The Do’s And Don’ts Of Cv

What IS A CV?
A CV, also known as Curriculum Vitae, is an official document which contains the profile, educational and career background of a person.

Basically, CV and a résumé mean the same thing, but in other climes, they mean different things entirely. Some of us have been submitting CVs forever, and yet we don’t get interview invites. The problem is that your CV is not passing what is known as The 30-second Test. The 30-second test simply means that an employer or interviewer will decide if they’re going to employ you or not within 30 seconds of perusing your CV.

THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF CV

1. Never start your CV with “Curriculum Vitae”. Start with your name boldly written with a larger font.
2. Ensure the address on your CV is the same as the location of the job. It will make interviewers consider you faster. e.g, if the job is in Lagos, apply with a Lagos address. If you don’t stay in the same location, look for someone you know who uses the same location.
3. Don’t use a childish email address. Use an email address with your name. Don’t use an email address such as cutiebecky4u2luv@gmail.com. It says a lot about your maturity and professionalism. You can use michaeljacobs@gmail.com or michael.jacobs@gmail.com. If the name is already taken, add some numbers, e.g michaeljacobs236@gmail.com.
4. Under personal data or profile. Some entities, like date of birth, state, local government and nationality, are not compulsory. As a matter of fact, if the age they need doesn’t favour you, just take off your date of birth. Keep the interviewer in doubt. Rather, sell your skills.
5. Under educational background and dates, simply write your school, your course of study and then the year you graduated. Take off the year you got admission. Some people started school in 2005 and graduated in 2012 for a 4-year course. It might not be their fault, but employers wouldn’t take it that way since you’re not there to defend it. So I repeat, write out only the graduation year.
6. Professional Certification is another area that’s making people lose out in their job search in recent times. Under this section, most people don’t know what to put, and it pisses off most employers. It means you haven’t done much to add value to yourself. If you are a Corp member here, try to do one or two professional courses during your service year, you will be submitting what we call a blank CV. For those working, you can use your weekends to achieve the same. It will help you in your next job search.
7. Under your work experience, you are expected to state where you worked, your job designation and your responsibilities. If you are no longer working in the firm, write your responsibilities in the past tense. The current place of work can be written in the present tense.
8. However, all your work experiences need not go on your CV except those that relate to the job you’re applying for. It makes your CV concise.
9. Under your hobbies and interests, you need to be careful with your choices. I once saw a CV that had playing video games as the applicant’s hobby. I quickly discarded the CV. Your hobbies should be within researching, meeting people, playing Scrabble or chess, mentoring and travelling. But be sure you are into the hobbies, as it could be placed before you one day.
10. Under your referees or references, please you are expected to have your referees’ names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses. You can also use your family member as your referee, but ensure you don’t use the same surname. Also, ensure your referees are aware you are using them as referees to avoid stories that touch.
11. An ideal CV should be in black and white, not coloured except on two occasions: if you are applying as a graphic designer and you want to wow your employer, or when your CV has the logo of the company you’ve worked for before under your job experience.
12. Never forward a CV from your inbox to another employer. Open and compose a fresh email, then upload your CV and send.
13. When sending your CV, make sure the subject line carries the job role you are applying for.
14. Don’t save your CV on your laptop or phone as ‘My CV’ or Edited CV’. Simply save it with your full name, e.g Adebayo Michael Samuel.
15. When sending your CV, don’t leave the email page blank. Copy your cover letter and paste it on the email page. Forget the usual ‘Sir, kindly find attached herewith for your.
16. You don’t need to append your passport photo to your CV except the employer requests it, which is quite rare.

FAQs

What are the most important things I should include in my CV?

Include key information such as your contact details, professional summary, work experience, education, skills, and relevant certifications. Make sure everything is clear, concise, and tailored to the job you’re applying for.

What are the common mistakes I should avoid when writing a CV?

Avoid spelling and grammatical errors, unnecessary personal details, long paragraphs, and irrelevant work experience. Don’t use casual language or an unprofessional email address.

Should I customise my CV for each job application?

Yes. Always tailor your CV to match the job description. Highlight skills and experiences that align with the specific role. This increases your chances of passing applicant screening systems (ATS).

Is it okay to use graphics or images on my CV?

It depends. For most traditional roles, avoid using photos, graphics, or excessive colours, as they may distract recruiters or confuse ATS software. For creative roles (e.g., design, media), a visually appealing layout may be acceptable.