A CV ‘Curriculum Vitae' – Latin for ‘life story' is a brief summary of your education, experiences, accomplishments and skills, created to capture a prospective employer's interest. You can write your CV for a variety of reasons; however, the most common is to apply for a new job.

Remember that a CV is not meant to be an autobiography detailing your entire life experiences! Its primary function is to get you an interview. So, it should highlight your strengths and accomplishments and be your sales and marketing tool to get you an interview. 

Your CV is a very important document; with it rest your hopes and dreams for the future therefore it has to represent the best you have to offer if you do not want to miss out on that job you saw which was 'perfect' for you.

These days, employers often receive a lot of CVs for each advertised position. So your CV has to be just that little bit special to stand out if you want to obtain interviews. The good news (for you) is that most people do not know how to write a CV and only spend a short time preparing one. Writing professional CVs is a skill, and this is a chance for you to start acquiring this skill.

What to include in your CV

Write your full name (If your name does not obviously show if you are male or female, include this). Include your nationality, date of birth and your marital status. Write your home address and provide a phone number where you can be reached at all times with area codes. If you have an e-mail address write it down.

An objective Statement or a Personal Profile is a two or three sentence overview of your skills, qualities, hopes, and plans. It should encourage the employer to read the rest.

List all jobs held full or part time, paid or unpaid. This should be in reverse chronological order starting with your most recent job and working backwards . For each job you held don't forget to identify the skills you acquired and used. Make sure you list all Dates and to give the name of your Employers, Job Title, Your Key Tasks and Responsibilities.

Give places of education where you have studied - most recent education first, and mention dates. Include any special project, thesis, or dissertation work.

List your professional qualifications or membership of professional associations with their related dates.

List any work related training courses which you attended, including company courses and any you attended on your own initiative with their dates. List a qualification if it was obtained on any course.

List your ability in computing experience, languages and memberships of relevant clubs or societies. List any computer skills you have, including the make and type of equipment you are familiar with, the software and operating system used. If relevant to your next job include your typing or shorthand speeds. If you have foreign language skills which may be relevant for any jobs which you are applying for, list them and indicate your level of fluency: fluent, good working knowledge, etc.

List your interests, hobbies and any sports you play. List any positions of responsibility you hold or have held in any club or organization, and say what your responsibilities and achievements were. If you have been involved in any type of volunteer work, do give details.

Include the names and contact details of three references – It's preferable they would be teachers from your place of study, or previous managers from any work situation you have had.

Every time that you send out your CV you will need to send out a cover letter with it, whether you are sending your CV in response to an advert or direct to an employer or recruiter. This cover letter needs to tell the person you are sending it to why they should read your CV. A cover letter needs to tell the person why you are writing to them and outline why you are the ideal candidate for the job. You need to pick out the highlights from your CV that is relevant to this specific application.

What not to include in your CV

Don't include your religion.

Don't include any political affiliations.

Don't include weight, height, health, or any other personal information that is irrelevant to your application.

Don't include reasons for leaving each job.

Don't show your existing salary or expected salary.

Don't include any negatives or anything critical, any poor grades or unfortunate experiences, any sort of failure – exams, marriages, etc.

Don't include humor.

Don't add your signature to your CV.

General tips

Keep your CV brief ; two pages plus a cover letter is usually sufficient. You have one minute at most to make an impact on the reader.

Keep your CV relevant ; start at the present day and work backwards. The first job you mention must be clearly relevant to the one you are seeking, so you need to outline the similarities between the two and not leave the task to your potential employer.

Do not use poor quality photocopies of your CV - they make it look as though you are sending off your CV to lots of companies and that you may not be too bothered who you work for. Print to good quality plain white A4 paper only.

You may add a photo to your CV only when it's required.

Facts behind rejecting CVs