SUBMIT CV

It's about you.

Most importantly your CV is about you so be self-analytical, clear about yourself and what your main selling points are over other possible candidates. Be accurate about the skills you have and avoid the tendency to exaggerate.

Content

Your CV must above all reflect your responsibilities, achievements and capabilities relevant to the job sought, presented to the reader in an accessible style and format. Below are a few pointers that if observed often make the difference between an effective, well thought out CV and an unremarkable document.

• Ensure that your main selling points and achievements stand out.
• Covey the size and scope of each responsibility e.g. size of budgets; number of reports etc.
• Try to quantify achievements e.g. projects delivered, measurable results, subsequent promotions or contracts won.
• If employers listed on your CV are likely to be unfamiliar to the reader, briefly describe the industry, commercial activities and size of employer.
• Add a comprehensive and clear summary of the IT tools you have worked with.
• Make sure you differentiate clearly between the technical skills used and role and responsibilities.
• Include all contact details, including daytime and evening telephone numbers and an up-to-date e-mail address.
• Position less relevant information - hobbies, interests, driving license details - at the end of the CV.
• Correct spelling throughout is imperative.

CV layout

At a glance, your CV must appear ordered, readable and if possible visually pleasing, enabling the reader to extract relevant information effortlessly.

Surprising though it may seem, white space can be just as important as text. Good CVs tend to have shorter blocks of text, usually less than 6 lines or 6 bullet points long, separated by a couple of blank lines.

Pointers on how to lay out your CV

• Make sure that section headings stand out and are easily recognisable.
• Experiment with italics, different font sizes, underlining and bold lettering to ensure that section headings are clear. However, a word of warning, don't go overboard on exotic fonts that are perhaps less readable than standard ones.
• Use a font size of at least 10 - anything less could strain your future employer's eyes!
• You should have at least 15% white space (excluding the margins) on your CV.
• Use clear and concise language, short sentences and bullet points.
• Fully justify any blocks of text on your CV to create a neat right hand margin.
• Do not write blocks of text (10 words or more) in capitals. Capitals stand out making them work well as headings, however, they are generally harder to read.
• Always include your name and the page number on each sheet of your CV (in the header or footer). This will ensure that all pages of the CV will be kept together in the right order.

CV checklist

Finally once your CV's written, read over it one last time asking yourself the following questions. If in doubt, get a friend to critically review your CV and ask them some of the questions below.