Your CV is a gateway to getting an interview for that ideal job. It is your opportunity to provide a good first impression but you only have two sides of A4 paper in which to do it. It is not surprising then that most people have trouble getting started.

Firstly, you need to know what the employer is thinking.

The employer suddenly has a vacancy. Filling the vacancy is going to take up valuable time that he would rather spend doing his normal job.

He would love to find the perfect person immediately rather than plough through hundreds of CV's. It is often a dull, thankless task.

The employer has a job description in front of him. It includes experience or qualifications that are essential for the job and some attributes that are desirable but not absolutely necessary.

He starts going through the pile of CV's on his desk. He scans each one for about 30 seconds and makes a judgement.

He simply hasn't got time to read the CV that is more than two pages and all the relevant information is hidden in long paragraphs. - He files it in the bin.

Fancy formatting, coloured text or multiple fonts do not impress him. Is this person trying to hide their lack of experience for the job behind an artistic CV? - He files it in the bin.

He notices spelling mistakes and poor punctuation. This person is just sloppy! - He files the CV in the bin.

He breaths a sigh of relief, the pile on his desk is smaller already. He makes another coffee and then starts reading............................

This should tell you a few things about writing your CV.

Keep it concise and to the point. The employer needs to see your work experience, skills and achievements in the first 30 seconds of scanning your CV.

He knows what he is looking for. You have what he is looking for. Don't distract him from your relevant skills by adding in lots of unnecessary information.

Keep it simple. Plain formatting, simply laid out under headings. The employer wants to see exactly when, where and what you have done. Fancy formatting makes your CV difficult to read. It may make your CV stand out from the rest but for the wrong reasons.

Keep checking your english. Good spelling, punctuation and grammar are essential. It is the first step in your personal presentation to an employer. It says a lot about you. Also, poor english distracts the employer from reading the content of your CV.

Now the content:

Contact details should be displayed on the first page. When he decides to invite you to interview you want him to see immediately how to contact you before he changes his mind!

Personal details should be limited to those that are absolutely necessary. Most employers expect to see your nationality and date of birth but you can choose to leave these out if you think they may go against you.

Other personal details such as number of dependents, driving license and marital status can be included if it is not going to make your CV too long by including them. These can help employers to get a rounded picture of the person they are going to interview. Do not include names and ages of children or name of spouse. The employer is not interested at this stage.

Interests can be included but only in one or two lines. It may provide a starting point at interview for general conversation before getting down to serious questions about your work experience. It also gives a rounded picture of you without taking up too much space on the CV.

Profile is positioned prominently in your CV and should be used to sell yourself in one paragraph. It is an opportunity to sum up your skills, experience and general suitability for the job for which you are applying.

Career History or Work Experience. The heading you use depends on the length of time you have been in fulltime employment. If you have recently left school or university you should use the heading 'Work Experience' and include all placements, paid and unpaid work. If you have been in fulltime employment for the last two jobs this should be under the heading of 'Career History'. Do not use both headings in the CV. Whichever heading you use you must include dates, name and location of company and a brief description of what your job entailed including all the positive contributions you made to the company.

Education should be described in terms of selling yourself to the employer. Include all relevant courses, dates passed and name of school or college. But, leave out poor grades and failures. These will not help you get invited for interview.

If you have a university degree you can leave out all of your lower qualifications. Mature applicants may want to leave out 'Education' altogether, as your career history and skills are probably more important.

Skills can be described under three headings: Technical Skills, Professional Courses and Additional Skills. Technical skills are those related to a technical, mechanical or engineering job. You need to list your skills and how recently you have used them e.g. Java Programming used in the last 3 years. Professional Courses are those that you have attended specifically for a particular job e.g. sales courses, hairdressing. Additional skills are anything else that may be relevant e.g. languages, keyboard skills, health and safety courses.

Finally: Make it easy for him!

Remember, the employer has very little time. He doesn't know you yet and is only interested in what you can offer him and his company.

Make it easy for him to:

Scan your CV,

Identify that you have the skills he is looking for.

Pick up the phone to invite you in for an interview.

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The interviewer hopes that YOU are the right person for the job. They are under pressure to fill the position so that they can get back to their own work. Therefore you are in a greater position of strength than you think. Concentrate on what you have to offer in the way of qualifications and experience instead of feeling intimidated.

