Job seekers often ask us how to produce the best CV and, in particular, what the employer is looking for.

The best CV’s we have seen are often the most simple. Remember what the employer really is looking for is information. The most important work experience is going to be the most recent or most relevant to the role you have applied for.

Five key points to consider:

1. Include the dates (i.e. March 2003 to February 2006) with the most recent role at the beginning and then work backwards through your experience.
2. Elaborate on the previous 10 years only. If you have more than 10 years experience then summarise the rest of your experience giving the date, place of work and position held only. Try to keep the CV to a 4 page maximum length.
3. Keep it simple – list the specific job functions (4 - 5 bullet points should do it)
4. Spelling - spell check everything as mistakes are very noticeable.
5. Formatting - use a clear, easy-to-read font and that the document looks tidy. Avoid putting words in capital letters as it makes the text hard to read

The most important thing in your CV is that the information provided is easy to find, clear and readable. This is a good opportunity to show your writing style and formatting skills – keep it simple. Your CV is always going to be a ‘work-in-progress’ so it’s good to update it every now and then and keep a hard copy in a safe place.
 
Here is a simple CV format click here to get you started in the right direction.