July 8, 2026 · 4 min read
Common CV Mistakes That Get You Rejected
Recruiters typically spend under ten seconds on a first CV scan. In that time they decide whether to keep reading or move on. Most rejections are not about weak experience. They are about avoidable mistakes that make strong experience hard to see. Here are the ones we see most often.
A generic professional summary
"Hard-working professional seeking a challenging role" tells a recruiter nothing. Your summary should answer three questions in two or three sentences: what you do, how many years of experience you have, and the one or two results that best prove your value. Rewrite it for every application so it echoes the role you are applying for.
Duties instead of achievements
Listing responsibilities describes the job, not you. Anyone who held the role had the same duties. What separates candidates is outcomes. Turn every bullet you can into a result with a number: revenue grown, costs cut, time saved, team size led, projects delivered. If you cannot quantify it, name the concrete outcome instead.
One CV for every application
Sending the identical CV to every job is the single most common mistake. ATS software ranks you against each specific job description, so a CV that is not tailored scores poorly everywhere. You do not need to rewrite everything. Adjust the summary, reorder your skills, and swap two or three bullets so the most relevant experience appears first.
Careless details
Typos, inconsistent date formats, an unprofessional email address, or a missing LinkedIn URL all signal low attention to detail. Recruiters also check for unexplained gaps and job titles that do not match your LinkedIn profile. Proofread, ask someone else to proofread, and make sure your CV and LinkedIn tell the same story.
The takeaway
None of these mistakes are about talent. They are about presentation. Fix the summary, lead with quantified achievements, tailor each application, and clean up the details, and your interview rate will rise.
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