An interviewer has 3 aims:

1) To learn if you are the right person for the job
2) To assess your potential for promotion
3) To decide whether you will fit into the company environment

The key to a successful interview is in preparation

Be prepared: For the types of questions you will be asked
Be prepared: To ask questions yourself
Be prepared: To research the company
Be prepared: To look the part
Be prepared: To turn up on time

Questions you may be asked
Example question: How would you describe yourself?
Your answer: Should describe attributes that will enhance your suitability for the position. Have some ready in advance.
Example question: What are your long-term goals?
Your answer: Should be career orientated. Make sure you have goals to discuss.
Example question: Why did you leave your last job?
Your answer: Could be more responsibility; better opportunity; increased income. Do not be detrimental to your previous employer. He could be the interviewer's golfing partner.
Example question: Why do you want this job?
Your answer: Your answer should be: more responsibility or better opportunity or similar. Not: because it is closer to home or the gym.
Example question: What are your strengths?
Your answer: Should highlight accomplishments and experiences that relate to the position for which you are applying. Also give examples of situations where your strengths have been demonstrated.
Example question: What are your weaknesses?
Your answer: Should not be a list of deficiencies. Don't mention anything that could make the interviewer question your ability to do the job, for example "I am always late for everything." Instead, discuss a weakness that could also be a strength such as "I am a workaholic!"

More Examples of Interview Questions
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
Describe your current / most recent position.
What made you want to make this change?
What do you most enjoy doing in your current /most recent position?
Describe your future ambitions.
How would you describe yourself?

Questions for you to ask
Asking questions at interview has a number of positive effects:
It helps you find out more about the company and the position.
It can be used to divert the interviewer away from a subject you may wish to avoid.
It can help build a rapport with the interviewer.
It demonstrates an interest in the job and the company.
The questions must be about the position and the company.
Avoid questions about salary, benefits and facilities until after you have been offered the job. You should already have researched the company and it's products and services. Your questions should demonstrate knowledge of the company's history, successes and problems. If the interviewer is a representative of the personnel department the questions should relate to the company and be general. Specific questions relating to the position should be kept for the line manager who will have a more detailed knowledge.

Example questions relating to the position
What are the main responsibilities of the job?
What are the most difficult aspects of the job?
How did the vacancy arise?
What is the career path relating to this position?
How will my work be assessed?

Example questions relating to the company
What is the company hoping to achieve in the next 12 months?
What new products are the company planning to introduce in the future?
Are any major changes planned for the department/company?
Who are your biggest competitors?

Where to find company information
Information relating to companies, financial data, industries and business trends is available in business magazines which often publish on the World Wide Web and allow you to order
Annual Reports relating to specific companies.
Companies often have their own web site.
Newspapers - search on-line press reports including archived articles.
Local library

Presentation Tips
Obviously you should be clean and smart in appearance but you should also dress appropriately for the position, for example: a student placement that is more expensively dressed than the Managing Director may have a negative impact.
Clothes should be on the conservative side, which is more acceptable to people of all ages, cultures and backgrounds. After all, you are asking to be accepted into the company. Therefore always avoid extremes in hair, clothes, make-up and jewellery. Taking trouble over your appearance shows the employer that the job is important to you.

Travel tips
Arrive 15 minutes early.
Make sure you have the correct address and know how you will get there:
Parking? Public transport access?
Do a dummy run if you are not sure.
Make sure you have a mobile phone and a telephone number so that you can ring ahead if circumstances beyond your control are making you late.
Be polite to everyone you speak to, it could be the Managing Director's cousin!
Have a copy of your CV with you.

Summary
You should show interest in all aspects of the job and the company especially if shown around the premises.
Do your homework on the company and the nature of its business. Take care in how you dress for the interview. First impressions still count!

Some of the main influences on the interviewer are:
Your experience in other employment or life situations Your personal presentation.
How your personality comes across in the interview
Your background and references
Your enthusiasm for both the job and the organisation.
Relevant qualifications for the position.

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A perfect CV layout has 2 objectives:
To illustrate your strengths and maximize your chances of getting through to interview and to put factual information, such as dates, places, names together in a presentable and readable form.

