The CV

General Points

• The CV is your marketing document
• It very often gives the first impression of you
• The average end user is likely to make a decision on whether to cast aside or read further in 6-10 seconds
• Its main purpose is to get you an interview
• Remember that job filling is a matching process.  An employer will look for various areas of match e.g. qualifications, location, experience, culture, salary, aspirations

Tips on Construction

• Ensure that the key sales features that you are trying to convey are on the first page
• Make your CV punchy and to the point – ideally 1 or 2 pages – never more than three
• Think out the key essential features about you and make them stand out
• Your career history should be set out chronologically in reverse order i.e. the most recent job first
• A ‘mission’ statement prominently displayed on the first page summarising your key strengths and aspirations can be useful
• Ensure that it is grammatically correct with no spelling mistakes
• It should be clearly laser printed on white / cream A4 paper.  Borders are not necessary
• Avoid photographs
  

The most widely used CV sets out employment experience in chronological order.

If you have had a number of unrelated jobs, a functional CV highlighting the roles that you have covered is an alternative method of presentation. The disadvantage of this method is that career progression becomes unclear.