CV Preparation

Purpose of a CV:

Your CV creates the first impression a prospective employer has of you. A good CV is a marketing tool which accurately documents your experience and gives you a better chance of securing an interview.

Presentation:

Always type your CV, ideally in word format. Check for spelling and grammar. Don't rely on the computer spell check, use a dictionary. If a CV includes errors it shows lack of attention to detail and creates a negative impression. Double check all dates and qualifications. Keep it simple, use bullets, tabs and bold to make it easy to read. Choose a clear font such as Arial or Times New Roman, no smaller than 11pt and use a good quality white paper, avoid using computer graphics.

Length of CV:

Your CV should be clear and concise, try to limit it to two pages if possible

Personal details:

The most important personal details are: Name/ Mobile & Email address.

The following are all optional: contact telephone numbers (home, work etc), Date of birth marital status, Nationality and Visa details if applicable.

Education and qualifications:

Include both school and university/college qualifications, starting with the most recent and include grades and dates (if appropriate). If you have an extensive work history it is not necessary to give too much detail and you may wish to list your educational details after your employment history. If you are looking for your first job your education will be extremely important.

Professional qualifications and skills:

State all professional qualifications or relevant and recent courses attended. List your IT systems knowledge and level of proficiency including any foreign languages.

Employment history:

Begin with your current/most recent position. Include the name of the company and nature of the business if it is not well known. State your job title and the dates you were employed. Describe your current/most recent position in detail. List responsibilities, duties and main achievements. If you have extensive experience, jobs earlier in your career, they can be kept brief. Your last few positions is what the interviewer is really interested in, so make sure it is easy to read and ideally on the first page. Don't leave any gaps, make all your time is accountable. If you had time out traveling, write it down. Reason for leaving is not always necessary but if you have temped for a long time or have changed jobs frequently it is advisable to explain why. Give real reasons; don't just say that you needed a new challenge.

Hobbies & Interests:

Be specific. Your interests say something about your personality. For example, instead of saying 'drama' you could expand and say that you are a member of the local amateur dramatics club and starred in the latest production! Be prepared to answer questions on your interests; don't list things for the sake of it.

References

It is not necessary to include details of referees on your CV. Simply write references available on request. You should be able to provide references to cover the last five years