6 Common CV Mistakes For Developers
6 Common CV Mistakes For Developers
The software development industry is booming with a wide array of multinational companies actively seeking qualified and skilled developers. However, due to the highly technical and specific nature of these job roles, it can be difficult to find the right candidate for the job. So, what is the best way to help HR professionals and recruiters match you with a vacant position? A well written CV that accurately showcases your skills and expertise. You have the right skills for the job, but does the recruiter or HR professional know you do? Avoid these common pitfalls when crafting your CV. 1. Listing all your work experience Recruiters and HR professionals read countless CVs, having multiple pages of irrelevant content will only work against you. Try not to write an exhaustive list of every project that you have worked on; prioritise it. Only include the projects and work experience that are relevant to the position that you are applying for. Your CV should always be tailored to the role that you are applying for. 2. Not including your ‘tech stack’ in your work experience Your tech skills and knowledge are the most important aspect of your CV. Include a list of all the languages and tools that you used during your employment in each role. If you aren’t sure how to include them while keeping the CV clean and concise, try writing a list at the footer of each role. ‘JavaScript Developer’ – Google January 2018 – January 2019 ‘JAVASCRIPT, HTML5, CSS3, JQUERY, ANGULAR.JS, SASS, LESS, PHP, NODE.JS’. 3. Description of work experience is too complex It’s attractive to describe your work experience in highly technical terms; however, you must remember that IT recruiters may not necessarily have the same in-depth knowledge you do. A generic example would be “Developed XYZ feature in XXX framework with technique A, B, C…”. Over complicating the description of your work experience may only serve to confuse the reader rendering it harder to match your skills with a vacant position. 4. Description of work experience is too general By contrast, it’s also not advised to describe your work experience in ambiguous terms. For example, “Developed a website using AngularJS5”. This statement asks more questions than it answers. Did you develop the website alone, how big is the website, what features does it have etc.? Make sure you accurately describe your part in the project and the scale of it. 5. Only list skills you are technically strong in It’s inviting to showcase all your technical skills to make yourself appear more experienced and educated. However, you should only list skills that you are technically strong in. Include databases, APIs, languages and any other tools you feel you have mastered and frequently use. Embellishing your knowledge of a language or a tool is not recommended, you will get caught out. 6. Poor Formatting and Mistakes Your CV is the critical ‘first impression’ to your prospective employer. A poorly formatted CV guarantees a bad first impression. The golden rule here is to keep your CV clean, concise and easy to read. Avoid using elaborate formatting and colours. Keep it simple. Recruiters and HR professionals are interested in the content of your CV, not the colours. Lastly, proofread your CV ensuring there are no grammatical or spelling errors; they're highly unprofessional.
