Q: Does a CV always need to be only
one page?
A: CV length should not exceed two sides of A4
paper. How much of those two sides you fill depend
on how much you have done.
Q: Should the education section
always be near the top?
A: If you still are in or have recently completed
formal education your academic achievements will
form a major part of your qualifications, and
it is recommended to place these near the top
of your CV. Also some industries, notably communications,
value related experience above degree work and
therefore, place your academic qualifications
further down the page.
Q: Is an objective always necessary?
A: No, it is not crucial;
however an employer will be impressed if
you have a focused idea of where you want
your career to be heading, especially if
it is in line with their planned development.
Q: What if I haven't done very much
to fill up my CV?
A: This does not matter, everyone has to
start somewhere, if sparse content is a
problem use sensible formatting and fonts
so that you comfortably fill one side of
A4.
Q: Do hobbies and personal interests
need to be shown?
A: It is not imperative to show your interests
however it can provide an employer with an insight
into your personality. This will undoubtedly be
covered at interview so the more you can prepare
them the better.
Q: Must references be included?
A: It is advisable not to include references as
part of your CV. A small note stating that
'References available on request' will be sufficient.
Q: What should be on my CV?
A: Contact details, an introduction, previous
employment history, academic qualifications, hobbies
and interests.
Q: What shouldn't I put on my CV?
A: Religion, references,Date of BIRTH ,
sexuality, why you left your previous jobs,
all your school grades, a photo, lies.
Q: Do I have to include all of my
exam results?
A: No, just the most recent and a summary of you're
A-Level, GCSE qualifications will be enough.
Q: In what order do I list information?
A: Contact details at the top, a brief introduction,
employment history, education, interests, and
hobbies.
Q: What sort of paper should I print
it on?
A: The best quality that you can get your hands
on, but use common sense, do not get paper that
is too thick or any colourful paper.
Q: In what text format should I
save my CV so that it can be e-mailed?
A: If you want to be sure that the recipient
can read your submission then sending a
txt attachment is recommended. However this
format does not allow you to include attractive
formatting. Most offices have MS
Office applications, and so a Word
document will probably be suitable. PDF
files take up more memory, but if you are
applying for design industry jobs and have
a highly stylised CV then this could be
the best format. If you want to be certain
you could paste a txt version of your CV
into the body of the e-mail as well as attaching
a Word or PDF version.
Q: How can I ensure that my CV will
be read?
A: CVs usually aren't read at first, they are
scanned. With that in mind you should build your
CV to be easily scanned by sight:
· Present information in concise, compact
statements. Avoid large blocks of text.
· Organise your information so
that the reader doesn't have to hunt for
your skills.
· Use fonts and text styles consistently
to provide visual structure to your document.
· Leave plenty of white space so it isn't
cluttered.
· Sprinkle industry buzzwords and use fresh,
positive language.
· Leave irrelevant, unnecessary or inappropriate
information off your CV.
Q: How far back should I go with
the information I put on my CV?
A: 10 years is a maximum. Go back further and
you run the risk of rambling on with irrelevant
information or, worse, dating yourself. However,
there are certain situations in which experience
from more than ten years ago may be advantageous
to show on your resume. In this case, it is usually
a good idea to taper the descriptions of your
experience as you work back (making entries less
detailed). Another option may be to find another
way to show experience or qualification from more
than 10 years ago.
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Rama Ayappah
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