Focal Point
It is claimed that the human eyes are naturally drawn to a focal point one third down from the top of the page. Therefore, put your most useful information in this area. It might be your Profile, Key Skills, Professional Qualifications or details of your most recent employment. You can choose whichever you think is most important and relevant to your application. Always get a second opinion when you have put your CV together. It is difficult to be objective about oneself.

Presentation
It is often thought that a good CV should be fitted on to one side of A4 and a professional CV over two. This can be difficult if you are a mature applicant with a long employment history. If you need to go on to a second page make sure that the CV is spread out over 2 whole pages, not one and a half pages as this looks messy.
As a 'rule of thumb' there should be more white than black on a page to make it easier to read.
Always write a rough draft first. It can be as long as you like as you will edit it later. Always start with your Career History as this will highlight your Key Skills and help you write your Profile.

Once you have compiled your draft copy you must edit it
1. Take out anything that will not help you get where you want to be
2. Write in the 'third' person as much as possible keeping 'I' to a minimum
3. Never use the past tense e.g. use "supporting senior management" rather than "supported senior management"
4. Use short sharp sentences cutting out any waffle and jargon

Headings
Name
Print your name in bold type at the centre top of your CV. If there is any doubt as to which is your surname, e.g. James Martin, indicate by using capitals or underlining.
Address
Top left of CV. Full address including post code.
Telephone
Top Right of CV. Full dialing code and daytime and evening numbers if possible.
Date of birth
Put in full such as 13th December 1962. Do not put your age. Bearing in mind that you will be close to the Focal Point now, this might need to go at the end of the CV under 'Personal' along with other details such as marital status and children.
Marital status
You do not have to include this at all. If you choose to, make sure you use only "married" or "single". Do not use divorced or co-habiting. Put at the end of the CV under 'Personal'.
Children
Its up to you whether you include this information or not but if you include it put it at the end of the CV under
'Personal' Profile
This is an introductory statement about who you are and what you have to offer. You should complete this last although it is positioned prominently in the CV, possibly in the Focal Point. It should be no more than two sentences and include the most important facts about yourself. You can include skills, achievements, responsibility or personal qualities.

e.g. Highly motivated Account Manager with successful direct and telesales experience in hardware and software industries.
Key Skills
Several Key skills should be highlighted after you have analysed and edited your employment history.
Pick out no more than six.
Make sure they are relevant.
Do not include dates. A key skill can come from an earlier job or an outside interest.
If you are short on direct experience and qualifications you may have skills arising from your personality, i.e. Interpersonal skills, e.g. "the ability to relate and communicate with others". Some examples of descriptive words to use in key skills are:
Administering
Implementing
Budgeting
Leading
Reorganizing
Forecasting
Advising

Employment History
Always start with your most recent employment. Break down your job functions as much as possible. The job description on your contract might provide a starting point or, consider how your employer might advertise your job. You should have more to say about your most recent, and therefore most relevant, employment. Include successes and achievements especially if it saved the company money. Don't have any employment gaps. If these occur explain them briefly.

Qualifications
If you are a mature applicant you can leave these out as career history is more important. Put the highest qualification first with year achieved. If you have a degree you can leave out the lower qualifications altogether or include the basic information. Do not include poor grades or failures. Professional qualifications Only include those that are still current. Training Only include training that is relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Interests
Only include interests that are unusual or which indicate transferable skills, achievements or responsibilities. Reasons For Applying This finishes the CV off with a concluding statement and puts the application into context. Don't imply you are out to gain advantage to yourself such as "I would like to join the company to gain additional experience". Instead, concentrate on what you have to offer, "my experience at......would be useful to the company because............."

Finally
Your CV should be available soft copy or on good quality plain white A4 paper. Do not use double sides. Only fold once and enclose an SAE.

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Some employers actively look for reasons not to employ you. It is easier to find flaws in a person and decide which candidates have the least, rather than compare their skills and achievements. This is why it is important to show them only weaknesses you want them to see.

In CV writing it is important to understand what will be considered to be a weakness in the job you are applying for. One job's weakness is another job's strength. A weakness or a perceived weakness by a recruiter can have a huge impact on your chance to be called for an interview.

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It has never been easier to get free CV templates and samples that you can download or use from the Internet. Hundreds of websites offer free CV templates but many job seekers that have used them were disappointed with the lack of positive responses from the potential employers.

