aystack speakers reveal the red flags that keep prospective employers from hiring people.
Once a company puts out a job vacancy, their email boxes immediately get swamped with loads of Curriculum vitae (CV) or resumes.
A chat with the Human Resources team for Pulse.ng revealed that the hiring managers get an average of 50 per position they post. These continue to come even after the position is filled.
As a result of the huge amount of CVs or resumes, the HR team has just a few seconds before deciding to either delete or keep them. This is why it is important to avoid certain red flags.
These were all revealed during a recent workshop hosted by Paystack at the ongoing Social Media Week in Lagos state.
The session - ’Pimp My CV! How To Make Your Resume Standout’ - offered a major insight into the mind of an employer and gave CV structuring tips.
Here are five unnecessary things you should never put on your CV according to the Paystack speakers, Kharis Izevbizua and Adebola Adeola.
Primary/ Secondary Education
For Izevbizua, the Product Specialist at the tech company, including details of your primary and secondary education is a waste of time.
According to her, this is a space filler that irritates the hiring manager, adding that this will most likely cause them to stop reading and immediately delete your CV.
The only time you should consider putting this on your CV is when you are applying for an internship.
ALSO READ: How to move on after failing to get the job you really want
References
Adding the numbers or email addresses is a waste of space and a waste of the company’s time according to Paystack’s Product Specialist.
She recommends only offering this particular information when asked.
Irrelevant hobbies and interests
This is another no-no for Izevbizua. Unless the position requires it, there is no need telling your prospective employer how much you love dancing or singing.
Personal stuff
Once upon a time, it was totally okay to include your date of birth or age, marital status and religious preference.
Now, Adeola strongly warns against putting these on your CV or resume. His reason is that this is now considered as discriminatory.
His advice is to simply avoid it except it is a specific job for a specified age. For instance, if a company needs an intern between the ages of 17–25.
Your picture
According to the guy in charge of Paystack’s Projects, adding your picture is so not necessary.
Admitting that he was once guilty of this particular CV crime, Adeola notes that is a space filler that should be forgone.
‘Being handsome or pretty does not mean you have what it takes to do the job so why to add your picture’, he notes.
There you have it. Avoid these five things and you will definitely land your dream job.
