Job hunting can be a daunting task, especially when your CV seems to disappear into a black hole. A former recruiter has shared nine things you should never include on your CV to avoid putting off potential employers.
Sophie, who now shares career advice on TikTok after leaving her recruitment role, said she always 'hated' seeing certain items on CVs. First, she advises only including your town, city or county in the address section, not your full street and house number.
Your email address should be professional, using your full name or initials, not something like 'littleowl@gmail.com'. Sophie also warns against including a selfie or a photo with your dog; if you include a photo, it must be professional or show you in the role you are seeking.
Personal details such as marital status are irrelevant and should be left off. In your personal statement, avoid using the word 'I'; instead, start with action verbs like 'spearheaded' or 'consulted'. Do not add a line about references being available upon request, as recruiters know they can ask for them.
When describing your employment history, focus on the impact you made, using quantitative data, rather than just listing duties. Your CV should ideally be one page long, though two pages may be acceptable if you have extensive relevant experience. Finally, a generic list of hobbies is unnecessary; unless a hobby is directly relevant to the job, it does not matter to the recruiter.
