CVs need to grab the attention of employers immediately, so don't be fooled into thinking that you've got the time or space to detail non-important information. Your CV needs to be well-written and to the point - here's what to cut.

Excess pages

Don't even consider starting on that third page. If you've not convinced an employer to give you an interview after several hundred words, then it's extremely unlikely that the third page of your CV will be the clincher.

Two A4 pages of concisely written information is all you should need to gain an interview for a job. And, more importantly, it's all the time you can realistically expect an employer to give to your CV.

Old jobs

If you were the chief executive of a multi-national company 20 years ago, then of course, include this on your CV, but if you just held mundane jobs that don't have a direct bearing on your current role or career, then there's really no need to list these in detail.

It's worth remembering that when you're trying to a secure an interview for a job, all your CV has to do is convince an employer or recruiter that you're worth 15 minutes of their time.

There's no need (or space) to expand upon the details of all your previous jobs - have confidence that you'll get the chance to talk about them when you're given an interview.

Failures

In the same way that you shouldn't waste too much space on detailing old jobs, it's also not worth talking about any failures in your career or education. If that means that your CV has a few areas that leave questions, then so be it - let them call you in for an interview to explain them.

Photographs

Photographs on your CV are very rarely a good idea. It can lead an employer to believe that you're a bit too pleased with your looks - which is rarely a trait that they look for.

Remember, you've only got two pages to play with; do you really think that your photo will be more likely to get you that job than detailed evidence of how your skills benefited your current employer? Anyway, including a link to your LinkedIn page will sate any employer's desires to see what you look like.

Colour and glitz

If you're going for a creative role, then of course a unique CV could be a major plus point, but for anyone applying for a normal job, too much styling could have an adverse affect.

By placing too much emphasis on the layout of your CV, you run the risk of making the employer believe that you're trying to hide the fact that you're not experienced enough for the particular role.

The best advice is to keep it simple by ensuring that the text size, font and formatting are consistent throughout the whole CV.

Make those changes, upload your CV to C&M Recruitment Consultancy and you'll be one step closer to your ideal job.