curriculum vitae tips

your curriculum vitae is your passport to new opportunities and consequently it is the most important career document you will ever produce. a successful cv identifies your uniqueness. you will document your attributes as a person, your skills as a professional and your hopes for the future.

curriculum vitae means "the course of one's life". your aim is to produce a cv that gets you to the next stage of the recruitment process. this may be an informal meeting or a telephone interview, or you may be sent an application form or called to a formal interview. you need to highlight your value to a potential employer and in order to do that you must promote yourself. a cv is a marketing tool for the individual it represents.

understanding the principal types of cv

chronological
Lists your employment history in reverse chronological order. most effective when you are applying for jobs in the same line of work and you cv demonstrates a clear record of career progression

functional
highlights your principal skills and strengths rather than career history. most useful for first time job hunters and those seeking a change of career direction as the emphasis is not on career history but on tranferable skills.

one page summary
most effective for senior managers or those looking for freelance or temporary work. may be specifically requested by headhunters or employers.

the usual purpose of your cv is to earn you an interview. if you are selected for the interview, it will probably be your cv that sets the agenda for that important initial meeting.

your cv and covering letter is often the first contact you have with a prospective employer, and may receive just 30 seconds of their time on first reading. ensure your cv contains the right information in the right order in a form that is easy to read. every part of your application must be an invitation to the reader to read more!

remember... use good quality paper and a clear pleasing layout, write in an easily readable sytle with good use of english. communicate complicated subjects simply and clearly. make sure that there are no spelling mistakes. select relevant personal information and career details. include appropriate qualifications and employment history. (the 30 seconds that an experienced recruiter may spend looking at your cv will tell them much about you as a prospective candidate). everything from the type of information you include through to the paper and envelopes you choose say something about you. don't include bought qualifications. don't include subjects in which you are weak such as a foreign language. don't include training that has no bearing on the role you are applying for and don't go into unnecessary detail.