A CV says everything about you. The length, the font, the spacings, your use of English and of course the content. We have outlined what we think we will give you a good idea on putting together a decent CV and stand out from the rest.A

The font

Believe it or not the font is really important. Appearance is everything, the font and how your CV looks will sometimes be a defining factor if an employer reads your CV. Stick to a neutral font like Arial or Tahoma. You want your potential employer to find it easy to read and a snazzy font, whilst may stand out, will discourage someone from reading it.

It's a good idea to use 2 or 3 different sizes of font. We would suggest one size for your name, one for the content and the main bulk of your CV and 1 for sub headings like profile, past employment ect.

Spacing

Keep it simple. Try not to clump up your CV. Write your CV, print it, go for a cuppa and then come back and pick it up. Does it look easy to read? or a masterpiece that you cant wait to get your hands on (ok, maybe a little far fetched!). 

Write a paragraph and then leave a simple space in between parts of your CV. 

Length

2 pages? Well that's what most clients say. But honestly? it depends on the position you are applying for and what kind of skills you have. We wouldn't recommend cutting out important qualifications or skills from your CV just to keep it all on a couple of pages. Be realistic and think about what the employers wants to see.

Content

Of course the content is, without question the most important part of the CV. We have put together some ideas to consider when writing about yourself -

Try to keep it readable. We all use different phrases and vocabulary, keeping it simple will cover all angles.

Get a family member, or friend to read it. The more views you can get the better it will become.

Be sure to showcase all of your skills list them all. However if you write a personal profile about yourself, try not to come across too confident.

Structure

There are plenty of CV templates on the web should you wish to use one. If you wish to put your own CV together we have put together a list of basics your CV should include;

Contact - You should at least include your email address and contact telephone number. If you have a strange email address you may want to consider setting up a new one (after all they are free).

Personal profile - A chance to sell you? yes please. The opening paragraph gives you a chance to show of some personal attributes as well as mentioning a few skills or qualifications you have. ALWAYS tailor your personal profile for specific jobs. Look at the job specification and see what the employer is looking for, then mention this in your opening text. It makes sense.

Qualifications - mention the obvious, but if you have a huge list and feel something is not relevant leave it out.

Employment - Be sure to mention your history, and if you have any large gaps you may want to put an explanation on what you did. Travelling? working for a family business? or just volunteering, potential employers don't like to see unexplained gaps. Also, if you have had lots of jobs, be sure to keep the older ones brief - you wont need to put a full explanation on all of your duties for a role you did 10 years ago.

Hobbies - interesting I am sure. If you do choose to include this into your CV think about what kind of person your client is looking for. As this is usually the last thing on a CV, it could leave your potential employer impressed with your skills but questioning the type of person you are.

Check it

Spell check it. Get a friend to read it. And then check it again. A simple error may question your attention to detail and remember this your chance to really show the employer what you are made of.