7 CV Mistakes That Are Costing You Interviews

1. Listing duties instead of achievements

"Responsible for social media" tells a recruiter nothing. "Grew Instagram engagement 40% over 3 months through a content calendar I designed" proves impact.

2. No numbers anywhere

Wherever possible, quantify: team size, % improvement, £ saved, number of users, time saved. Numbers are what separate a claim from evidence.

3. A generic "objective" paragraph

"Seeking a challenging role where I can utilise my skills" wastes prime CV real estate. Cut it, or replace with a 2-line summary of your strongest, most relevant experience.

4. Formatting that breaks applicant tracking systems (ATS)

Tables, text boxes, columns and graphics can scramble or hide your content when a company's ATS parses your CV. Stick to a clean, single-column, standard-font layout.

5. Burying your most relevant experience

Recruiters skim in seconds. Put your most relevant, impressive line first in each section — don't make them dig for it.

6. One CV for every application

A CV tailored to the specific role — mirroring 2–3 keywords from the job description — consistently outperforms a generic one, both for ATS matching and human readers.

7. Typos and inconsistent formatting

Still the fastest way to get binned. Read it aloud, then get someone else to check it.

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