How important is a CV?
Your CURRICULUM VITAE or CV is possibly the most important piece of promotional literature you will ever use, so GET IT RIGHT.

Your CV is just like a promotional brochure for a product, and guess what – you’re the product!

Your CV will not get you the job, but if you get it right, it will get you the interview to help you get the job. But, get it wrong and you fall at the first hurdle, giving you no chance to charm them with your devastating personality!

It is the first step, but like all the others, a vital one. Due to the importance it holds, spending time now, thinking about and composing your CV will prove to be a wise investment for your future career.

What should it look like?
Like any promotional brochure, it needs to have great impact and content. When your potential employer reads it, your CV should sell you and your services to them. Your CV needs to leave them in no doubt that they will benefit from hiring you.

Talking of impact - first impressions count! If your CV doesn't grab their attention in the first 20 to 30 seconds then your chances of obtaining an interview are greatly reduced.

Just think about this for a minute – as an agency we may have a hundred or more CVs to look through for each vacancy and probably only a couple of hours in which to make an initial selection. Make sure that we only need 20 seconds to include you in that selection.

The visual layout of your CV is very important. The content of your CV maybe great BUT if people can't find the information they want quickly they will move on to someone else's CV. Use lots of 'white' space and appropriate headings and section breaks in order to lead the reader effortlessly through the document.

Keep your CV to two sides of A4, unless someone specifically asks you for a longer CV. If you can't keep your CV to this length then you probably haven't understood an employer's requirements. Remember - employers don't want to know your whole life history - just enough to decide whether they want to interview you or not.

So, what should be included?
Make sure that, whatever you include, it’s clear, concise and relevant and that it sells YOU to your potential employer.

Exactly what will go into a CV will vary from person to person. For example, someone who has had a long and varied career will have more to list than someone who is just starting out.

The most important thing to do is to compose your CV for the specific position or job-type for which you’re applying, giving your strongest selling point first. This may mean that you have more than one CV – written for the industry YOU are targeting on that specific application.

You should be confident and positive about your abilities - so
do shout about your achievements if they are relevant to your potential employer and tell them what you can do for them. But, don't over do it - remember to keep it as objective as possible and don’t go into too much detail – That’s what the interview is for.

Sections to include and CV layout
Make sure that you cover all of the following sections. The order in which you place them can vary depending on your experience and the job type. The golden rule is to lay it out from the point of view of the reader NOT the author. In other words ask yourself ‘How would I like to have it laid out if I were the potential employer?’

Personal Details
These should always come first. It will include your Name, Address, Contact details and Date of Birth.

Profile
This is a chance for you to sell yourself, but do not oversell - keep the profile factual and objective. It should consist of just a few sentences introducing yourself, your background and current situation.

Major Achievements
Give a short list (3 or 4) of major achievements such as targets achieved, record sales periods, examples of leadership or use of initiative. Let them know that you’re successful but don’t enter the realms of fantasy – remember, keep it factual and objective.

Employment History
List your previous employment, with the most recent/current employer first. Concentrate on what you have done in the past few years as this is of much more interest to employers than your bar job in the student union (unless that was your most recent employment – in which case concentrate on your qualifications and education!)

Make sure you include the job title/description/dates. Highlight, in the more recent periods of employment, purpose, responsibilities and results achieved relevant to the job you want.

Account for all the gaps in your employment history, but don’t go into depth. If the employer wishes to know more, they will ask you at interview. Travelling for 6 months and doing “low-level” work is often seen as character building: plus they’ll be pleased it’s out of your system before you start work with them.

Professional Qualifications
If applicable, include a brief listing of the relevant professional training you have received and accomplished. It may also detail the professional organisations to which you hold membership.

Training Courses
Give a listing of the relevant training courses you have attended and when. Don’t go into detail and keep the list down to no more than the 5 most relevant courses.

Education & Skills
The significance of this section will be dependent upon your level of experience. Employers will, in general, be more interested in what you have achieved since you left the classroom as opposed to while you were still in it. It is normally sufficient to give a list of qualifications, subjects and grades.

So, what should NOT be included?

• No photographs - let your potential employer get his first impression from you in person rather then from some dodgy pic that all your friends say makes you look younger or intelligent or attractive – they’re lying!
• Any sort of failure. Reasons for failure of exams, marriage, business etc. should be left out – anything negative should not be included, and the inclusions of excuses present you as just that – someone who makes excuses.
• Dump the borders, patterns, graphics – A CV is a business document not a comic. Keep it professional.
• No link to your own website showing photo’s of you and the family in Cromer with details of everything you’ve ever done – you are giving them so much that they don’t need to see you!