HR professionals receive thousands of CVs every month, so they need the CVs to be accurate. That does not mean that they should be schematic, but only the skills and competences that really add something to the position you’re applying for should appear. You think that we’re exaggerating? Keep reading the article and discover the 3 skills that could damage your CV.
The languages you studied at school and have not practiced since
During your high school years, you probably had the opportunity to study a third language. This foreign language could be French, English, German or even Chinese. We are convinced that you learned valuable concepts during these years, but if you haven’t practiced since, do you really think that you would be able to develop some professional work in that language? The best thing that you can do is to be honest with yourself and only include the languages you really master on your CV. Basic knowledge does not make any difference.
Old technology
Technology progresses at a dizzying pace and you should be able to move forward with it. It is needless to indicate that you master a software that no longer exists or that has been replaced by a more modern one. When a recruiter notices that a candidate has mentioned mastering outdated software, he may think that the latter is not following trends and technological advances.
Office programs and emails
Nowadays, most people use office automation programs such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint at the user level. What does that mean? That including them on your CV is not going to contribute to anything. Moreover, when a recruiter notices that this type of information is filled in on a CV, he might think that the concerned person does not have enough skills to highlight.
Does that mean that you should totally neglect these skills? No! Excel is a very complex program to use and is necessary for many positions. If you really master the advanced features of the program, indicate it! But if you only used the program to prepare your schedule of the one of your children, it is better not to include it on your CV.
As you can see, it is about to include only and exclusively the elements you really master and leave the rest aside.