These samples or templates normally look alike, which makes it difficult for recruiters to distinguish between the candidates. The original CV stands out among the thousands of preformatted CVs.

Disadvantages

Considering the fact that your CV is your introduction or even distant answer to possible interview questions, then you should try to stand out. Most of the preformatted CVs don't offer you this opportunity.

You can use a sample if you only use the basic outline and advice, but you must be creative and changes fonts, colors and where needed, make changes to the lay-out to fit your application.

When can you use free CV templates?
Use the samples or templates when you have just graduated or don't have experience in job searching. You can even use the templates when you have written several resumes without success. The samples should be used to get an understanding of what recruiters look for, the type of information that should be includes and excluded, as well as proper style and format guidelines. Create your own CV after you have practiced with some of the free CV templates.

Advantages

• It provides you insight to what tools and writing styles the other work seekers will use; thus the standard. Always aim higher than the standard.
• It provides an outline of the format so that the recruiter can find the relevant information at a glance.
• It can be used as a guideline to what information is needed and what the current trend in job applications is.

The recruiter will judge you on the appearance of you CV. If it lacks signs of originality and creative thinking, you may not get the interview even when you are the best candidate for the job.

Most recruiters have piles of CVs to evaluate and have limited time for the assessment. They normally scan through the stack of résumés or CVs and throw out anything that is not interesting enough. Only the shortlist bunch gets a second look. The whole process is based on the content, format, lay-out and originality. It is thus worth the effort to be original.

The three stages of selection can be summarized in the following way:

The first glance

A recruiter will glance at the first page of each CV and if it seems worth keeping, he will also have a quick look at the second page. The longest CVs normally end up in the bin unless a full history of the candidate is required. The CV must be three or less pages. CVs without an introduction or quick summary of the candidate and the skills or relevant qualifications also get a place in the trash can. Long descriptive paragraphs and sentences earmark the CV for the bin. Poor formatting and grammar mistakes are also frowned upon. After the first glance there are usually only a third of the CVs left.

The second glance

If your CV made it to this point, you already have a 30% chance of getting to the interview. The recruiter has another look at each CV to establish whether the applicant's skills, qualifications, career history and motivation match the job requirements. The recruiter must be able to identify this from the first page of the resume or CV.

The in-depth look

The remaining CV's are scanned and then matched with all the criteria. The CV's are not thrown out any longer but the best possible candidates are picked.

The final examination

It is only at this stage that the recruiter examines the content from the rest of the CV in more detail and is looking for those skills, signs of innovative thinking, leadership, trustworthiness, and specific achievements that make the candidate right for the specific job.

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Normally the first mistake in writing a CV stems from the lack of experience in selling yourself on paper. Job seekers constantly focus on their previous duties and their future expectations. The recruiter has to sift through pages of non-relevant biographical data to find some indication of why the particular candidate is the ideal person for the job. The difference between getting an interview and an extremely long job search lies in the content, lay-out, and professionalism portrayed through the CV.

• Examples, templates, guidelines and advice on good CV writing and cover letters.
• Guidance on interviews
• Career advice
• International job resources
• Information on how to post a CV online
• Specific types of CVs such as the chronological, targeted, functional or combination types
• Assistance with weaknesses
  

Resume writing for different countries and business cultures

Most recruiters won't give a second glance at a CV with spelling mistakes, cluttered pages and irrelevant information. The team at CvTips.com teaches candidates the secrets of good CV writing, avoiding mistakes, and assists in customizing the CV to be relevant for the current global business environment.

The CV is by and large the only document a recruiter has to evaluate the job candidate before the interview. It should thus distinguish you from other candidates. A person may fail to get the interview because the CV said more about what the company can do for the worker, than what the candidate can contribute to the enterprise. The CV should reflect your biggest accomplishments and must be concise enough to glance through and get a good impression of your abilities. Too long CV's don't get read and vague and general descriptions will not suffice.

