CV PREPARATION
Writing your CV can be a daunting task for anyone, however help is at hand!
General advice: - Keep your CV to a maximum of 3 pages - Use a type font that is easy to read - Do not try and make the CV too fancy - Do not have huge long paragraphs, it will bore the person reading it - Ensure the CV has the same format throughout
Personal Details
Ensure that you state all contact details. There is no need to state your date of birth, gender or marital status, this is entirely up to you.
Profile
It is always good to have a positive profile at the start of your CV, it will assist the reader to identify very quickly what you are looking for and what type of person you are. Make sure that the information that you state is honest, do not lie as you will be found out! Your profile should only contain information in relation to your employment and career to date.
Employment History
When listing your career to date ensure that you state very clearly your position and then simply detail your responsibilities and achievements. Make sure that all your dates tie-up and include any voluntary work / work placements. You do not have to state your reasons for leaving a position, this can be discussed at the interview. Your CV should detail employment in detail covering the past 10yrs if you wish to detail further back that this, simply state the company name and position. Do not ramble and type huge long paragraphs as this will bore the reader.
Education
When listing your education ensure that you state the establishment and dates. You do not have to detail grades. Include any academic prizes and give further detail to higher qualifications and degrees / university study.
References
You do not have to provide referencing information, simply state that the information will be provided upon offer of employment. If you cannot provide working references then you should provide details of character referees such as Magistrate, Police Officer, Solicitor someone who is in a profession and has known you for at least 2 years and can vouch for your integrity as a person.
Outside Interests
This is something you may wish to have on your CV, however it is not relevant. If you decide that you want to detail information, make sure it is honest and try and make it interesting it could be an excellent opening for personal dialogue! Do not include any trade union or political affiliations and do not include humour, you do not know the personality of the person you are sending it to.