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Writing a better CV

For the following CV advice we have used the IT sector as an example, although this advice can be tailored to just about all business sectors and industries. We hope you find these pages of use.

CV basics

The object of your CV is to make sure that you secure an interview of your choice. It also serves as a prompting tool during the interview.

A CV in the IT world needs to do the business quickly and to the point - but you need depth too. Sure, it must be possible to skim over the document to get a flavour - but it must also be possible to read into some detail.

Did you know that around 80% of CVs, don't do the job of conveying exactly what roles the candidate is suitable for? Take a long hard look at your CV and turn it into a document that works. Make sure that it says exactly what you do on the tin.

Who invented the two page CV? Certainly not us. Technical CVs should be like a small chapter - easy to flick through but detail when you want it.

So you are capable of more than one role in industry? Have 2 x CVs! Don't lie, but be specific on your CV. One CV could be your technical document and one CV for your management experience. Apply for roles with the most appropriate CV.

Tell the story from today - and go backwards. This is reverse chronological order. Use employer names, dates and the functional title that you accomplished along with the hardware, software and skills you utilised. You may have been called the "Global IT Manager", but if your job was actually doing 2nd & 3rd line support for a 4 branch, 50-man business – put a title that's more appropriate.

Structure your CV with plenty of white space. Don't use 5mm margins and tiny font sizes. Think about business documents - they have plenty of headings, bullet points and white space. Copy what works.

If you have any doubts, check out our sample CV below. Use this as a template.