Employers and providers are looking for the following:

• Transferable skills and job proficiency that comes from experience
• Tactical and strategic planning capabilities
• Resourcefulness and analytical thinking skills
• Good verbal, and writing communication skills
• The ability to manage and delegate tasks
• Reliability and trustworthiness
• Originality and determination to succeed
• Leadership qualities

Companies are no longer desperate to find the right employees since the demand for jobs far outweigh the supply. Whereas job seekers could afford to provide general CVs in the past, they now have to write targeted CV's. The functional CV is more effective than a long formal job description. The American type resume is now more popular than a three or four page CV of a few years ago. Recruiters in the digital economy have limited time and thus only scan through the information. Bulleted lists of achievements and possible contributions to the company make it easier to select the right candidate.

The CV of today must have an introduction in the form of a summary of how the candidate can add value to the company. The document should also end in a sketch of the candidate's skills, achievements, assets, and experience.

The Internet has opened a new recruitment style and the possibility to hire people from around the globe; making the CV even more important as the first impression tool. We can expect an increase in Internet recruitment and as such more emphasis will be placed on shorter and e-mail or online friendly resumes.

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Many times organizations will ask for a one-page summary CV. This means that they need to know only the matter which is strictly relevant to the job they are offering and hence you need to keep this in mind when you write your CV. The one page summary CV is a perfect letter of introduction when large companies invite for recruitment. In this case a great number of CVs will be received and the person who will need to short-list the CVs will have very little time to peruse the resume - sometimes as little as 6 seconds only. In this case, a brief and to-the-point one page summary resume would be ideal.

Many times organizations will ask for a one-page summary CV. This means that they need to know only the matter which is strictly relevant to the job they are offering and hence you need to keep this in mind when you write your CV. The one page summary CV is a perfect letter of introduction when large companies invite for recruitment. In this case a great number of CVs will be received and the person who will need to short-list the CVs will have very little time to peruse the resume - sometimes as little as 6 seconds only. In this case, a brief and to-the-point one page summary resume would be ideal.

A one-page summary CV will also be a good idea when you are sending a speculative request for a job, i.e. when you apply to a company for any suitable opening. A brief cover letter explaining you plus points and preferences followed by a summary CV would gain you enough curiosity to be called for an interview, if vacancies exist.

What should be included in the one-page summary CV?

• 1. Educational qualification (with the highest degree mentioned first) - written in tabular form to take the least space without compromising on information
• 2. Experience (in reverse chronology) highlighting those aspects which are the best match for the job you are applying
• 3. Important and job-pertaining extra skills (technical or soft skills or both) - mention here only those skills which can add value to your CV and not everything you did from college till date
• 4. Personal details (remember to include only those particulars which are strictly necessary)

Keep in mind that when you are required to write a one-page summary resume - it should be just that, i.e. a summary. Not only it should be as brief as possible, it should also be as perfectly matched as possible to be effective. In order to write this successfully, first make a list of all the qualities and skills you possess on a piece of paper. Also draw up a list of what skills/ qualities the job for which you are applying would need. Identify those skills which are the closest matches and cut out the rest.

Concentrate to cover the best part of the paper with your educational qualifications, skills and experience, keeping the least space for the personal details which should be limited to the must-have-information level only.

Whether you need to submit a one-page resume or a two-page CV, always ensure that it has a cover letter which:

• 1. is addressed to the right person (by name and/or designation)
• 2. has a subject line where the post applied for is clearly mentioned (in case it is a speculative CV, then indicate your preference such as marketing department, or backend office, or R&D department, etc)
• 3. is types in the same type set as the CV
• 4. gives a brief introduction to self and explains the reasons why you are applying for the job
• 5. is friendly and invites attention to the CV
• 6. expresses clearly a sincere wish to join the company in a suitable capacity

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Your CV is the only thing that the employer has in hand that will give hime an impression about you. Hence, everything in a CV - the paper, the presentation, the language, and the overall looks - describes you.

