Your CV is often your first opportunity to make a 'first impression' with a recruitment consultant / employer and therefore should be treated as an essential sales tool for you to demonstrate your work experience to date and what you can bring to their organisation / business.

A CV should NOT be exhaustive (not pages upon pages), it should include enough relevant information in order to capture the interest of the person reading it, allowing you to elaborate at interview stage.

 

Educations & Qualifications

• This can include any training and licences you have gained.

• Include secondary and tertiary qualifications gained including the name of institution and the years each qualification was completed.

• If your studies are incomplete, it is important you highlight this in your CV.

 

Work History

• Ensure you cover the entire work history complete with date of employment in each of your roles - months and years.

• It is OK to have gaps in employment as long as you qualify these gaps.

 

Company Details

• Do not assume those reading your CV will know the organisation you have worked for. It is often wise to incorporate a brief company overview.

 

Key Achievements

• Highlight your key achievements under each position. This is often an area that is missed and yet it is one area where you can differentiate yourself from others you are competing with. Try and make the achievements quantifiable wherever possible – using facts and figures.

 

Language

• Be careful not to use too much jargon, especially industry specific words the reader may not be familiar with and elaborate any abbreviated terms.

 

Position Perspective

• It can be useful for readers if you outline reporting lines in each of your position – both whom you report to and who is reporting to you.

 

Skills and IT Software

• This is another area usually omitted from CVs and yet is vital information in today's marketplace.

• Ensure you give a list including each software package you have used throughout your career.

 

Interests

• While not essential, it can add to the flavour of your CV and give the reader some insight into who you are as an individual.