We are all aware how important it is to have the perfect CV, it is, after all, a potential employer's first introduction to you but how do you go about writing it? What information should you include and what should you leave out? We at AllRegionalJobs want to assist you in maximising your possibility of getting that excellent so here are hints for making the right first impression.

The Basics

We know it's obvious but a Curriculum Vitae (CV) should always be typed to give it the best ease of read possible. It should also be well laid out. Think about how it appears on the page. There should be obvious headings and breaks between details. A potential employer will probably look through loads of CVs for a job so they should be able to see the important information at a glance before short listing it for a more thorough read through. A inadequately laid out CV which is hard to read will probably end up in the bin.

Personal Statement

The majority employers would like a CV to commence with a personal statement as it permits them to see immediately what you are about. What should this include?

• Who are you and what have you been doing in terms of work? What have you found most rewarding about previous jobs?


• What do you want to do? What are your goals?


• How are you going to go about achieving these goals?


• What are your key skills? What can you bring to a potential employer?

Make sure you give these questions real thought before you decide upon the answers as they are likely to be questioned at interview. Here's an example of the type of thing might want to say say:

' I am clever, a conscientious worker and determined about any challenges I take on. My careerto date has all been extremely customerfocused and I have found this to be very enjoyable. I have spent the last eight years in a sales environment and I find enjoyable the contact with different sorts of people this brings. I feel I am intelligent and would like the chance to use. During my time at Joe Bloggs' Estate Agents I very much enjoyed learning lots about the procedural and legal avenues of the conveyancing process and felt that I took to it quickly. I am especially keen to take on a challenging position with opportunities to advance and train where possible. I am also very IT proficient and really take pleasure using computers as part of my working life.'

Education

The next section should be your education if it is especially relevant to the job for which you are applying. For example, if you have a degree in French and you are applying for a multilingual position then it is useful to state this first. However, if you believe your educational history is not especially significant and you are applying on the importance of your experience then it is worth possibly putting your work history first.

Your education should be put in reverse order with the most recent education received at the top. It is not necessary to go into huge detail here, purely state where you studied and what grades you achieved. It is not necessary to put the dates of study if you do not want to as, under the Age Discrimination Act, you are not obliged to make any reference to your age and this includes dates from which your age may be determined. Remember to include information of any additional certificates you might have be awarded which may be relevant to the position.

Work History

Like education, it must be laid out in reverse order, the most recent or current employment at the beginning. You should give the name of the business and the period of time you were employed (this does not have to be dates but you should indicate for how much time you were employed in that role). It is also important to indicate where the employer was based, e.g. the South. You should also clearly indicate what your job title was. Underneath explain briefly what your job role was and your main tasks. This should help a potential employer decide whether your experience makes you right for their position. Try to be succinct and keep it to only relevant information.

It is not a good idea to put your salary for each position undertaken on your CV as this can cause an employer to make assumptions about your suitability for a position and make negotiating your salary, where applicable, more difficult. Similarly the same could also be said for putting your salary expectation on your CV.

Other Information

It is not uncommon for people to put a little bit of personal information, such as hobbies, on their CV. It is advisable to keep this to a minimum. You should, however, state whether you hold a driving licence and whether you own your own car etc.

It is not always the case that employers like to see photos on a CV. For most positions it is unnecessary to include a photo but if you want to it ought to be passport photo sized and professional looking.

Spelling and Punctuation

It is vital that you make sure all spelling and punctuation are correct. Literacy is often highly required to employers so use the 'Spell Check' function on your computer.

Second Opinion

Ask someone to read through your CV. Ask them to confirm that it looks presentable and easy to read. They should also check your spelling and grammar.

Covering Letter

When applying for a vacancy you should include a covering letter. This should indicate why you are applying for this job in particular and a small amount about the experience and/or skills you have which would be significant to them (avoid repeating too much from the CV itself).

Each Job is Different

Don't forget that it may not be 'one CV fits all', it's worth spending a few moments reviewing your CV before each time you submit it to make sure it makes the biggest impact for each particular vacancy. You may want to think about changing some information, particularly your personal statement, to suit the job description.