• 1. The paper you use for the CV should be of a decent quality; while you should not really count your pennies when you purchase the paper, you should not go overboard either. Too shabby or too gaudy papers will have the same result - impression of bad taste
• 2. Use only blue or black ink for printing your CV; never use red to highlight and though there are no rules against using other colors, it does not leave a good impression if the CV is sent in green, violet or any other fancy colors; for highlighting, use bold face. However, if you are applying for an copy writer job, or a TV advertising job or anything creative, the more artistic you do your CV the better, because it will showcase your talent along with your qualifications
• 3. The cover letter should match the CV paper and letters type-set
• 4. Do not use typeset smaller than 11 pts because it makes it difficult to read; use Arial, Times New Roman as font. Do not use handwriting or any artistic fonts for the CV
• 5. The standard margins for the CV should be 1 in on all sides; in case you need you may reduce the side margins to maximum 0.5; ensure that the typed matter is in the center of the page
• 6. Check for typographical errors manually, as many times automatic spell checks create major howlers; if you want to use a new word use a dictionary, but avoid as much as possible to use words that you are not sure about; you may not get the right connotation as the reader will know that you are not familiar with the word
• 7. What the CV should include depends very much upon what the job entails. The following are some of the must-include contents:

• a. Start with a two-three sentence overview (your skills, your exceptional qualities, future plans and hopes) which will egg the employer read on
• b. Educational qualifications
• c. Additional training (technical training or soft skills)
• d. Work experience (in reverse chronology, with the last job you had, mentioned first)
• e. Additional responsibilities (outside your designation and/or job description - if pertaining to the job applied)
• f. Job specific skills which you possess (only if pertaining to the job)
• g. Personal details (name, sex, address, phone numbers, email id, date of birth, marital status, and so on)
• h. Interests (be brief here, unless it is something that will enhance the skills required by the job)
• i. References are most of the times a guarantee you offer that what you say stands true; provide two (and inform the people you name as references about it) or inform that you will provide if asked

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There are many ways to write a CV correctly and what is the information that should go in it. The following guidelines will give you a good idea of what you should do to create a winning CV.

• 1. Some times the region or the country or even the company has a prescribed order of presentation. Ensure you have the right style of presentation, because if they are used to see the CVs in some order and they get it in another, they will not have the patience or time to reorganize their thoughts to follow your style of presentation, and your CV will be summarily rejected.
• 2. Treat your CV as an advertisement for yourself. Why should the employer choose you? Put this question to yourself and write the CV in such a way that answer should be evident. (For example the employer wants a good PR Manager, what skills would be attractive, what qualifications would be attractive, what achievements would be most impressive for this profile, what traits would be best for this job, etc all these should be highlighted and clearly evident in your CV).
• 3. Be as much to-the-point as possible; the employer would have to go through some hundred CVs in one hour, or some times even less than that - hence the time for perusing one CV would be about 5-6 seconds. In 6 seconds the employer should get the relevant information from your CV so he/she can decide whether you are suitable or not. Your CV will have only 6 seconds to make an impression.
• 4. Before you send your application (CV) to the job, ask a senior person or colleague preferably in the same line in which you are applying, to go through your CV in 10 seconds and get their feedback; do they see you as a suitable candidate? If it is not obvious to them, your CV may not be written as efficiently as you would have wanted it to be. Redo it incorporating the critiques received.
• 5. To make your CV completely tailor-made for the job (and enhance your chance as the best match) you need to:
• a. Research about the job in general (what it involves as responsibility, qualifications, growth, and goals)
• b. Research about the company (its goals, its products, its financial get-up, its past success, its future plans)
• c. Research about the description of the job in the present company (from present employees, ex-employees, direct approach or the Internet)
• d. A good source for all the above are the company's own public report, news and website in the past 1-2 years
• 6. If you have publications, a long list of training programs attended, out-of-the-way job descriptions that would impress the employer for the present job, and the like annex the details to the CV.

You will know your CV is a winner, if it matches the requirements almost to the T or it gives it a little extra in terms of qualifications or experience or traits.

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The bottom line for you to write a CV is to get the job you are applying for, which makes this document a very important one. Hence, a good CV will never be generalized like an all-purpose application. It would be rather very target specific written specially with that organization in mind, matching your best talents and qualification with the particular job's requirement. In other words, the CV should make it obvious to the prospective employer that you are the right candidate for the job. Remember that your CV is actually a key to the interview. Unless the reader feels interested enough from reading your CV, your key will not work; and unless you reach the interview stage, you cannot hope to get the job.

