Common CV Mistakes Career Changers Make – South Africa Jobs Portal

Key Takeaways

Your CV, not your background, is often the main barrier when changing careers.
Relevance is critical. Recruiters won’t connect the dots for you—you must clearly show how your past experience supports your new career.
A tailored, skills-focused CV is essential for career changers.
Transferable skills should be highlighted prominently.

Introduction

The average person is expected to change careers five to seven times during their working life. Career changes bring unique challenges. While many candidates struggle to land jobs, career changers face an even smaller margin of success. Interestingly, it is rarely a lack of skills that holds them back—it is often the CV.

Every career changer faces the same challenge: proving they belong in a new industry. Skills, passion, and motivation are important, but none of it matters if your CV fails to communicate your value effectively.

Switching careers doesn’t mean starting from zero, yet many CVs suggest otherwise. This article highlights the most common CV mistakes career changers make and how to avoid them.

15 CV Mistakes Career Changers Make

Making the CV too long to compensate for lack of direct experience
Adding extra pages won’t hide limited experience—it only frustrates recruiters. Keep your CV concise, ideally two pages.
Hiding employment gaps
Don’t leave unexplained gaps. Briefly state if you took time off to study, relocate, or care for family.
Overexplaining the career change
Your CV is not the place for your life story. Save the detailed explanation for your cover letter and interviews.
Listing every job you’ve ever had
Focus on the last few years. Only include older roles if they directly relate to your target career.
Failing to use keywords from the new industry
Recruiters and applicant tracking systems scan for industry-specific terms. Make sure your CV reflects relevant keywords.
Hoping recruiters will connect the dots
Don’t expect recruiters to piece together your story. Clearly show how your skills transfer to the new role.
Not showing progressive skill development
Relevant certifications, courses, or degrees demonstrate commitment to the career transition. Include them prominently.
Creating separate relevant and other experience sections
Combining all experience into one section is often better, describing every role in terms of its relevance to your new career.
Using language that signals uncertainty
Avoid generic phrases like “responsible for.” Use strong action verbs such as “designed,” “launched,” “optimized,” or “transformed.”
Not tailoring each application
Using the same CV for every job reduces your chances. Customize your CV to highlight the most relevant skills and achievements for each role.
Focusing too much on job duties instead of achievements
Demonstrate the impact of your work. For example, instead of “Managed a team,” write “Led a team that exceeded targets by 40%.”
Ignoring transferable skills
Leadership, communication, problem-solving, budget management, and analytical skills often transfer across industries. Make these clear.
Using an outdated CV format
An old-fashioned CV can work against you. Modern, clean formats make your experience easier to evaluate and more appealing to recruiters.
Having an unprofessional email
Your email is often the first impression. Avoid addresses that are casual or frivolous; use a professional format.
Not including a professional summary
A professional summary highlights your value and explains why you are making the transition, giving recruiters a clear reason to consider you.

Conclusion

Your previous experience is not a liability—it is proof that you can learn, adapt, and grow. The key is framing it correctly. Highlight transferable skills, demonstrate progressive development, and tailor every application to the role. With the right CV, your career change becomes a story of growth rather than a gap to overcome.