Top 8 Cabin Crew CV Turnoffs!

How’s your CV looking these days?

Even though more and more Cabin Crew applications are moving to an online format the CV is still a crucial component of any job application – and as it’s often the first thing a recruiter will read about you (their first impression of you so to speak!) it’s absolutely vital that your CV is up to scratch.

Even if you truly do meet all the requirements you won’t make it to the Assessment Day or Interview if your CV doesn’t hit the mark.

We’re passionate about helping aspiring crew brush up their Cabin Crew CV. To help you out we’ve listed the top ten errors we see again and again in our CV Review Service, ones that you might not even be aware are there!

1. Spelling Mistakes

We don’t just mean spelling mistakes in your summary here – any spelling mistakes in any section are a big no-no for the recruitment team.

Some of the most common errors we’ve seen are in the educational and employment history sections, with errors like ‘college’ spelled with only one ‘l’.

Your computer or word processing software’s spellcheck will usually do a pretty good job of correcting basic errors but it’s best not to rely on it completely.

Also be aware that your spellcheck might be set to ‘American English’ spelling and could automatically correct words like ‘recognise’ or ‘colour’ to their American counterparts.

2. Grammatical Errors

Similarly don’t rely on your device’s grammar checker – it’s not always 100% accurate.

If you’re not sure then CHECK, and make sure you know the difference between the uses of words that sound the same like there, they’re and their or to and too – these are some of the areas where we see errors coming up again and again!

3. Too Much Information

Remember that your CV should be concise – recruiters don’t want to be wading through page upon page of information.

It’s better to just mention the most relevant work and life experiences you’ve had – in effect tailoring your CV to each position or airline you apply for.

Different airlines have different values (which you can easily find out with a little bit of research) so have a good think about what might be the most suitable things to mention.

4. Too Little Information

On the flipside giving too little information is another mistake – when you’re listing a workplace or educational establishment don’t just list the name and dates you attended – add a sentence with brief details the most relevant qualifications or experiences.

5. Poor Formatting

This is an area that is often overlooked but can really affect the first impression a recruiter has of your CV.

Make sure that the text you use is easily readable and of a good size, and not too crammed together.

It’s better to selectively edit the information and cut and surplus wording or information as needed than to have a messy and confusing CV.

Split up your summary into a couple of short paragraphs rather than one big one, and make sure that the pieces of information doesn’t run into each other and can be clearly read and understood.

Bullet points can be a useful way of highlighting key points too. Remember your CV should reflect you professionally – smart, conservative and competent.

6. Over-Inflated Claims

While we would advise you to tailor your CV to the position on offer and linking it to the identity of the airline you want to work for we can’t emphasise enough the danger of lying or over-exaggerating claims on your CV.

If something doesn’t ring true it will immediately flag up – for example saying that you had an unrealistic amount of responsibility for a previous job position you’ve put down, or that you solved a problem that you clearly wouldn’t have had the authority to deal with in that role.

7. Generic Phrases

The language in your CV should be professional but avoid using generic or ‘buzz’ phrases, especially without any evidence to back them up.

Saying you’re a ‘dynamic and adaptable’ employee doesn’t mean much on its own – the recruiters will want to know WHY you consider yourself to be like this, and to read proof from previous experiences to back this up.

Other generic phrases we see a lot of include ‘I work well individually and as part of a team’ and ‘I consider myself a team player’.

A much better way to put this would be to say something like ‘I have strong teamworking skills as seen in my employment with xxx’ then to give details of the most relevant team-working experience you had in this position, effectively backing your claim up.

8. Gaps in employment

If you have any large gaps in your employment history put in a brief sentence to explain why, and what you did or achieved during this time.

Unexplained gaps are a huge red flag to recruiters, as a steady employment history marks you as a reliable candidate.

Of course it’s not a problem if you took a year off to go travelling, or to go back to college, or even to have children – but make sure you fill in all the gaps!