Your CV is one of the most important tools required for a job search. In many circumstances, a poorly presented CV can be the difference between success and missing out on your ideal job.

Whether responding to an advert or a direct call, your CV will be competing with many others and thus must stand out and convey the right impression first time. Many people mistake the phrase ‘stand out’ to mean flashy, or colourful or wacky. This is most definitely not the case! A carefully written CV, containing information relevant to the application, that is structured and logical in appearance, is invaluable in your search for a new job.

Preparation

When a Client or Recruiter receives your CV, they need to be told why you the Candidate should be offered an interview. Therefore, the more time and effort you take in preparation, the better the finished product.

Layout and visual impact of the CV is vital. A well laid out CV, with clear headings, bullet points presented in a logical order is a necessity, as is preparing the CV with a good word processing package, and printed on good paper.

Unless specifically requested, try and keep your CV to a manageable length, normally 2-3 sides of A4. There is nothing worse than an employer having to wade through pages of information to get to the relevant section.

Try and avoid long sentences or paragraphs. Bullet point and short sentences will have far greater impact, however make sure you still include detail, as lack of information on a CV will undervalue your application.

Included in this detail must be a list of achievements and results. Think about the type of job you are applying for before listing relevant achievements.

And finally, always check your work! Errors in spelling and layout will have a detrimental effect.

General CV Tips

Certain information must be included:-

Personal details ie, address, all relevant telephone numbers, name, age, marital status, nationality.
Education details
Professional qualifications/training courses.
Career details, duties and achievements.
Other skills, eg, software packages, languages etc
Interests, hobbies, sports etc.
References.

We recommend that you do not include the following information:-

Salary information
Coloured paper/design/logos.
Non-essential personal details eg, weight.
Photos
Binders/Folders/Presentation documents

Covering Letter

Always include a covering letter, relevant to the job application, quoting the job title or reference if appropriate. Try to keep this letter short and to the point again printed on good quality paper.

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