Think of your CV as a short list of facts about you and your work history, skills and experience. A good CV is essential when looking for work and it is worth spending the time to get it right so that it sells you to an employer. Employers regularly receive many CVs for each available job and so having a professional quality CV is vital if you are not to be filtered out of the hiring process before you even have an interview.
There are no absolute rules, so please accept this advice from an experienced recruiter:
Flashy CV designs are 100% guaranteed to hit the rubbish bin immediately. Avoid text effects, colours, boxes and unusual fonts because the recruiter simply cannot process them.
Concentrate on the most recent, most senior and most complex functions in your employment history.
Check your CV for incorrect spellings and factual errors. Then check it again. Then ask someone else to check it. Errors make you look careless and disorganised.
Write a great cover letter, tailored specifically to each job you apply for.
What should be in your CV:
Basic contact information - name, address, email address, contact phone number
A personal profile – this is a short statement at the beginning of your CV to sell yourself – your skills, experience and personal qualities
Experience - put your employment history in date order, starting with the most recent
Education (Recent graduates may put this at the top)
Keep it short and clear - the most important information, such as your key skills and recent experience, needs to be near the top, where it can be seen straight away.
Make it look good - clear, attractive presentation is important if your CV is to stand out. Use bullet points and keep the sentences relatively short. Use plain white paper and black ink. Use a clear font, ideally 10/12 point. Make headings bold and use space to break up the page. Don't bother with binders and folders - these will often be discarded straight away, as they get in the way.
Things to leave out of your CV:
Photos – unless you are a model or performer.
Any sort of failure - this covers exams, marriages, businesses, etc.
Every summer or Saturday job you've ever had.
References - these needn't be mentioned in your CV.
Reasons for leaving each job - these are often negative points and can easily be misunderstood.
Very personal information - don't include your age, DOB, weight, height, health, sex, race or marital status. It's irrelevant and some facts could be used in a discriminatory way.
Jargon and abbreviations - avoid using any information that won't be understood by someone outside your job or organisation.