Is Your CV Getting Ghosted? 5 Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

You’ve found the perfect job. You’re qualified, you’re enthusiastic, and you know you’d be a great fit. You carefully attach your CV, hit “send,”… and then… silence.

It’s the most frustrating part of the modern job search. You send your application into what feels like a digital black hole, never to be heard from again. If your CV is getting “ghosted” – consistently met with no response, the problem might not be your experience. It might be the document itself.

Your CV has about six seconds to make an impression on a recruiter or hiring manager. In that time, it has to be clear, compelling, and free of any major red flags.

As recruitment specialists who see hundreds of CVs every week, we know what works and what doesn’t. Here are the five most common mistakes that lead to a “no” (or no response at all), and how you can fix them.

1. The Mistake: The “One-Size-Fits-All” Approach

You wouldn’t use the same key to try and open five different doors, so why use the same CV for five different jobs? Sending a generic CV is the #1 reason applications get ignored. It tells the employer you aren’t truly interested in their role, you just want a role.

The Fix: Tailor, Tailor, Tailor

  • Read the job description carefully. Identify the key skills and requirements they are looking for.
  • Update your Personal Statement. This three-to-four-line summary at the top of your CV is prime real estate. Re-write it for every single application to mirror the job’s requirements.
  • Match the Keywords. If the ad asks for experience with “stock control” and “goods-in,” make sure those exact phrases (or very similar ones) are in your CV (assuming you have that experience!). This is crucial for getting past automated Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

2. The Mistake: The Unscannable Wall of Text

Recruiters don’t “read” CVs at first; they scan them. If they are met with long, dense paragraphs, tiny fonts, and no clear structure, they will give up and move to the next one.

The Fix: Embrace White Space and Bullets

  • Use Clear Headings: “Professional Experience,” “Skills,” “Education.”
  • Use Bullet Points: Never use a paragraph to describe your role’s responsibilities. Turn every duty and achievement into a clear, concise bullet point.
  • Keep it Clean: Use a professional, easy-to-read font (like Arial, Calibri, or Verdana) in a reasonable size (10.5-12 point). Ensure your margins are generous.

3. The Mistake: Focusing on Duties, Not Achievements

This is a subtle but critical error. Most CVs are “passive”; they list the tasks a person was responsible for.

  • Passive: “Responsible for handling customer complaints.”
  • Passive: “Tasked with data entry.”

This tells a recruiter what you were supposed to do, not what you actually did.

The Fix: Show Your Impact with Action & Numbers

  • Use Action Verbs: Start every bullet point with a strong verb (e.g., Managed, Achieved, Increased, Resolved, Trained, Implemented).
  • Quantify Your Success: Numbers are your best friend. They turn a vague duty into a concrete achievement.
    • Before: “Responsible for handling customer complaints.”
    • After: “Resolved 30+ customer queries per day, maintaining a 95% satisfaction rating.”
    • Before: “Tasked with data entry.”
    • After: “Accurately processed 100+ invoices daily, identifying a new process that saved 2 hours of team time per week.”

4. The Mistake: Missing or Unprofessional Details

You would be shocked at how many CVs we receive with a typo in the email address or a dead phone number. Just as bad is an unprofessional email address (we’re looking at you, partyboy88@email.com). Another common error is including a full postal address, which is now outdated and a potential security risk.

The Fix: A Simple, “Contact-Me” Block

At the very top of your CV, all you need is:

  • Full Name
  • Phone Number (Double-check it!)
  • Professional Email Address (Create a free one, e.g., J.Smith.CV@email.com)
  • General Location (e.g., “Denton, Tameside” or “SK14”)
  • LinkedIn Profile URL (Optional, but highly recommended)

5. The Mistake: The “Life Story” (It’s Too Long!)

Your CV is not your autobiography. A 4-page CV including your paper round from 1998 is not impressive; it’s frustrating. It buries the recent, relevant information the recruiter is desperately trying to find.

The Fix: Be Ruthless (The 2-Page Rule)

  • Stick to two pages. This is the accepted maximum for almost all professionals. If you have less than 10 years of experience, one page is often even better.
  • Focus on the last 10-15 years. That early job might show character, but it’s not relevant to your skills today.
  • Remove “References available on request.” This is assumed. Use that valuable space for another achievement!

Stop the Ghosting. Get the Call.

Crafting the perfect CV is tough, but a strong, targeted document is the single most important tool in your job search. It’s the key that opens the door.

By fixing these five common mistakes, you will dramatically increase your chances of getting noticed.

But why stop there? Don’t just send your CV into the void. Send it to a team of local experts who can champion it for you.

At Bennett Staff, we’re the “people people.” We read your CV to understand your skills and potential. We work with you to match you with top local employers in Tameside who are hiring right now.

Ready to find your next great role? Register your CV with Bennett Staff today, and let’s get you in front of the right people.