WHEN it comes to your CV you have very limited space to convey your absolute greatness in IT. That’s why it’s so important to avoid these common errors.

1. Get the basics right. There’s nothing more eye-rolling for a recruiter than seeing their name misspelt. Make triple sure the name and title are correct.

2. One size doesn’t fit all. Firing out a standard CV to every application just isn’t cricket. Whether it’s an IT manager or a software developer, you need to read the job description and ensure your CV lays out why you’re the perfect candidate.

3. Jilt the jargon. When talking about skills and experience don’t waste space on empty statements such as “can-do attitude”. Focus on specific achievements.

4. Lose the mugshot. There’s no good reason to include a photograph. It’s more likely to put off a potential employer as a badly taken shot can look amateurish.

5. Don’t write a “Jackanory”. Your CV should fit on to two A4 pages. Use more of the space for your more recent IT roles. Slash the full references, salary details and reasons for leaving previous jobs.

6. Leave out your hobbies and pastimes. Oh really, you enjoy socialising with friends and eating out! Who knew?

7. It’s the little things. Make sure your email address is appropriate. Applications from hotstuff88 and lambrini girl are not doing you any favours. Same goes for the CV file. Saving it as CV6 or “improved CV” looks lame.

8. Check the format. Make sure the CV can be opened without a faff. If your attached document is harder to open than an old jam jar, your new boss might give up. Stick with Word or a PDF.

9. Don’t rely on a spell-check to pick up howlers. Take a break and re-read with fresh eyes. Using a word twice or the wrong word will not be spotted by a computer so do it yourself.

10. Finally, make sure you send a copy of your tweaked-for-the-job CV to yourself so when you receive that call to interview, you’re all on the same page.