Creating the perfect CV

Creating the perfect CV has become even more important with the growth of online job hunting. Many employers now search online CV databases to find suitable candidates, looking for specific skills keyterms.

Your CV must tell prospective employers everything they need to know in order to decide whether or not you should be interviewed. A good CV will highlight relevant skills and experience and draw attention to you as a jobseeker.

Although everyone's CV is unique to them, if you follow some basic principles you will be able to put together a clear, concise and persuasive CV that gets you noticed.

An employer will expect to find information covering the following areas:

• Personal details — name, address, phone numbers and an email address. You may wish to add your nationality, date of birth and driving licence status, but these are not obligatory.
• Work experience — list the most recent first, continuing in reverse date order. Describe your work experience in short sentences using straightforward, positive language. As well as describing the jobs, highlight any general abilities you were required to demonstrate.
• Education — list brief details of qualifications, such as GCSEs, A-levels or degree, along with grades. If you are applying for your first job since school, college or university, include this information above work experience.
• Skills — include specific skills such as IT skills or languages
• References — Put your references on a separate sheet of paper to save space. See our guide on how to create a separate references document. When you do, include names and contact details of two referees, one of which should be your most recent employer. Graduates and school leavers with limited work experience can nominate college lecturers, teachers or managers during work experience. Be sure to tell your referees!
• Hobbies — including details of your interests away from the workplace is optional. By adding details you are giving an employer a more rounded picture of your personal qualities, but don't overdo it.

Presentation

Ensuring your CV is well-presented is as important as including all the relevant information. Most employers see hundreds of CVs and yours may get less than a minute of their time.

Most people follow a historical CV format, as this is familiar to employers and is easy to write. However, if your career history is fragmented due to career breaks or a period of unemployment, you may consider a skills-based CV that specifically focuses on your abilities and aptitudes. It gives you the chance to describe what you can do, rather than detailing a list of previous roles.

Most employers will expect to find the information under clear headings highlighted in bold or capitals, such as WORK EXPERIENCE or EDUCATION. Use clear dates, time frames and structure information to make it easy for employers to find their way through your history.

DO:

• Stick to black print on good quality white paper.
• Concentrate on your achievements, not your responsibilities. This means listing things you have done — such as launching products, increasing sales and winning awards — and not just rewriting your job description. Quote supporting figures whenever possible.
• Bold your most relevant experience and skills. It encourages the employer to focus on them.
• Keep to the point and concentrate on the quality of your achievements, not the quantity.
• List skills that could raise you above the competition e.g.: languages, driving licence, IT skills.
• Be ruthless — keep it to a maximum of two pages.
• Check thoroughly for correct spelling and grammar — spotting errors is a quick and easy way for recruiters to weed out weaker candidates when faced with a mountain of CVs to read.
• Get a second opinion.
• Include examples of your work, if appropriate.

DO NOT

• Leave any gaps in your work record. Employers may assume the worst, for example that you were sacked.
• Lie. Many employers can check CV details for accuracy, including educational qualifications, places of study and job references.
• Include a photo unless you know the employer wants one.
• Fax it without sending a copy in the post as well.
• Use elaborate fonts, or colours. Keep it simple and clear.
• Forget it's just a tool for getting you an interview. The CV will not land you the job alone, the rest is up to you.