>> How Not To Write A CV!

Your CV is your employer's first impression about you before you even meet them, therefore there can be no room for error here. Unfortunately the mistakes people make when putting a CV together are endless and that's a sure shot way NOT to get the job you applied for! Repair can be exceptionally difficult once the damage is done, hence prevention is critical. Here are top ten resume mistakes that ought to be avoided:

* Grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and typographical errors are a complete no-no for your CV. Don't capitalise everything-just job titles, names, places and the start of every sentence. Carelessness in your CV is enough cause for your prospective employer to draw up unflattering conclusions about you. Double-check. Keep it perfect.

* Too looooong. Resumes should be limited to 2 pages or maximum 3 for more senior positions. Then again, do not leave out vital information just for the sake of sticking to the page limit. Avoid using long, verbose sentences and paragraphs that take say too much and yet say too little, if you know what we mean.

* Just remember to KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid! Keep away from the gimmicks. By this we mean fancy page borders, stylized fonts, colors, tables etc. It gives the impression that you're trying too hard and also serves as a distraction. Simplicity in a CV reflects professionalism. Good quality print outs also makes a difference.

* Vague job objective. Most employers are often faced with rather ambiguous job objectives. A good job objective pulls the resume together and serves as a "thesis statement" for the rest of the resume. Remember to appropriately specify your job objective such that there's something in it for you and the organization you wish to join. Something like give and take.

* Irrelevancies. Your résumé should include only information that is important to your occupation therefore do not include information like reading, sketching, political, religious associations and alike unless it really makes a difference in the hiring process. Irrelevant personal information like height, weight, marital status etc, which have no bearing on your ability to do a job should also be left out of your CV.

* Information in the wrong order. Remember that the recruiter must always see the most relevant information first; therefore content must be in reverse chronological order, such that the newest information always goes at the top.

* Work experience should emphasize results NOT responsibilities. Employers need to understand what you've done and accomplished. The work experience section should show how well you do your job, quantify your achievements and demonstrate the benefits of employing you. Don'y simply start listing job duties on your resume.

* Absence of IT skills. Computers. We can't do without IT (pun intended). Recruiters like to know that you can work your way around a PC so don't forget to include your computer skills. If you're actually in the IT industry then full details of your technical skills need to be on page one.

* Re-check your digits. Many a job offers have been lost on account of wrong contact information therefore proof read even the most minute, taken-for-granted details. If you've changed your contact number or e-mail address always make sure to add the changes to your CV. Also, keep your email address sensible-crazydude@xyz.com is definitely not going to impress your future employers!

* Never lie on your resume, it's immoral. Never fudge dates, job titles, degrees etc. Even if you don't care about moral issues, consider that if a lie is ever discovered, you will most likely be immediately fired. Stick always to the truth; otherwise, you'll never be completely at ease in any new job, knowing that your employer might learn the truth.

Always keep your Curriculum Vitae up to date. An hour a month should suffice rather than trying to remember what training you did one day three years ago. Remember, CV writing is easier when you are adding to an existing CV rather than starting from scratch.