Curriculum Vitae Checklist

Curriculum Vitae Checklist

Quite often Curriculum vitae's will only get a 15 second look. If you want yours to stand out from the pile then you need to make sure it covers the following:-

Your first impression is often given through your CV. It needs to be as original as possible whilst remaining highly professional. The design of your CV also needs to be very inviting and easy on the eye. You should aim to provide a bullet point summary of your qualifications so that the interviewer can see easily where your strong points lie. Your CV should not be too long but also it is important not to be too short.

Above all your CV needs to be professional and straight to the point. It is wise to always take care over small details such as layout, spelling and grammar. Design elements such as underlining, bolding and bullet points should be incorporated whenever possible. Your CV should be laid out so that it is easy on the eye. If it flows onto a number of pages make sure you number them.

Make sure each section of your CV is clearly labelled and that the sections are placed in the best order to highlight your best points. Check that the work history is put in reversed order with your most recent job being the first to be read.

Often people like to put a section for career goals on their CV, only do this if you are certain of the job and role you are applying for as it can be hard to change this if you get an interview and it comes into conversation.

Wherever possible make your accomplishments as detailed as possible, if you have facts and figures or percentages make sure you include these.

Your CV needs to highlight all of your skills and achievements that match or compliment what the interviewer is looking for, extra information that you think will be beneficial is always worthwhile including.