy-to-read font like Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman in the color black.

Studies reveal that 5% of candidates are dishonest about their work experience and accomplishments—using bland, cliché terms like proactive, confident, and humble makes your CV 50% more likely to get rejected. Tailor your resume for the job, mentioning key points that make you a suitable candidate.

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Source: 

https://www.coburgbanks.co.uk/blog/candidate-tips/20-reasons-why-your-cv-will-be-rejected/

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/earn/10-sure-shot-reasons-your-resume-will-get-rejected/articleshow/84919360.cms

https://www.kaplaninternational.com/blog/working-internationally/eng/9-reasons-why-your-cv-might-get-rejected