THE SELLING CV

When you submit a printed CV to a recruiter or a potential employer, it is likely to be the first thing they get to see or read of yours. Therefore, you need to present your CV well and make it user friendly.

To decide what to include and where to include it, follow these simple principles and guidelines:

·         Generally, the document should contain no more than two pages. Sometimes, a one-page summary is all that is required.

·         Use a good quality paper, typically 90 or 100gsm in weight and watermarked. In most cases, be conservative and print your CV in black ink on white paper. Covering letters should use identical stationery.

·         Lay your CV out neatly.

·         Do not make the margins too deep or too narrow.

·         Careful use of bold type can be effective.

·         Typefaces such as Times New Roman or Arial are fairly standard.

·         Do not use a type size less than 11pt.

·         Resist writing lengthy paragraphs - be concise.

·         The first page should contain enough detail for a potential employer to contact you easily.

·         Choose a presentation format that allows you to headline key skills, key achievements or key attributes.

·         Your employment history should commence with your current or most recent job and work backwards.

·         References to your achievements should be short, bullet-pointed statements of fact, quantified wherever possible, and should include a brief mention of the action you took and a comment on the result of it.

·         Where information clearly demonstrates your suitability for the vacancy you are applying for, and enhances your chances of being short-listed, include this information near the beginning of the CV.