accompanies it are essential tools in seeking a new position. While
the CV will not win you the job, it will get you an interview. It is
well worth the time you spend to make it as professional and
impressive as possible.
Most prospective employers scan CV's. They do not, in the initial
stages, actually read your life history word for word. In fact the
average amount of time spent on reading a CV has been estimated as
between 30 and 60 seconds. That's not much time to sell yourself.
Guidelines
Following some straightforward guidelines will help you prepare a
killer CV while avoiding some of the mistakes most commonly made.
A CV is not a thesis. Be concise. Keep to two pages if you can,
four as an absolute maximum.
A good CV says, who you are, what you are, what you've done and
what you are offering to a prospective employer. It stops there!
A good CV does justice to your skills and experience.
An attractive, well-laid out CV, free from typos, grubby marks and
coffee stains is easy to read and will stand out from the crowd.
Use good quality paper, though not too thick as this can jam
photocopiers and faxes.
Print on one side of the paper only.
Use short succint sentences and avoid repetitive use of the word
"I".
Have someone read over your CV and check for clarity, spelling,
punctuation and presentation. Usually friends, colleagues and
spouses are only to happy to give advice.
Do include your name at the top or bottom of every page.
Prospective employers may have many CV's to look through. After
all the hard work you put into the content and presentation of
yours, you would not want the pages to become confused with
someone else's CV.
Do include an after hours phone number. You may be pleasantly
surprised.
Be precise on the start and end dates of previous positions
Do indicate your major achievements and strengths.
Keep to bullet point form.
Do include your hobbies and be aware what your interests indicate
about your personality.
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