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Top 10 tips for producing a better CV
The following tips will help you produce a CV

1. Keep it short and concise.
The most important information, such as your key skills and recent experience, needs to be near the top, where it can be seen straightaway. You usually need to include are your Profile, Achievements, Experience, Special Skills (languages), Education, Training, and Interests. Your CV should normally be no more than two pages in length.

2. Make it look good
Clear, attractive presentation is also important if your CV is to stand out. Use bullet points and keep the sentences short. Plenty of 'white space' around the borders and between each section keeps the document easier on the eye.

3. Most recent first
Put your employment history in date order, starting with the most recent first. Don't go into detail about positions you held over 10 years ago.

4. Include facts
List your job duties beneath each position. List your achievements, responsibilities and results. Talk about results. Use numbers for achievements wherever possible, e.g. "Boosted sales by 20% in first year". Always write in a slightly formal manner and never use the word "I" - e.g. "Supervised the team" rather than "I supervised the team". Use the past tense for previous jobs and the present tense for your current job.

5. Not too many lists
Include specific skills, such as languages, administrative or computing skills, in a separate section in your CV. Do not relist them for every job you've used them in.

CV TIPS

6. Put some life into it
Employers want a sense of the kind of person you are, as well as what you can do. Are you punctual, conscientious, or motivated? Do you rise to a challenge? With each point you write, ask yourself "What does this say about me?"

7. Accuracy
Always check for errors. Run a spelling and grammar check and ask someone else to read it for you. Read it aloud to the dog. The employer isn't going to believe you're a good communicator if your CV is full of mistakes.

8. Adapt it
You don't have to use the same CV every time. You can have two or three versions, each for a different kind of job.

9. Send a covering letter
Unless asked, always send a covering letter. This should highlight the two or three areas of experience from your CV that are most relevant to the advertised job.

10. Be honest
Although you want to present yourself well, don't embellish the truth. It can easily backfire on you.