A CV should be well written and presented professionally in order to catch our eye. Here are a few simple rules which you should always follow – and could dramatically increase your chances of success.
Here’s our list of CV layout dos and dont's;
CV do's
Keep it short and sweet
Keep it up to date
Tailor your CV to the role
Choose your font wisely - keep it professional
Have work experience in a logical order. Use clear section headings (e.g. work experience, education) and a reverse chronological order to keep things clear and easily legible
Play to your strengths. Format your CV to maximise the impact of your application
Use bullet points
Include contact details, keep email address professional ([email protected] won’t do)
Keep formatting consistent
Ask someone to check for typos - we’re all human, it happens. But try to avoid it if possible
Explain gaps in your CV
CV dont's
Be afraid of white space. Remember: Sometimes less is more
Try to include too much. The ideal CV should be a checklist of all of your accomplishments and should be no more than 2-3 pages long
Include irrelevant information. Before including any points in your application, ask the same question: will it help you get the role
Experiment with size i.e. Arial 11 or Calibri 12 will do. Steer clear of Comic Sans. Making your font larger or smaller to fit onto a page is never a good idea