Expert advice: Standout CVs

Here are our top ten tips to creating a standout CV:

1. First of all, it’s really worth putting as much effort as you can into preparing a CV. Employers need to have the right information about you – it’s not a guessing game.

2. Make sure your CV includes skills/words relevant to the job you’re applying for, even if that means you have to modify each one.

3. Include details of your key skills, your outstanding achievements and a personal profile.

4. Keep personal information brief, perhaps an e-mail and contact number.

5. Your CV is the first thing a potential employer will see about you, so presentation is really important. Keep the same layout for each job detail, be consistent with line spacing and use the same font through-out.

6. Use subheadings (in bold) to split up the different sections.

7. Don’t use too much colour on your CV; keep it easy on the eye.

8. Keep your CV to one or two sides of A4 at the most.

9. Don’t include a picture of yourself. It can create the wrong impression.

10. Finally, always use a covering letter, addressed to a named person if possible, which outlines why you’re applying.