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How a Bad CV Can Ruin your Career

In Britain, a well-written CV is as important as your skills or how you present yourself in person, but job seekers from other countries often just do not realise this...

Katerina Furlong has years of extensive experience in recruitment and she specialises in CVs.

What are the largest mistakes that appear regularly in CVs that are written by non-native speakers?
Most CVs I receive are literal translations. They seem to look good, there are no spelling mistakes and so on, but it is obvious that they are not written by a native speaker. In a nutshell, they are clumsy.

The most significant mistakes appear in one’s Personal Profile: either it is missing entirely or it fails to emphasise the things that are crucial for the job that the person is seeking. It is often clear that a template has been used or they utilise empty phrases that do not express the candidate’s individual personality.

Above all, many CVs lack any sense of their seeking to ‚market‘ the candidate: to grab one’s attention, to stand out from the crowd, and to convince the potential employer that this candidate is the right person for the job and should be invited to an interview.

So what is the difference between an English CV that is used in Britain, and one that is used in the Czech or Slovak Republics?
The key difference is that in the Czech or Slovak Republics there is a certain tolerance for weak English writing style and sometimes even poor grammar. There are lower expectations regarding the structure and Personal Profile.

However, this is not the case for multinational companies, which require top quality CVs - especially when applying for more senior positions.

Perhaps the most significant difference is the importance of the cover letter, which in the Czech Republic is often seen as a mere formality. In the UK, it is a crucial part of an application, and even a decisive one. The cover letter should underline the motives and expectations of the applicant – what makes him or her distinctive compared to other candidates with comparable experience.

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Alternatively, what are the similarities?
All CVs and cover letters need to be completely free of mistakes, written in an interesting way, and must rather precisely emphasise the experience and motivation that is relevant to the position being sought. Every position and company has its own individual requirements, so that your CV and especially your cover letter need to be specially adapted for each application. This is probably the most difficult thing for foreign nationals seeking work in the UK to carry out.

Is there a recipe for writing a good CV?
No, there is not, although as I have already mentioned that the British labour market does have its rules in place. In the current economic climate, the competition from native speakers is getting tougher, so it is crucial for a CV and cover letter to be faultless – regarding grammar and content.

Can small mistakes sometimes be overlooked?
Companies in the UK that are advertising positions that require Czech or Slovak languages can tolerate shortcomings in an applicant’s English, but a CV with no mistakes is of course still far superior – and has an edge over competitors.

What has most surprised you in your work with Czech and Slovak clients?
I was surprised that people underestimated how important a CV is, in which they only came to me after unsuccessfully seeking work for several months. Despite this, many still thought their CV was okay. Often after a meeting in person and obtaining a newly revised CV, they then see an enormous difference. They understand that employers will immediately notice any mistakes present and will simply reject their application. Of course, a good CV opens doors to agencies and employers. Then, presentation skills and an ability to sell yourself (and your abilities) become important – but that is another story…

How did you get the idea of setting up a CV consultancy for Czechs and Slovaks seeking work in the UK?
The idea came to me when I was working for a recruitment agency in London, where I often had interviews with Czech and Slovak job candidates. Many of them needed all sorts of advice: where to register their CVs, how to deal with agencies, etc. These were often rather qualified people with excellent experience in the Czech Republic or Slovakia, but they found that it was not being recognised, in which they were only being offered junior positions.