Introduction

There are many schools of thought on writing a good CV - as with most things in life, personal preference plays a part in how you approach the task. Broadly speaking, there are basic expectations to be met in presentation and content of your CV and it could be unwise to deviate too far from these norms - don't forget that an agent or prospective employer could have hundreds of CVs to scan and making key information about yourself hard to spot could work against you.

Content

Taking a segmented approach to content will help you to think clearly about your personal details and make your CV accessible to the recipient. Split your details into sections e.g.:

Personal Information - Name/DoB/Address/Telephone/Mobile/Email

Key Skills and Training - A brief description of any professional, vocational and developmental training and/or skills you may have obtained outside of mainstream educational attainment. Put the most recent example first and work backwards.

Education - List your formal qualifications. Include vocational as well as school, college and university qualifications. Again, start with the most recent and work backwards. For each period of learning, include the date attended/obtained, the institution you attended and the qualification and grade obtained.

Employment - Starting with the most recent/current first, list your employment history. Include dates from and to, job title, name of employer and location (not full address, the town/city name will suffice). Write a comprehensive precis of your role, your achievements and the skills you demonstrated within that role. Naturally, as your experience builds, you will not need to include your Saturday job at the local Co-op, but in the early stages of your career, any experience can be a bonus.

Ensure that any significant gaps (2-3 months plus) are adequately accounted for on your CV even if you weren't doing anything particularly productive - if you pretend these gaps do not exist it can lead to some awkward questions at the telephone screening or interview stage and may be viewed with suspicion.

Additional Information - Include a short paragraph about you - this can give a real insight into who you are and provide a lighter talking point at interview. Do not be afraid to let people know who you are and what makes you tick, they are looking for an individual and not a machine.

Referees - Inclusion of referees on your CV is optional, some people prefer only to give referees upon request only, others include full details, either option is acceptable. If you do decide to include referees, an agent/prospective employers will usually expect to see your last/current employer, possibly the employer before that and/or a personal referee. If you are making your first application and you have no previous employers, use a personal referee. This referee should be a family friend or a professional who can vouch for your good nature, they should not be a friend or family member. Whoever you do choose, ensure that you have obtained their permission to include their details on your CV and warn them when they are likely to receive a call. This won't happen until a provisional job offer has been made, pending successful references. Include the name, position, address, contact number and email address of your referees.

Layout and Style - Generally speaking 2-3 pages is the maximum length your CV should reach. While this may seem impossible short at first draft, it is usually achievable by careful re-reading and strict editing of your document. Do not be tempted to circumvent editing by reducing your font to a microscopic size, making your CV hard to read will not help to sell your skills. Avoid fancy, fiddly fonts. Instead, opt for a simple, clean and clear font: the content of your CV should make you stand out and not the application you used to put it together. Ensure that your font size, formatting and line spacing are all consistent.