CV Optimiser guide

CV mistakes that cost interviews

Most costly CV mistakes are not dramatic. They are small signals that make your CV look less relevant, less clear or harder to trust during a fast scan.

Who this is for

  • People getting few responses despite relevant experience
  • Candidates updating an old CV
  • Job seekers who want a practical mistake checklist

What the checker looks for

  • Unclear target role
  • Responsibilities without outcomes
  • Relevant experience buried too low
  • Poor ATS readability
  • Too much old or unrelated detail

Quick manual checks

  • Check whether the profile could fit almost anyone
  • Count how many bullets include outcomes
  • Look for tables, icons or columns that may parse badly
  • Remove old detail that competes with current relevance

The biggest pattern

The most common mistake is making the recruiter work too hard. Your CV should show the role you want, the evidence you offer and the reason you match the job description quickly.

How to recover

Tighten the top third, rewrite weak bullets, prioritise recent and relevant evidence, and check each application against the actual advert.

Frequently asked questions

What should I check first for cv mistakes that cost interviews?

Start with relevance. Your CV should show the target role, the right evidence and the language from the job description in the first page.

How many keywords should I add?

Add the important keywords you can honestly support with experience. A smaller number of well-evidenced terms is better than a long list that feels forced.

Will an ATS reject my CV because of formatting?

It can happen if core content is hidden in tables, images or unusual layouts. Clear headings, plain text order and readable bullet points are safer.

How does CV Optimiser help?

It compares your CV with a job description, shows missing keywords and highlights the fixes most likely to improve your CV match.

Check your CV before you apply

Paste your CV and a job description into CV Optimiser to get a more detailed match report.