Putting together a good CV will considerably boost your chances of getting your perfect job.

It should be succinct, highlight your experience and make the person want to interview you.

There are definite rights or wrongs when it comes to writing and presenting a CV but by following some basic principles you will be able to present the information in a clear, concise way.

CV Content

You could put Curriculum Vitae as the title, but this is a little old fashioned. Most people put their name as the title these days.

Personal details

• Include your name, address, phone numbers and email address.

• Ensure you have an appropriate email address – not kinkygirl3@hotmail for example.

• Now you’ve put your mobile number on the CV, ensure you have a sensible voicemail on there.

 Profile

• A brief sentence of who you are, what you do and what you’re seeking.

 Employment History

• Always list any retail shop floor experience as it shows interest in the industry.

• Keep it relevant – babysitting / cleaning / waitressing need only a very brief mention (and only for graduates)

 Industry Experience

Make your most relevant experience and skills prominent to encourage the employer to read on

• List the most recent experience first

• Graduates should always ensure any internships take pride of place.

• Describe your work experience in short sentences using straightforward, positive language.

• As well as describing the job, point out any general qualities/achievements that arose such as ability to manage staff or work to tight deadlines.

 Education

• List brief details of qualifications – GCSEs, A-levels, degree – along with grades attained.

• Applicants looking for their first job since School, College or University can include their education information before work experience.

• Give detailed information on your latest studies to show the focus

 Skills / Achievements

• Include specific skills such as IT skills or languages.

• Any extra-curricular achievements and awards

 Hobbies

• Including details of your interests away from the workplace is optional.

• By adding details of hobbies, you are giving an employer a more rounded picture of your personal qualities, don’t overdo it. Don’t use a long list of hobbies to cover lack of work experience.

 References

• It is usual to provide the names and contact details of two referees, one of which should be your most recent employer.

Photograph

• Generally it’s safer to leave this subject alone, as it can go wrong. If you do decide to use one, make it small and fairly neutral – neither too serious nor too much of a grin.

• Ensure that you are dressed appropriately, and that it the photo isn’t of blurry quality / badly cropped so you can see your dad next to you at a wedding / shows you holding a drink etc etc…

CV Presentation

Make sure your CV is well-presented and easy to follow and ALWAYS SPELL CHECK IT

Remember employers see a high number of CVs and yours may get less than a minute of their time

Do:

• Concentrate on your achievements not your responsibilities. This means listing things you have done – such as products launched, sales increase, awards won – not rewriting your job description. Quote figures v targets whenever possible.

• Make your most relevant experience and skills prominent to encourage the employer to read on.

• Keep it to the point and concentrate on the quality not quantity of achievements

• List other skills such as languages, driving licence, IT skills.

• Keep it to a maximum of two pages. Only very senior, experienced, executives have more.

Don’t:

• Leave any gaps in your work record – employers may assume the worst, for example that you were sacked.

• Lie – many employers use information service companies or software to check CV details for accuracy, including educational qualifications, places of study and the veracity of job references.

• List all the one-day training courses you have ever been on.

What makes a good CV?

• It is targeted on the specific job or career for which you are applying and brings out the relevant skills you have to offer.

• It is carefully and clearly laid out: logically ordered, easy to read and not cramped – no gaps.

• It should demonstrate smooth, clear, logical career progression from one role to the next ie no date gaps – put ‘Travelling’ or ‘Career Break’.

• It is chronological – outlining career history in date order, normally beginning with the most recent items. This is the conventional approach and the easiest to prepare.

• It is informative but concise.

• It is accurate – in content, spelling and grammar

How long should a CV be?

• There are no absolute rules on this but in general, a CV should cover no more than 2 sides of A4

• Ideally the first page should include the most recent position held – this is the page that makes the most impact and encourages the reader to read on.

Tips on presentation

• A CV should be carefully and clearly laid out – not too cramped but not with large empty white spaces either. Using bold typefaces for dates and company names.

• Be concise – a CV is an appetiser! Don’t feel that you have to list every detail you have ever experienced – consider which are the most impressive

• Be positive – have a confident style and highlight your strengths first.

• Be honest – although a CV does allow you to omit certain details (such as exam results) you should never give inaccurate or misleading information.