CV Advice

Recommendations for CV preparation:

The presentation, content and layout of your CV are crucially important factors; these determine the “‘first impression” you give to a prospective employer. There are no hard and fast rules to preparing a CV, but there are some guidelines listed below to increase your chances of getting interviews.

• Your CV should be two or three pages long - one is too brief,
  four too many.  Don’t use colour paper or ink as it needs to be emailed/photocopied/faxed to clients.
• All personal contact details go on to the first page - along with a summary of your skills; four to five lines.
• Education/qualification details are next - stating most recent first and working back.
• Next are detailed job descriptions - again your most recent position first. Provide a brief synopsis of what the company does and turnover. Explain your role in general then bullet point your achievements, i.e. how you reduced costs, improved systems, maintained staff. Tailor your CV to match the job specification.
• A brief list of hobbies and interests come next - keep it short, just a couple of lines and don’t put down anything too controversial.
• References - Provide two business references – companies generally do not request references until a job offer is likely.
• Keep it visually simple - with clear subject headings, don’t get carried away with formatting!
• CVs are rarely presented without a covering letter – do not be tempted to re-use a previous covering letter - write a fresh letter tailored to the advert you have seen for every job application. 
• Don’t undo all your hard work - by stuffing your CV into a small envelope, incorrectly spelling the director's name or sending the e-mail whilst forgetting to attach the CV. Spell-check your CV and ask others for their opinion.

Resources:

• Example CV