> Personal details – Give your surname and given names and indicate the given name you prefer to be known by. Provide your full address and as many other methods of contact as possible (telephone, mobile phone, email etc.)
> Personal profile/Objective statement. This is a 3 to 4 line sentence giving an overview of your skills, qualities, hopes, and plans. It should encourage the employer to read the rest.
> Work experience/Employment history – Start with your most recent experience, as this is the most relevant. Give the name of your employer, dates of employment, job title and what you actually did and achieved in that job. Bullet point descriptions are often a good way to relay this information.
> Education/Qualifications. Concentrate on your most recent qualifications. It is usually quite sufficient to start with your post-16 qualifications and then give details of degree(s) studied or higher education courses yet to be completed.
> Skills. List any skills you possess that are relevant to your application. Ability in other languages, computing experience or possession of a driving licence should be included.
> References. Contact details for referees. Provide the titles, names and addresses of referees and, if you have them, their telephone numbers and email addresses. If you are short on space “References on request” is adequate.
> Use a computer to create a professional CV.
> Ensure your CV is well laid out. Do use bold and/or underline print for headings. Do not use lots of different font types and sizes.
> Make sure the CV is not too long. We recommend two sides of A4 paper. Leave out any irrelevant material and make your points concisely. You should use the minimum amount of words to make the maximum impact. An employer can quickly lose interest.
> Your CV should be carefully checked for errors before you send it out. Ensure that the spelling and grammar are correct.
> Your CV may need to be tailored to the different roles that you are applying for.
> If you have any gaps on your CV due to travelling, illness, university etc, be sure to document that time.
> Remember your CV is a very important document. With it rests your hopes and dreams for the future – that next step up the career ladder, a better position, more money, new challenges, etc. Your CV has to represent the best you have to offer if you do not want to miss out on your perfect job.