Think of your CV as the window to yourself - it must display your
experience, skills and qualities in a very short period of time. The following tips will help you produce a CV that does just that.

Short and Clear
Choosing the right structure and layout is the most important part of the CV. The most important information such as your skill and recent experience needs to be near the top. Sections usually included are Profile, Achievements, Experience, Education, Training, and Interests.

Appearance Matters
An uncluttered and attractive CV will always stand out. Make sure to include plenty of ‘white space', use bullets and keep the sentences short.

Chronological Order
Keep your employment history in chronological order with the most recent first. Exclude details of temporary and holiday work if it does not have any relevance to the job you are applying.

Factual
List your duties under each position that you held, highlighting your achievements, responsibilities and results. Use numbers for achievements wherever possible, always use a formal manner and never use the word "I".

Fewer Lists
Include specific skills, such as languages, administrative or computing skills, in a separate section in your CV. Don't re-list them for every job you've used them in. This is particularly so for IT work - lists of tools and packages make dull reading and won't make you stand out from other people with the same abilities.

Breathe Some Life Into it
Remember the employer wants a sense of the kind of person you are, as well as what you can do. Are you punctual, conscientious, or motivated? Do you rise to a challenge? With each point you write, ask yourself "What does this say about me?"

Accuracy
Always check for errors. Run a spelling and grammar check and ask someone else to read it for you. The employer isn't going to believe you're a good communicator if your CV is full of mistakes.

Adaptation
You don't have to use the same CV every time. You can have two or three versions, each for a different kind of job. Or you can tailor your CV to suit the job you're applying for. It isn't a case of one size fits all.

Covering Letter
Unless the advert tells you not to, always send a covering letter. This should highlight the two or three areas of experience from your CV that are most relevant to the advertised job. Always make the cover letter specific to the job you are applying for and avoid writing a "One Letter Fits All" approach.

Be Truthful
Although you obviously want to present yourself well, don't go too far and embellish the truth. It can easily backfire on you.