What Makes a Good CV
Simply put, a good CV crisply and concisely articulates your skills and experiences in a way that proves to a prospective employer that you could do the job they are looking to fill. However, doing this is not always an easy task.

Remember, a CV is a promotional document, not just an information sheet. It must grasp the reader's eye within 30 seconds, as this is usually all the time people give to reading a CV. Your CV should be relevant to the position for which you are applying, which means that ideally you will produce a new version of your CV for each job that you apply for. I've included below some common sense advice, and some information relating to the different sections that you should have in your CV. Good luck!

Some common sense advice
Keep the layout simple, uncluttered and in an easy-to-read font. Present the CV on plain white A4 paper. Ask someone to proof read your CV - it's amazing how spell-checkers can miss things. Make sure your personal details are correct - it sound obvious but people do get telephone numbers wrong. Finally, always tell the truth in the CV and be prepared to back up any statement you make on your CV with evidence.

Personal details
The only information you need to include in this section is your name, nationality, date of birth and relevant contact information. As an aside, make sure your email address is a simple, professional sounding one, and consider getting a separate email address just for job hunting.

Examples of information you do not need to include are salary details (these can be included in a covering letter if appropriate), referees (these will be requested if you get offered a job), dependent children, marriage status, religion, hobbies and other interests - none of which are relevant to you being able to do the job for which you are applying.

Personal Positioning Statement
I've covered this section of the CV in another newsletter, so click here to read more. But briefly, you need to state what you're looking for in your next role, and give evidence (that is expanded on in the rest of your CV) of why you think you have the skills and experience to do the job.

Career History
List jobs starting from the most recent first and go backwards. Include dates, job title, company and a description of the role that you undertook. Then, and most importantly, list your key achievements in that role (do give relevant metrics wherever possible - such as business generated, people managed, projects undertaken etc) and the skills you used and learned during that role. Repeat this process for each job you've had, but gradually giving less information for older roles.

Education, training & qualifications
Again, list these in the order of most recent first. But remember, these are only relevant if they will allow you to do your job better, or if they are requested by the employer as essential or desirable to have. You can briefly cover older, less relevant ones if you like.

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