7 Common CV Mistakes That Get You Rejected (and How to Fix Them)

Have you ever sent dozens of CVs without getting a single interview call? You're not alone. Statistics show that over 75% of applications are rejected before reaching a recruiter – not because the candidate lacks ability, but because their CV contains basic errors.

After analyzing thousands of CVs using Ezlun's CV Checker tool, we've compiled the 7 most frequently occurring mistakes – along with specific solutions to ensure your CV doesn't get overlooked.

1. Writing Experience Like a Job Description

This is the most common mistake. Many candidates list daily tasks instead of highlighting achievements. Recruiters spend an average of 6-7 seconds scanning a CV – they want to see impact, not a list of duties anyone could perform.

Wrong: "Responsible for designing interfaces for company projects"

Right: "Redesigned checkout interface (5 screens), increasing order completion rate by 23% in 2 months"

Formula: [Action Verb] + [What] + [Scope] + [Result]. Each bullet point should start with a strong verb like "Designed," "Led," "Optimized," or "Reduced" instead of "Responsible for" or "Participated in."

2. CV Fails ATS Scan

ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is recruitment management software used by over 90% of large companies. This system automatically scans CVs, extracts information, and scores them. If your CV has a complex layout, the ATS won't be able to read it.

Factors that prevent ATS from reading your CV:

• Canva templates with many images, icons instead of text

• Two-column layouts – ATS reads content out of order

• Important information placed in headers/footers – ignored by ATS

• Using tables for layout – ATS misreads cells

• Unusual fonts or special characters causing encoding errors

How to fix: Use a single-column layout, standard fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica), standard section names ("Experience," "Education," "Skills"), and export as PDF. Ezlun's CV Checker has a dedicated ATS scoring section, showing you exactly how well your CV performs with ATS.

3. Generic Summary Section

"I am a passionate and creative individual, always striving for excellence" – this phrase appears in millions of CVs and doesn't help you stand out. The summary is the first part a recruiter reads, but it's also where many candidates perform poorly.

A good summary needs 3 elements:

1. Role + years of experience: "UX Designer with 4 years of experience in the fintech sector"

2. Core strengths: state 2-3 specific key strengths

3. A notable achievement with metrics: "increased conversion rate by 35% for the main product"

Keep the summary to 3-4 lines. Write in your own voice, don't copy from templates.

4. Lack of Metrics and Quantifiable Results

A CV without metrics is like a portfolio without case studies – it lacks persuasive power. Recruiters need concrete evidence, not self-praise.

You don't need huge numbers. Small but specific figures are still valuable:

• "Reduced payment flow from 6 steps to 3 steps"

• "Designed 12 screens for a new feature in 2 weeks"

• "Interviewed 15 users to identify key issues"

• "Reduced support tickets by 40% after redesigning the FAQ page"

If you don't have exact figures, use a placeholder: "increased by approximately [X]%" – then verify with your old team or manager.

5. Not Customizing Your CV for the Job Description

Using one CV for all positions is a big mistake. Each company and role has different requirements. Recruiters want to see that you're a good fit for the specific position they're hiring for, not a candidate who "can do everything."

Effective customization tips:

• Carefully read the JD, underline important keywords

• Naturally incorporate those keywords into your CV (in experience, skills)

• Prioritize the most relevant experience at the top

• Adjust your summary to match the role requirements

The JD matching feature in CV Checker automatically analyzes the compatibility between your CV and the job description, highlighting matches and skills you might need to add.

6. Unstrategic Skill Listing

The Skills section is often written like a shopping list – long, un-grouped, mixing real skills with personality traits. This makes it difficult for recruiters to assess your true capabilities.

Common mistakes in the Skills section:

• Self-rating with stars or progress bars – meaningless to recruiters, no standard

• Listing obvious skills: Word, Excel, PowerPoint – unnecessary space-filler

• Listing personality traits instead of skills: "creative," "hardworking," "teamwork" – these are not skills

• No grouping – a long list of 20 skills is hard to scan

A better approach: Group by type (Design, Research, Tools), placing the most important skills first. For example: Figma should always be at the top if you're a designer.

7. Ignoring Portfolio and Project Links

For many professions – especially design, programming, marketing – a portfolio is as crucial as a CV. Missing a portfolio link or placing it in a hard-to-find spot is a huge missed opportunity.

Portfolio principles for your CV:

• Place the link right next to your email at the top of your CV, clearly stating the number of case studies: "portfolio.com (3 case studies)"

• Each case study should tell a story: what was the problem – what did you do – what were the measurable results

• Clearly state your role: "Sole Designer" or "1 of 3 Designers"

• 2-3 detailed case studies are better than 10 projects with just a few lines each

A major mistake is not optimizing for ATS. Learn how to write an ATS-friendly CV at What is ATS? How to Write an ATS-Friendly Resume to Pass Screening Software.

After fixing mistakes, check your CV with a free tool, see our guide How to Check Your CV Online for Free - 5 Steps to an ATS-Friendly Resume.

Check Your CV Now

Instead of manually checking each mistake, you can use Ezlun's free CV Checker for a comprehensive AI analysis. The tool will evaluate your CV against 7 in-depth criteria:

1. Completeness – Does the CV have all necessary sections?

2. Experience – Do bullet points highlight impact?

3. Skills – Are they clearly grouped and relevant to the position?

4. Summary – Is it prominent and specific?

5. Portfolio – Is the link easy to find, and are the case studies high quality?

6. ATS – Is the CV compatible with recruitment software?

7. JD Matching – How well does the CV match the job description?

Additionally, the CV Checker provides rewrite suggestions for weak bullet points, multi-perspective analysis from various recruiters (HR, Hiring Manager, industry experts), and interview preparation with a list of potential questions based on your CV.

Conclusion

A good CV doesn't have to be complicated. By avoiding these 7 mistakes and ensuring your content is clear, data-driven, and tailored to the role – you'll already stand out from most other applicants.

Remember: recruiters aren't looking for a perfect CV; they're looking for the right candidate. And your CV is the first door to proving that you are.

Check your CV for free now at ezlun.com/tools/cv-checker – just upload your CV, and AI will analyze it and provide improvement suggestions in minutes.