At the job post · 7 min read
What CV mistakes cost you interviews?
The ten CV mistakes that most often cost interviews, from a generic top third to unreadable layouts and invented skills, each with a quick fix.
The short answer
The CV mistakes that most often cost interviews are a generic top third that doesn't match the post, duties instead of results, the job's key skills missing or spelled differently, a layout software can't read, unexplained gaps or dates, typos, and anything you can't back up. Most are fixed by tailoring each CV to its post and checking the file you actually send.
Key takeaways
- The top third of the CV decides whether the rest is read.
- Results beat duties in every role.
- Use the post's terms for skills you really have.
- Check the exact file you'll send, not the draft.
- Never add a skill or number you can't defend.
On this pageThe ten mistakes, and the fix for each
The ten mistakes, and the fix for each
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| A generic summary | Rewrite it for this post: the role, two must-haves, one result |
| Duties instead of results | Verb, scale, result for the top bullets of each role |
| The post's key skills missing | Add the ones you really have, spelled the post's way |
| Two columns, tables, icons | One column of real text with standard headings |
| Contact details in the header | Put them in the body of the page |
| Roles without dates | Month and year for every role |
| Long paragraphs | Bullets of one or two lines |
| Filler phrases | Cut 'results-driven', 'team player' and the like |
| Typos and inconsistent formatting | Read aloud; check fonts, dates and spacing |
| Anything you can't back up | Cut it, or replace with what you can explain |
Why the top third matters most
In the Ladders 2018 eye-tracking study, recruiters spent an average of 7.4 seconds on an initial look at a CV, mostly on the top: name, current title, recent roles and dates. If the top third doesn't connect to the post, the rest may never be read.
Check the file you send
Many mistakes appear only in the final file: a template that exports with text as an image, a page break mid-bullet, a header the parser ignores. Open the exact PDF or Word file, select all the text and paste it into a plain text editor. What you see there is roughly what a system reads.
The honesty test
Read each line and ask: could I talk about this for two minutes? Lines that fail aren't just risky in interviews; they make you nervous about the CV itself. Replace them with smaller, true lines you can talk about with confidence.
OffLadder CV, our free Chrome extension, runs an ATS check on the exact file you'll download: one column and real text, standard headings, email and phone in the page itself, a date on every role, bullets of one or two lines, no symbols or filler phrases, the post's own terms, and the page count.
What happens to the gaps
Applying shows you what employers want that you can't show yet: a must-have your CV doesn't mention, or a question you couldn't answer well. Hand the job from OffLadder CV to Laddie, our AI coach, and it turns each one into three steps:
- Learn the skill: a short lesson on what the post asks for, starting from the basics.
- Try the work: a 15-minute task taken from the job itself, so you have a real example to talk about.
- Practise the interview: a five-question mock interview for that role, weighted to the parts you're least sure of.
The conversation stays in your OffLadder account. Once you've done the work, add it to your CV in your own words, and the next post you tailor for can point to it.
Questions people ask
- What is the biggest CV mistake?
- Sending the same CV to every job. A generic CV makes the reader hunt for evidence, and in a quick first look most won't. Tailoring the summary and first bullets to each post fixes more than any design change.
- Do typos really matter on a CV?
- Yes, especially for roles that ask for attention to detail. One typo rarely sinks a strong CV, but it can tip a close decision, and several suggest carelessness. Read it aloud, or have someone else read it, before you send.
- Is a two-column CV a mistake?
- It can be. Some applicant tracking systems read columns in the wrong order or drop content in tables, text boxes or headers. A single column of real text with standard headings is the safe choice.
- Can a CV be too short?
- Yes, if it leaves out evidence the post asks for. Length should follow relevance: one page can be right for an early-career US resume, and two sides of A4 is normal in the UK. Cut filler, not proof.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- Eye-tracking study shows recruiters look at resumes for 7 seconds · HR Dive, reporting the Ladders 2018 study
- How to write a CV · National Careers Service (England)
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.