It can be very easy to make mistakes on your CV and virtually impossible to make good any damage once an employer gets it. As with so many things, prevention is better than cure.

Even if you’re an old hand at keeping your CV up to date it’s always worth checking that you have made as good a job of it as possible, especially when applicant numbers are growing and employers are increasingly spoilt for choice.

Below are some of the common pitfalls and how to avoid them.

Grammar and spelling
It sounds obvious but your CV needs to be grammatically perfect. If it isn’t, employers will read between the lines and draw not-so-flattering conclusions about you. Also don’t trust your word processor to pick up spelling mistakes!

Be clear on your achievements
Employers need to understand what you’ve done and accomplished. For example “Worked with employees in a retail setting.” or “Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a high street shop with £2 million turnover.” Both of these phrases could describe the same person, but clearly the second one’s details and specifics will more likely grab an employer’s attention.

Tailor your CV
If you try to develop a one-size-fits-all CV to send to all employers it’s very likely that you’ll guarantee a position – on the top of the reject pile. Employers want you to write a CV specifically for them. They expect you to clearly show how and why you fit the position in a specific organisation and this also gives you a chance to show that you’ve researched them a little in advance.

Words count…
There are no real rules governing the length of your CV because different people with different preferences and expectations will be reading it. That doesn’t mean you should start sending out five-page CVs, of course. Generally speaking, you usually need to limit yourself to a maximum of two pages. But one page will often do the job. Less is more. Conversely, don’t cut the meat out of your CV simply to make it conform to an arbitrary one-page standard.

Be clear on your goals
Employers often have to plough through vague, stock phrases like, “Seeking a challenging position that offers professional growth.” Give them something specific and, more importantly, something that focuses on their needs as well as your own. For example: “A challenging entry-level marketing position that allows me to contribute my skills and experience in fund-raising for nonprofits.”

Be dynamic
Avoid using phrases like “responsible for.” Instead, use action verbs: “Resolved user questions as part of an IT help desk serving 4,000 students and staff.”

Rehearse!
Show your CV to several other people before sending it out. Do they find it visually attractive? If what you have is hard on the eyes and difficult to read, revise.