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Help with your CV

CV stands for Curriculum Vitae which means the story of your life. It should read more like a fact sheet though, than a story. Short, sweet and straight to the point is best. It’s there to make a potential employer’s life easier so it needs to highlight your strengths, experience, education and qualifications quickly and clearly.

How to make your CV read well


  • Keep it simple. Keep it plain. Keep it short. Remember, it's a fact sheet.
  • Begin with your personal details (name, address, etc.).
  • Focus on what you have to offer.
  • Don't start with a paragraph that says you're a good team player, have plenty of initiative and are hard working, honest and reliable. Almost every CV has this at the top. Most employers completely ignore it.
  • List your work experience on the first page (start with most recent and work backwards).
  • Add only relevant education details (employers don't care what primary school you went to).
  • Don't refer to yourself in the third person (‘Ian Brown is motivated, hard working and a good communicator’).
  • Keep it to 2 pages (3 pages if absolutely essential).
  • Be prepared to adapt your CV for each vacancy.
  • Use employers, rather than someone like your neighbour, as referees.
  • Spell check everything carefully. CVs with spelling mistakes give a terrible impression.
  • Print it on plain, white, good quality paper.