# CV Mistakes That Get You Rejected

The small, fixable mistakes that quietly get South African graduates screened out.

Category: CVs
Author: Tlangelani Khosa
Published: 2026-09-23
Tags: CVs, Job Search

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Most rejections are not about talent. They are about small things you can fix today.

## The usual suspects

- **Contact details in the header or footer**, where software cannot read them
- **Fancy templates** with columns and graphics that scramble in an ATS
- **A wall of duties** with no results or numbers
- **The same CV** fired at every job, with no tailoring
- **Spelling slips** and messy, inconsistent dates
- **Too long**, when one to two pages would do

## The fix

Clean format, real results, and tailor it to each role you actually want. Start with [the format](/insights/ats-friendly-cv-format-south-africa) and [the basics](/insights/south-african-cv-guide).

## FAQ

### Why does my CV keep getting rejected?
Usually small, fixable things: contact details in the header, a fancy template the software cannot read, no results, or no tailoring to the job.

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Canonical page: https://www.flyquest.co.za/insights/common-cv-mistakes
Published by FlyQuest, South Africa's career platform for students and graduates.