The words Curriculum Vitae literally translate as ‘the story of your life’ however this, ironically, is NOT what a potential employer wants to see!  Instead they want a detailed analysis of your key skills and abilities, your previous experience and, most importantly, how this will translate into skills that will benefit their company.

There are many forms of CV, and many software packages have templates for CV assistance which can create many flashy and wacky designs that are very eye catching.  What you must keep in mind though is that it is not the appearance but the content that is crucial. 

This may seem obvious but time and time again people spend many hours designing a CV but less than half that time filling it with their skills, employment experience and abilities… by far the most important part!  As long as your CV looks tidy, is easy to read and exudes an air of professionalism then no amount of colour and images will improve on this and in some cases may even degrade its credibility.

So what are the key aspects of a CV, what should you include and what should you not?

Step 1: Choose a Style

With CV writing, appearance is NOT everything, but that’s not to say the layout and style of your CV is unimportant… quite the contrary. 
Your CV should portray a significant degree of professionalism with a sense of individuality.  Copying or following pre-set templates, although considered ‘safe’ are also seen as somewhat unimaginative.
Instead, try to style your CV to your own tastes, or in the least use a template and tweak it to your preference.

Make your CV clear, easy to read and quick to point out the relevant information.  Use plain font (for Microsoft Word, Arial & Times New Roman are obvious choices) at a reasonable size (12 is recommended, any smaller and it becomes hard to read) and leave relatively large margins, allowing room for the employer to makes notes if they so wish.

Step 2: Ideal Layout

1. Personal Details: Always start with your personal details, including your Name, Address, Contact Number and Date of Birth (optional).  If you hold or require a work permit this should also be included.
2. Profile: Always include a short profile about yourself, describing the type of person you are and the immediate skills you have at your disposal. Gear this towards the role you are applying for, so that your attributes show relevance.
3. Key Skills: An opportunity to list your key skills that you have gained from your experience entire.  Try to pick ones that are relevant to the job you have applied for.
4. Employment History: This is the next natural discussion point; always begin with your most recent role and work backwards
5. Education & Qualifications: From there, remember to include your education qualifications and/or any courses you have attended that provided a qualification or certificate of recognition. Always list in reverse chronological order. 
6. Extra Activities: The most important part is done, many people then finish their CV off with extra-curricular activities/interest and hobbies etc.  This helps employers understand the type of person you are and can reveal important aspects of your personality.
7. References: You could also include any referees you have here, although these are not crucial and will be requested should your application be successful.
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Step 3: Choosing your Content

Personal Details: Many people writing their CV tend to include too much unnecessary information with regard to their personal details.  Try to avoid having your ‘Name’ as a small title on the CV, make it the main title of your CV. Other information to include is a brief version of your address, a contact number and your Date of Birth (although this is generally regarded as optional)

Profile: The profile should discuss your key strengths, whether this be in customer service, administration or telephone skills. Also include any traits you posses that you can apply to your role (excellent organiser, high attention to detail, excellent interpersonal skills).  This should be no more than four to five lines of text and where possible make the information relevant to the job you are applying for.

Key Skills: Dependant on the job you are applying for, you can use this section to list any key skills relevant.  It is important to do this as it shows to the recruiter you understand what they are looking for and can highlight these. Make sure you place most relevant at the top for your list. For example, let’s assume you have applied for a customer services role…

Career History: The most important part of your CV and the one that will command most of the recruiter’s time.  List all your employment in reverse chronological order (latest/current job first, working backwards).  Avoid leaving any gaps in your employment history as these will be picked up on by any potential employer.  If you have gaps whereby you were out of work, list the reason and the length of time it involved. Begin with the Company name and job title/position you held.  You do not need to mention the salary of your roles, but you must list the start and end dates (month/year) and reasons for leaving that role. From there, write a brief overview of what the role entailed, general responsibilities and any other functions you were involved with.  Then, list all the main responsibilities in the role, the skills you gained/utilised and any awards or recognitions you were presented with.

Continue to list all your employment history in this way, and acknowledge any gaps you may have in your career as you come to them…

e.g.	During the period of March 2002 and May 2002 I was out of work searching for new employment after being made redundant at my last role

Education & Qualifications: Dependant on the type of role and employer you have applied to, the qualifications your are expected to give can vary.  Most employers ask for two main qualifications, Maths and English and the qualification achieved (GCSE, A-Level, Diploma etc).  You do not normally need to list all qualifications and grades, unless they are relevant to the role you are pursuing. With GCSE/O-Levels for example, it is recommended you say how many GCSE’s you gained, and the number of subjects you achieved them in.  Also include any courses you have partaken that involved a qualification or certificate at the end.

Extra Activities: Hobbies and Interests: Although not considered vital, they can be used to demonstrate your personal qualities which are not always apparent in your work experience descriptions.  Many companies will be looking for traits such as dedication to a cause, situations whereby initiative is used, self motivation and teamwork.  Therefore extra activities you are involved in that require these qualities, whether that is helping out local charities or extra classes/sports events you attend, would be beneficial to mention.

References: There is much discussion as to whether references need to be included on your CV, and the general rule is unless otherwise stated by your potential employer, you do not need to include your references.  There is no harm however in doing so and if you do wish to include your references try and find two.  Make one references an employer (preferably your last one) and then someone who can give a more personal reference (either a co-worker or even an employer again if appropriate). Ensure you have your referee’s permission before including them on your CV. Alternatively you can simply write ‘references available on request’ and employer can do so if they wish. 

Writing and perfecting your CV will take time, but the more time you spend on fine tuning your CV, the greater your chances will be at securing the right job interview for you.

Top CV Tips

• Try and keep your CV to two or three A4 pages, anymore than this and it is unlikely to be read.

• Most employers make a decision on CVs within the first 30 seconds, and on average around 100 CVs will be submitted for one vacancy.  That means your CV needs to jump out at your employer from the word go.  Putting a brief profile and key skills right at the top of your CV ensures your reviewer does not need to trawl through text in order to find the relevant information… you have served it on a silver platter!

• Rarely will an employer read your entire CV, and instead will skim read the text. Ensuring your CV looks tidy and coherent, with clear headings and bullet points, will make it much more ‘scanner friendly’ and will make your best qualities more obvious.

• Ensure your spelling and grammar is perfect. Any silly or obvious mistakes will detract the reader’s attention and can reveal a lot about your attention to detail. With nearly all computer software packages including some form of spell & grammar check there’s no more excuses!

• Many people have two or even three versions of their CV, tweaked depending on the type of job they are applying for.  For instance, those applying for an administration role will place all their administration experience in the top 3 bullet points of each role’s they’ve had. This can save time in the future and also increase your chances of nailing specific roles.

• Be truthful.  Any fabrications or ‘white lies’ you include in your CV will eventually be found out, most likely in the interview stage.

A CV is a marketing tool - your personal advertisement. It contains your message - who you are and what you are looking for. It may be the only piece of information a prospective employer has available about you.  Spending a lot of time preparing it and getting it just right initially may seem daunting, but time and time again the CVs that are given the most attention reap the biggest rewards.

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