CV writing workshop: CV wizard

This step-by-step procedure consists of three parts. Firstly we'll introduce you to the CV summary page and tips for improving it. We've provided a CV template, making step two easier. Working from your old CV, you can fill in the relevant details and remove the unnecessary or outdated information. Finally we'll show you how to customise your CV for a specific job application.

There are two main styles of presenting a CV:

Chronological CVs are more traditional; they list previous employers and job roles in detail, and are suited to professionals who have a formal history of experience. Click here for a example.

Functional or skills CVs are better suited to contractors, graduates, people who have moved around a lot or taken time out to pursue charity work or similar activities. They are also useful when making a complete career change. These types of CVs are more descriptive and focus more on skills and direct experience. Click here for a example.

How long should my CV be?
The overwhelming opinion from recruiters is that a single summary page and a secondary page with employment history and education details is more than adequate.

For professionals, we recommend a combination of the two - a skills-based summary page, followed by a chronology of your experience. Begin by using your old CV as a starting point.

FACT: The longest CV we have received so far has been 14 pages!

The summary page
All modern CVs now include a summary page. This is a descriptive 'teaser' which outlines your main selling points and can give the recruiter an immediate overall impression of your suitability.

Remember that they may have received many CVs for a position, and can find it tiresome scouring through pages and pages of detail, often glossing over the important bits and ruling out your chances for an interview.

The summary page is a chance to make an impact, and it gives you a chance to show off your personality and personal attributes. If it is well presented and articulate, it will speak for itself.

To help you create some eye-catching sentences, we have compiled a list of power adjectives and adverbs. To access these, please click here.

Begin by including your contact details, letterhead style. Remember that space on this page is at a premium.

Profile
This is a descriptive overview of your professional profile. It occupies most of the summary page and consists of three key elements:

1. A descriptive introduction of your professional designation (e.g. a Chartered Accountant or web designer), backed up by key features of your professional self, and also including your immediate ambitions. Ideally this should be punchy, precise and no more than three (15-word) sentences.

2. Key skills, listed as bullet points. Eight points is sufficient, make sure they're relevant to the particular position and concisely written. This will include not only your formal training, but also workplace acumen (e.g. proven skilful negotiator). Make sure you quantify your results (e.g. increased turnover by 40 per cent), and be careful of meaningless phrases (e.g. good team player). Try to avoid single words spilling over on to a new line, this wastes space.

3. Achievements: these should be presented in the same manner as skills, although about three significant achievements are enough.

Experience
The next important part of your CV is your most recent or relevant work experience. The manner in which this is presented depends on which CV type you choose to use. Either way, you should leave enough space on the summary page to include at least the most important outline of your experience. The rest of your experience can follow on page two.

Note: Try not to clutter the summary page with too much detail. Clear use of bullet points and white space should effectively draw attention to a handful of key points that will prompt the recruiter to read on or even confirm an interview.

The Contents
The rest of the CV should ideally be no longer than two pages, although professionals with a long career history will need more.

The three sections are:

• Secondary experience
• Qualifications
• Personal summary

In order to squeeze everything in you're going to have to be ruthless. Qualifications and previous work experience that is unlikely to make a significant impact should be left out.

For instance, a complete list of 'O' levels isn't necessary if you've subsequently gone on to complete an MBA. Likewise full details of early job roles won't be read if you've made a career change, or if subsequent positions you've held have included far more important responsibilities.

Here are some details that you can leave out:

• Details of jobs held more than 10 years ago
• Minute details of more recent jobs
• Reasons for leaving a previous job
• Current and past salaries
• Failed examinations
• Nationality and age
• Details of referees
• Full details of hobbies and interests

Master copy
Before you take a red pen to your current CV, we suggest you create a master copy, including any detail which may be relevant to any application. This copy can be as long as you like because no one else is going to see it. The reason behind this is customising.

Shortly we will be discussing how to tailor each individual CV to the relevant application and it becomes much easier if we have this lengthy master copy to work from.

Work experience
This follows on directly from the summary page. Ideally you should aim to squeeze the details of your current or most important recent position onto the summary page, the rest can follow on the second page. Starting with the most recent jobs, or positions within the same company, list them according to the following example.

Job title
Using the official title may be misleading, therefore consider rewording it to more accurately describe your role.

The responsibilities section
This is clearly the most important section and will require some clever use of words to keep it brief yet informative. Use bullet points and remember that the aim is simply to catch the recruiter's attention. Elaboration can take place in the interview.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Avoid jargon
• Clearly state what you were accountable for
• Quantify and back up your claims
• Use positive and powerful language, but don't waffle (e.g. managed 50 active accounts, increased profit by 40 per cent in first 12 months ?)

Qualifications
This section should be quite brief, outlining only your most recent qualifications and any courses which are relevant to the new role.

Your highest professional qualification is the most important one (i.e. degree) and should be listed first. You may want to follow this with professional courses (e.g. Marketing management diploma), and reserve your secondary level qualifications (e.g. 'A' levels) for last. Details of older qualifications should be left out. Any other relevant courses can be listed below this.

PC skills
These have become an integral part of business management, and most office-based jobs for that matter. It is worth listing software with which you are proficient.

Layout
The name of the qualification should always be mentioned first, thereafter the order is usually determined by the most efficient use of space. Juggling long words is often necessary to optimise the use of each line. Remember to remain consistent.

Interests and additional information
Mentioning personal interests may be an unnecessary waste of space unless they are likely to show relevant skills which are relevant to your professional profile. Recruiters often take a glancing look at CV summaries for any other useful information. This is a good opportunity to mention other pertinent details that do not fit in to any of the above categories, e.g. chairman of local cricket club shows your leadership or organisational ability.

If you feel it will enhance your appeal you can include a one sentence descriptive personal summary at the end of your CV to show your character strengths, e.g. keen on health and fitness, read extensively on several subjects, local drama club. These show you're a regular person, with some personality and responsibility.

Be careful - if you have an array of outside activities, it may suggest that you could be easily distracted from your office work.

Customising your CV
As we have mentioned before, each time you apply for a job your CV should be customised to suit that position. This requires assessing the position you are applying for and identifying the key strengths which you can apply to the role. Be aware of the ideal person they are seeking and try matching your CV as closely as possible to a basic imaginary profile of that individual.

Starting with the personal profile, eliminate those strengths which are unlikely to appeal to the specific employer, and then elaborate one or two key areas, particularly experience which is most relevant to the new role. Showing that you've done your homework about a company will certainly impress, and this is where you reveal that.

The work experience section of your CV is going to need the most work. Minimise previous roles that are not similar to the new job, and elaborate on the responsibilities which are likely to show your suitability for the new position. Mention specific examples to prove your point.

Recruiters are usually impressed when you've made the effort to customise a CV. They will notice the forward-thinking in rearranging priorities on a CV to suit them personally.

And finally?
Take your time to create a complete CV. Starting with your existing CV and using the examples or templates we've provided, fill in the details over several days. Return to re-check, amend and edit details when your concentration is fresh. The manner in which it is presented is a direct reflection on your own standards of professionalism.

In the next section we look at ways to fill 'holes', minimise negatives and make an impact without compromising the truth. Most importantly we'll run you through a checklist for spotting mistakes.