CV Advice

1. Avoid Procrastination! - CV writing is difficult. It's the one time that we are asked to sit down and, on paper, not to be modest. We're not often called upon to list our strengths, skills, accomplishments, ultimately why we are better than others and should be hired for a job. This can prove stressful and may give rise to some interesting soul searching, so leave plenty of time to write a CV.

2. Remember the audience - The person / manager reading your CV may be going through many CVs and have very little time to read them, so making your CV easy to read / scan is essential. Make good use of headings and spacing and include the most important information on page 1. Also, you are in a competitive situation, so how to stand out from other candidates? - be specific, highlight achievements, emphasise your most recent experience and make sure that your key technical skills are clear to the reader.

3. CV Length - We don't believe there is a "right" or "wrong" length for a CV (for example, a graduate should have a shorter CV than someone with plenty of industry experience). However it is important to strike the right balance - cover the important points and provide a clear "snapshot" of you as a person, without becoming too lengthy and detailed. A good general rule is to aim for 1-3 pages.

Example CV

Other tips

Never include anything that you can't support at interview
A CV is a business document - let your sense of humour shine through at the interview, but not on your CV
Spelling and grammar are something easy to control and make a big difference!
Get advice - a friend, colleague or recruitment consultant can help
You can't cover everything - a CV is a tool for getting an interview, it won't get you a job by itself
CVs are personal in that they represent you only - so follow these guidelines, but do not let them stop you from emphasising your key strengths.