Your CV has one job and one job only. It must sell you as a potential employee to the reader, who will then invite you to an interview. As your sales document to your potential employer, the first impression of your CV is vitally important. You must remember that the person reading your CV has probably got a hundred other CVs to consider, so if you do not immediately catch the reader's attention, then your chance of getting an interview is greatly reduced.

If you have e-mail and an address to send it to, then it is important to do this as this is current technology. If you are responding initially by writing, you should provide a neatly handwritten covering letter highlighting, briefly why your CV is relevant and why you are the perfect candidate for the advertised position. If you do insist on providing a type written covering letter then make it a good. Concise, well laid out and argue your case strongly.

Perhaps this is the most important lesson to be learnt for any CV… be concise! Your CV should no more than two pages and should not be tiny sized printing to cram it on. Remember that the interviewer will be reading dozens of CV and yours should be easy to read and to the point. If you put in too many details you will baffle them, if you put in too little you may have something to hide? There is always a happy medium. The type size should be no smaller than 10pt and the text should use decent borders without cramming the words right the very edge of each page. To highlight new sections use bold text or rule, try to avoid italics within the text as this may confuse and do not use dozens of typefaces - one should be quite sufficient! However, do not be minimalist as you new employer does want to know enough to make a positive decision.

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