Avoid These Common CV Mistakes
Your CV often gets less than a minute of attention, so small mistakes can cost you an interview. The good news is that most of them are easy to fix. Here are the ones Jamaican employers see most often.
Spelling and grammar errors. Read your CV out loud, then ask someone else to check it. A single typo can make an otherwise strong applicant look careless.
An unprofessional email address. Set up a simple address using your name for job hunting.
Too long or too crowded. For most jobs, one or two pages is enough. Use clear headings, short bullet points and plenty of white space.
Listing duties instead of results. "Responsible for customer service" says little. "Handled around 60 customer calls a day and kept satisfaction scores above target" says much more. Use real numbers only if they are true.
Qualifications that are hard to read. List your CSEC and CAPE subjects and grades clearly, along with any HEART/NSTA Trust level, and degrees or diplomas from UTech, UWI or other institutions. Put the most recent first.
Missing contact details. Include a working phone number and email address and your parish or town. You do not need your full home address, TRN, date of birth or marital status on a CV.
One CV for every job. Tailor your summary and key skills to each role. A CV for a hotel front desk in Negril should look different from one for an accounts clerk in New Kingston.
Unexplained gaps. If you were studying, caring for family or doing informal work, say so briefly.
Untrue information. Employers check certificates and references. Exaggeration is easily found out and can cost you the job later.
Outdated references. Make sure your referees know you have listed them and can be reached.
Fix these and your CV will already be ahead of many others. Then put it to work on Splash Jamaica's latest listings.