Personal Information

* Full name.
* Full address.
* Telephone numbers (day/evening/mobile - as appropriate).
* E-mail address (if appropriate).
* Date of birth.
* If relevant, state whether you are eligible to work or need a work permit.
* Always include any language capability and state your proficiency.

Qualifications

If educated to degree level (or have a higher qualification) it is only necessary to briefly list earlier academic qualifications with appropriate grades.

Any degree should have the name of the establishment from which it was gained from and the level/grade obtained.

Employment History

This section should also include any professional qualifications. Additionally, employers often look for any work related training - especially if it has led to a particular qualification.

It is generally accepted practice to put your employment history in reverse chronological order and this section should include dates, size and scope of responsibilities and achievements.

Remember at all times that potential employers are looking for evidence that you can add value to the job and the organisation.

Give most space to your most recent job.

If you do not work for a well-known organisation it might be appropriate to insert a brief description of the company and its business.

Dates - only necessary to put the month and year of joining and leaving any employer. Your current position should be 'to date'.

State your title.

Do not leave out any period of employment for whatever reason. It is important to ensure that your time is accountable since otherwise this may prove difficult at interview.

Do not give reasons for leaving any of the jobs on your CV - it is far better to explain your moves in person at interview.

Do not embellish your CV or be economical with the truth (i.e. overstating your experience or accomplishments) - you will be found out at interview.

Salary information should be left off the CV but your current or most recent salary should be included in any covering letter. Be prepared to discuss your salary with recruitment consultants at an early stage, so they know you are in the right range.

Try not to use technical/professional jargon.

Interests

The key here is that if you are in doubt, leave them out. Be prepared to elaborate on any of your interests such as the last play you saw, the last book you read, the last place that you visited on a scuba diving holiday. If you have any interests that might, in any way, be controversial then leave them off the CV.

In any event this section should be no longer than 1-2 lines.

Presentation

Do’s

* Put your CV on high quality white paper
* Keep the length to 2-3 pages long
* The only supporting documentation required initially is your academic transcipt
* Keep lots of white space around the edges of the text making it clear and readable
* The text blocks themselves should be no more than 5-6 lines
* Make headings clear and consistent
* Use bullet points where possible
* Include your name and page number on each page
* Make sure all events are dated including qualifications and employment
* Make sure there are no gaps in the dates - if there are, give an explanation

Don’ts

* Make your CV double-sided
* Use gimmicks or bind your CV
* Enclose photographs
* Begin your CV with your personal mission statement
* List irrelevant personal details, such as names or ages of children
* Enclose photocopies of references or school certificates
* Make sweeping statements about how wonderful you are - good with people, etc.