Your CV is one of the most important documents you’ll ever use. A well-written CV can open doors and get you an interview. Contrastingly, a weak CV can slam those doors firmly shut.

We'd love to tell you that there’s a magic formula that will produce the "perfect" CV but alas, our scientists are still working on it. In the meantime though, we’ve put together a short guide that we hope might help you.

1. Achievements, achievements, achievements! Pack your CV full of achievements that tell the reader that they’d be crazy not to interview you. Numerous clients have told us that they will immediately discard a CV if they don’t see any achievements displayed on the first page of a CV. Harsh – yes, but employers want to recruit achievers NOT people who can proudly rehash their full job description. Employers care that you over-achieved your target, not that you were expected to "submit reports in a timely manner"!!! Point stressed? ACHIEVEMENTS!
2. Keep it brief. You might be hugely fond of "hill-walking in the Peak District every year with your wife of 10 years Debbie, and your two labradors, Jack and Jill, because it allows you to relax and recharge your batteries and...." oh dear, the reader’s asleep! Get the picture? It’s not relevant to your ability to do a good job. Employers want to recruit people who will bring skills and add value to their business. They won’t thank you for long paragraphs and irrelevant waffle so keep it brief where possible.
3. Does it "sell" you? Most employers will compare how you write your CV to how you would write a client letter, tender or proposal. Your CV is a sales document. If the reader doesn’t buy into you when studying your CV, then they won't want you writing important literature for their business. Would you want to meet the person described on the CV?
4. Focus on presentation. Take care on creating a CV that looks professional. You don’t have to be Leonardo Da Vinci, but it is worth creating a CV that is well-presented as it will create the right first impression.
5. Provide accurate information. "I can’t recall the specific dates I worked for that business so I'll make a rough guess. They won’t check, right?" WRONG! Increasing numbers of employers will use methods of checking employment dates, references and credit ratings and if you make mistakes or provide knowingly incorrect information on your CV or even in an interview, you might be deemed "untrustworthy" and lose the job you’ve fought so hard to win. Be open from the start as it could save you some pain in the long run.
6. Work backwards. The first role you describe in your CV should be your current or most recent role. Potential employers care about what you’ve been doing recently, not what you did when you had a part-time job whilst at college. Sell yourself on your recent career and simply give basic details about your earlier work history as it’s unlikely to help you secure the type of job you’re now looking for.
7. Page 1 is King. A number of super-busy employers simply won't read beyond the first page of a CV. Make sure this page has some key information that makes you irresistible i.e. key career achievements, major successes, impressive academic qualifications, other languages, specialist training experiences etc. Don't overdo it but make sure the reader can see from the first page that you're worth meeting.
8. Read, re-read, proof-read and check again. If your CV is littered with errors, then congratulations because you've achieved your goal of never getting a job interview. Employers take a dim view of people who can't present an accurate CV as it creates an image of a worker who doesn’t take pride or care in their work and would accept a job half-done. Basic spelling errors or mistyping can undo all the other great work you’ve done on your CV so keep checking - otherwise you might not be the "prefect" person for that job after all!