16/01/2026
REMOVE THESE FROM YOUR CV/RESUME FOR A MORE PROFESSIONAL AND EFFECTIVE APPLICATION
1. Personal Information Not Relevant to the Job
-Date of birth (unless required by law in some countries)
-Marital status
-Religion
-Nationality (unless required for work authorization)
-Photo (unless specifically required, such as in acting or modeling)
2. Irrelevant Work Experience
-Jobs that don’t relate to the role you're applying for
-Too many short-term roles that aren’t relevant
-Internships or volunteer work that don’t contribute to your career goals
3. Generic Soft Skills Without Proof
-Avoid just listing “Hardworking,” “Team Player,” or “Good Communicator” without examples
-Instead, showcase skills with achievements e.g., “Led a team of five to complete a project ahead of schedule by 20%”
4. Objective Statements
-Modern CVs use Professional Summaries instead of outdated Career Objectives
-Instead of saying: "Looking for a challenging role to utilize my skills,"Write: “IT Support Specialist with expertise in troubleshooting and system administration, reducing downtime by 30% through process optimization.”
5. Long Paragraphs and Unclear Formatting
-Use bullet points instead of long paragraphs
-Keep formatting clean and ATS-friendly (avoid fancy fonts, graphics, or tables)
6. Unprofessional Email Address
-Avoid emails like [email protected]/[email protected]
-Use a professional format: [email protected]
7. References Upon Request
-Employers assume you have references. Don't waste space writing this
-Instead, prepare a separate reference list to provide if requested
