1. Generic Personal Statement
A personal statement that could apply to any job and any company is one of the biggest warning signs on a CV. Phrases like 'hardworking and motivated individual seeking a challenging opportunity' tell the recruiter nothing — and they appear on thousands of CVs.
The fix: Your personal statement should be specific to the role, include one or two concrete achievements with numbers, and immediately signal why you are a strong candidate for this particular position. Tailor it for every application, even if only slightly. If you can swap the company name and the statement still works, it is too generic.
2. Listing Duties Instead of Achievements
One of the most common mistakes is describing what you were supposed to do rather than what you actually achieved. 'Responsible for managing social media accounts' is a duty. 'Grew Instagram following from 2,000 to 18,000 in 12 months, increasing website traffic by 34%' is an achievement.
The fix: For every bullet point on your CV, apply the 'so what?' test. If the answer is not obvious from the bullet point itself, add the result or impact. Use the formula: Action verb + what you did + measurable result. Wherever possible, replace duty statements with achievement statements backed by numbers.
Key Takeaway
For every bullet on your CV, use the formula: Action verb + what you did + measurable result. 'Managed accounts' becomes 'Managed a portfolio of 45 client accounts generating £1.2m annual revenue'.
3. Poor Formatting and Layout
A cluttered, inconsistent, or hard-to-read CV creates a bad first impression before a single word is read. Tables, multi-column layouts, text boxes, and decorative elements are the worst offenders — not only do they look unprofessional, but they also break ATS parsing, which means your CV may never reach human eyes.
The fix: Use no more than two fonts, maintain consistent spacing, and structure sections with clear bold headings. A clean, single-column layout with plenty of white space is far more effective than a cramped three-page document.
4. Spelling and Grammar Errors
A single typo on your CV signals carelessness — exactly the trait no employer wants. UK recruiters consistently report that spelling errors can result in immediate discard, particularly in the personal statement and job titles where they are most visible.
The fix: Proofread your CV multiple times, use a spell checker (set to British English), and ask a trusted friend or colleague to review it. A useful technique: read your CV backwards, sentence by sentence — this forces your brain to read each word rather than auto-correcting in context.
- Use Grammarly or a similar tool set to British English
- Read your CV backwards to catch typos your brain auto-corrects
- Ask someone else to proofread — fresh eyes catch what yours miss
- Pay particular attention to company names and job titles
5. Including Irrelevant Information
In the UK, you should not include a photo, your date of birth, marital status, nationality, or National Insurance number on your CV. These are not expected, take up valuable space, and can introduce unconscious bias. Similarly, your primary school, hobbies that add no professional value, or the phrase 'References available upon request' are all wasting space.
The fix: Every line on your CV should earn its place by making you a more attractive candidate for this specific role. If it does not add value, cut it.
6. Not Tailoring the CV to the Job
Sending the same CV to every job is one of the most common — and costly — mistakes. Research shows that 63% of recruiters prefer tailored CVs, and generic applications are described as a 'one-way ticket to rejection'. Recruiters can tell immediately whether a CV has been tailored.
The fix: For each application, review the job description, identify the three or four most important requirements, and adjust your personal statement, skills section, and work experience bullets to speak directly to them. Even small adjustments can significantly increase your response rate — tailoring your CV can improve interview chances by up to 40%.
Up to 40%
improvement in interview chances when you tailor your CV to each specific role
Source: John Logan BMC
7. Wrong Length
For most professionals, a two-page CV is the sweet spot. One page works well for graduates or career changers with limited experience. Three or more pages is almost always too long — it suggests an inability to prioritise what matters.
The fix: Trim ruthlessly. Cut roles older than 15 years unless directly relevant, remove anything that does not strengthen your candidacy for this specific role, and consolidate very early career roles into a single line if needed.
8. Unexplained Employment Gaps
Gaps in employment are not necessarily a problem — but unexplained gaps create uncertainty. Recruiters will notice gaps of more than a few months and may assume the worst if no explanation is offered.
The fix: Address gaps briefly and positively on your CV or cover letter. Parenting, caring responsibilities, travel, study, freelancing, or health — all are legitimate. Frame them in terms of what you gained: 'Career break for family (2023 to 2024) — completed an online data analytics course during this period.'
9. Unprofessional Contact Details
Your email address creates an impression before the recruiter reads a single word of your CV. An address like partyanimal99@hotmail.com or cutiepie_x@yahoo.co.uk immediately undermines your professionalism.
The fix: Use a simple firstname.lastname@email.com format with a reputable provider (Gmail, Outlook). Ensure your phone number is current. Include your LinkedIn profile URL — and make sure it is updated and consistent with your CV.
10. Not Optimising for ATS
Many companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to filter CVs before a human ever reads them. Research suggests up to 75% of CVs are rejected by ATS — not because the candidates are unqualified, but because the formatting confuses the system or the right keywords are missing.
The fix: Use exact keywords from the job description, avoid headers and footers for key content, use standard section headings, and avoid tables, text boxes, and multi-column layouts. Test your CV by copying the text from your PDF into a plain text editor — if it appears garbled or out of order, an ATS will have the same problem.
- Use the exact keywords and phrases from the job description
- Avoid tables, text boxes, columns, and graphics
- Use standard section headings: 'Work Experience', 'Education', 'Skills'
- Test your CV by pasting the text into Notepad — if it is garbled, so is the ATS parse
80%+
of CVs do not make it past the first screening round — most rejections are due to avoidable formatting and content mistakes
Source: Enhancv