Most CVs aren't rejected because the candidate is weak — they're rejected over a handful of small, repeatable mistakes that take minutes to fix. Below are the most common CV mistakes and a practical fix for each one.
Mistake 1: A Worn-Out Objective and Filler
Opening with "seeking an opportunity to develop my skills" says nothing about you and wastes the most valuable space on the page — the first thing a reader's eye lands on.
Fix: Replace it with a two-line summary that answers three questions: who you are professionally, your years of experience, and what you do best — e.g., "Accountant with four years in the private sector, specialized in financial reporting and bank reconciliations." Cut empty phrases like "ambitious team player" unless you can back them with evidence.
Mistake 2: Listing Duties Instead of Achievements
The weakest CV copies the job description word for word: "responsible for customer service." The hiring manager already knows the duties — they want to see your impact.
Fix: Write as verb + what you did + the result. Instead of "responsible for customer service," write "handled around 40 customer requests a day while keeping satisfaction high." Add real numbers only — amounts, percentages, counts, timeframes. If you don't have an exact figure, describe the scope or frequency honestly. Never invent numbers; they collapse under a single interview question.
Mistake 3: Too Long
Two or three pages padded with old, irrelevant roles exhaust the reader and bury what actually matters.
Fix: One page is enough for most applicants — often preferable — while two are acceptable past eight to ten years of experience or with an academic and research record. Delete unrelated old jobs and any sentence that doesn't serve the role you're targeting now.
Mistake 4: Typos and Grammar Slips
A single typo on a CV that claims "attention to detail" contradicts itself instantly.
Fix: Proofread more than once, read it aloud, and have someone else check it with fresh eyes. Keep date formats and bullet styles consistent across every section so the document feels tight and deliberate.
Mistake 5: ATS-Hostile Design
Large employers in Saudi Arabia — and the Jadarat portal — run files through applicant tracking systems that read the text automatically before a human sees it. Two-column layouts, tables, icons, and names or emails locked inside an image confuse the parser and can drop your file early.
Fix: Use a single-column template, standard section headings, and real, selectable text — not images. MyCV.gg's free templates are single-column and ATS-safe, and you can export a text-based PDF or plain text depending on what the application asks for. Skip the photo unless the employer explicitly requests one.
Mistake 6: An Unprofessional Email
An address like cool_boy_2000@ leaves a poor impression before anyone reads a line of your experience.
Fix: Create an email based on your name, and double-check that your phone number is correct and reachable. Put contact details in the body of the page, not the header — some systems ignore headers and footers.
Mistake 7: One CV for Every Job
Sending the same version everywhere means it matches none of them fully, and you lose to whoever tailored theirs.
Fix: Read each posting, pull its keywords (skills, tools, job title), and mirror them in your summary and experience where they genuinely apply. From a single profile on MyCV.gg you can spin off several tailored versions quickly, without re-entering your data each time.
Catch the Common Mistakes Before You Send
Even careful proofreading misses things you stop seeing after repeated reads. MyCV.gg's AI review, available on the paid plan, gives a per-section scorecard, flags filler and missing numbers, and surfaces the keyword gap between you and the job — so you know exactly what to fix before you hit "submit."
Conclusion
Most CV mistakes are simple and fixable: swap filler for a clear summary, turn duties into achievements backed by honest numbers, trim the length, proofread, keep the design ATS-safe, use a professional email, and tailor each version to the job. Fix these one by one, and your CV will already stand out from most of the pile before the interview even starts.