Hence, the CV should be written from the point of view of the reader. Also be aware that the prospective employer may get hundreds of applications hence the ones which are best organized and brief will hold his/her attention. Keep the following guidelines in your mind when you write your CV:

• The CV should be accurate and correct
• Your contact information should be clearly visible on the first page of the CV
• Your CV should be typed in a easy-to-follow format, i.e. the headlines should be indented and highlighted so as to catch the attention of the reader easily (this is very helpful when a person wants to get a fast look at your CV)
• The best way to write about your experience, is to write is backwards, i.e. the last job you had first and then the rest backwards chronologically
• Though sometimes your achievements need to be elaborated to bring out the best fit, preferably they should be listed in a bullet point format. The bullet points should act as headlines in case you need expansion
• Have a 'why do I feel I am suitable right candidate for the job' headline on the very first page, where you can give summarize the relevant information for the benefit of the employer
• If you have had any skills development training, or additional hands-on experience be sure to include it in your CV
• Your qualification should be presented clearly and concisely starting with the highest degree and working backwards
• Give two unrelated references (when you do inform the person thus names so they would be prepared if the prospective employer contacts them) or mention that references would be provided if required
• Do not forget to write your areas of personal interest, such as hobbies
• In case you know other languages, and/or have additional skills which do not fall in the purview of the job your are applying for, write them under 'other information'; the more you knowledge you have the more valuable you will look - even if it does not have direct bearing on the present job

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The basic function of a CV is to present relevant information about yourself to the prospective employer. Though the definition sounds simple, there are a lot of angles to the presentation of a CV or curriculum vitae or biodata as is commonly known, which mostly depends upon what type of a job you are applying for. However, whatever be the type of the CV, the basics would remain constant. A good CV:

A good CV should :

• Be preceded by a neat cover letter which is addressed by name or authority (designation) to the person who is in charge of recruiting or the chief of the organization (be careful here that you have right name, it is spelled right, and has the right and exact designation); the cover letter should summarize in two-five lines why you think you would be fit for the job showcasing your best talents to match the requirements of the job (and add a little extra)
• Represent accurately all the relevant to the job information (personal and professional)
• Be crisp and highly informative (make sure you do not have any long winding sentences while describing experience and other traits)
• Be written well to make an interesting reading for the prospective employer, highlighting you best achievements (avoid tabulated form unless the information requires it, such as your education)
• Highlight your match to the job through relevant experience, qualification and personal traits (some examples are, good communication skills, friendliness, dependability, fast learning ability, etc)
• Be tailor made (or rather written) to match the exact requirements of the proposed job, to the best possibility
• Follow the standard format of the country or region, such as the order of the presentations of information (in some places the personal information precedes all other information, while in many places this is presented at the end)
• Written in impeccable language (which ever language the CV is written) grammatically
• Absolutely free of any spelling errors (as a matter of fact this is one of the highest quoted reasons for rejection of the CV)
• Preferably typed neatly on good quality paper; if typing is not possible, it should be written neatly in legible handwriting (there should be no cuts or additions on the handwritten page)
• Preferably give two good unrelated references or mention that references may be given on request

A good CV will not only be tailor made for the job you are applying for, will also match carefully all your talents and capabilities to the requirements of the job specifically and the goals of the company overall. Your CV should make your candidature for the job look like it is a win-win situation to the company to employ you, i.e. the company will profit from engaging you just as much as you would profit from being part of the company.

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If you are applying for various jobs but which are all in the same industry, you could write a profile that applies to all jobs in that particular industry. However it is preferable if you write your personal profile for each individual position.

If the profile is tailor-made to the job vacancy then the employer will read the rest of the CV whilst bearing in mind that you are a possible match. A personal profile on your CV is a teaser or hook so the employer will investigate you more by reading the rest of your CV.

Keywords are a powerful tool in your CV and should be used! Use keywords to summarize your experience. Keywords will also help ensure that your CV comes up when employers search in their CV databases.

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Successfully applying for a job means showing your employer that you are mores suitable than the other candidates. Job application numbers for a particular vacancy vary from tens to hundreds. You will usually need to be short-listed among the first twenty in order be offered an interview. Only CVs that have impressed the employer will make it to this stage.

When recruiting people, employers reduce the CV list to around forty to fifty candidates. The difference between the chosen candidates and the others is a well presented CV and cover letter.

What did they do differently?

The way they presented their achievements. In this tutorial we will explain how you can word your achievements in a more suitable manner. Employers are attracted to achievements because they want the applicant to repeat them in their own business.

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