I can receive up to several (dozen) applications in a week for a wide variety of roles, however I often reject CV’s based on the way I receive a CV or its content. Here are my Top Ten  most common mistakes people make when applying for a job.

1.  If you don’t have a work permit or right of abode for the UK you will be sent a no letter.

I am seeing increasing numbers of people from outside the EU who may have studied in the UK thinking they can apply for jobs here. Without the necessary work permit we can’t help so please don’t apply.

2.  Address Me Properly

I find people will lazily write to more then one recruiter using the same ‘Dear HR Manager’ or ‘Recruiter’. I am not an HR Manager or a Recruiter. My name is Russell and please address as me by my name.

3 Make the Covering Letter Relevant

Often I get a ‘one size fits all’ covering letter. It shows that the interest in the role by the candidate is half hearted at best.

4. Read The Job Title!

It is annoying when people write and say they are applying for an Online Marketing Manager position when the role is a Web Marketing Manager or CRM Manager – it shows lack to attention to detail

5.  Don’t Use The Default Messages

A lot of applications via job boards are done using these sites’ default covering note. Again it shows lack of real desire and commitment and whilst I accept we live in a ‘time poor’ society people should still find the time to address applications appropriately, with a targeted covering note.

6.  Three typos and ‘it’s a No!’

We all make mistakes – I’m sure some of my more regular and vocal readers of this blog will highlight all the grammatical mistakes I’ve made here (you know who you are & I’m always grateful) – and people do make mistakes on CV’s. Indeed I would estimate that probably only 6 CV’s in every 10 are grammatically perfect. One mistake you can accept, 2 OK, but after three, again one has to begin to question the individual’s attention to detail. Ask someone to read it through!

7. Logos

Don’t put the logos of the companies you used to work at on your CV – it shows you’re good with MS Word and Paint and absolutely nothing about how good you were at your job.

8. Really Bad CV’s!

I sometimes receive CV’s that are the equivalent of BO, so bad you have to delete them – it is fortunately a rare occurrence but I do get probably three or four a year where the best advice to the people who wrote them is get out of marketing!

9.  Being ‘Economical With The Truth’

Making things up on a CV is never a good idea. Specialist recruiters know their marketplace and sometimes I have seen something where people have claimed an achievement but I know it had been done by someone else. In a small niche market claiming one thing or another that is not your achievement there will be someone who knows someone else who will eventually find you out!

10.  Link to your Facebook Page                  

It’s never a good idea to put a link to your Facebook page on your CV as inevitably it  will be viewed. People who do this usually have not set their privacy settings  correctly and I once spent an interesting 20 minutes one lunchtime looking at  someone’s Hen Night! What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas and not be the reason for your rejection for a role!