Your CV
Your CV is an essential career document needed to represent you effectively in the job market. A good CV will considerably boost your chances of getting a face-to-face interview by highlighting relevant skills, experience and value to a potential employer.

Each CV is as individual as the jobseeker it belongs to. However, by following some basic principles you will be able to present the information in a clear, concise and persuasive way.You may need to put together more than one CV if you intend to apply for different types of job in different sectors. This will enable you to emphasize the particular achievements, skills, experience and personal qualities that a particular employer is looking for. It is usually possible to tell what an employer is looking for from the job advertisement or job description - alternatively, you may need to research the role and the company yourself to ensure that your CV has the right focus.

Content
An employer will expect to find information covering the following areas.

Personal details - include your name, address, phone numbers and email address. You may wish to add details of your nationality, birth date and driving license, but these are not obligatory.

Work experience - list the most recent experience first, continuing in reverse chronological order. Describe your work experience in short sentences using straightforward, positive language. As well as describing the jobs, highlight any general abilities you were required to demonstrate.

Education - list brief details of qualifications - GCSEs, A-levels, degree - along with grades attained. Applicants looking for their first job since school, college or university can include their education information above their work experience.

Skills - include specific skills such as IT skills or languages.

References - it is usual to provide the names and contact details of two referees, one of which should be your most recent employer. Graduates and school leavers with limited work experience can nominate college lecturers, teachers or managers during work experience. Be sure to tell your referees of this in advance.

Hobbies - including details of your interests away from the workplace is optional. By adding details of specific hobbies, you are giving an employer a more rounded picture of your personal qualities, but don't overdo it. Let's face it - if your skills and experience haven't already convinced a recruiter to offer you an interview, they won't change their mind by learning you enjoy golf or cinema.

Presentation
Ensuring your CV is well presented is as important as including all the relevant information. Most employers see hundreds of CVs and yours may get less than a minute of their time.