What is a CV?
CV stands for Curriculum Vitae and is an outline of your employment & educational history and personal details. Your CV is likely to be the first thing that a potential employer sees about you so it deserves appropriate thought, preparation and compilation.
This is your ‘sales and marketing’ tool so your CV needs to be presentable in order to gain you interviews for the roles that you are applying for. A well presented CV can be the difference between obtaining an interview and landing in the ‘No’ pile.
Always ensure that your CV is up to date and includes all of your relevant experience and remember to use ‘spell check’!
How long should it be?
Ideally your CV should be no longer than two pages long. If you are just starting out in your career then one page will suffice. If you have more experience then try not to go over three pages, if you have a position held over ten years ago then only the company name, job title and one line to describe your key duties are needed.
The length of your CV should be based on your experience and the job that you are seeking. Remember to keep it concise and be honest. Employer’s typically spend around 30 seconds scanning CVs so use bullet points to get their attention and use bold font to highlight job titles and key skills.
Your CV should not be an autobiography; it should be an overview to your career so far. Make the employer feel that they want to invite you in for interview to find out more!
