CV Tips

A Curriculum Vitae is the first impression received by a prospective employer and first impressions are vital. It is essential that the information is accurate, realistic and positive.

• Your CV should be clear, concise and easy to read. A 2 page CV is the ideal length, 3 pages is acceptable.
• The CV itself can be broken down into 3 main sections. Personal; Education and Qualification; Career.

Personal Details
• Ensure correctness of name, address, include telephone numbers at home and work, date of birth, and driving license if applicable.

Education and Qualifications
• This section should contain details of secondary and further education including dates, establishments, qualifications and grades.
• University degree and diploma should also be noted with relevant dates and should include your class of degree attained.
• Also include professional qualifications, method of study (Note first time passes).

Career
• The bulk of this section should be dedicated to current and recent employment. Concentrate on achievements as well as duties.
• You should note all the positions you have had (most recent first) including dates, company names, industry sector and turnover, job title, duties and achievements. Also include details of computer systems experience and any training courses attended.

Current Employment
• As much detail as possible is vital with regard to experience. The exact specifics of type of transactions; types of clients; level of client contact; degree of supervision; whether team orientated or autonomous; quality of transactions, and volume of percentage split of workload should all be detailed.

Past Employment

Brief details of any previous employment will, again, give a fuller picture. They are not, however, as important so less detail is needed.

It is also worth pointing out that if there are any gaps - times taken to travel abroad, a year out of a degree and so on, these should be highlighted and explained so as to leave no detail uncovered. Best of luck!