What is a CV?
Your CV - or Curriculum Vitae - is essentially a selling tool. It outlines your skills and experience so that a potential employer can see at a glance how you might perform in a given role. In short, it's an opportunity to present yourself in the best possible light.

Do I need a CV?
Yes. Writing an effective CV is one of the most important things you will do in your professional life. Quite simply, it will increase your prospects of getting the job you want. Most advertised vacancies on the internet or in newspapers ask for a CV - so having one prepared in advance will allow you to respond quickly whenever the ideal job comes along.

How will having a CV help me find a job?
A good CV will get you interviews which lead to job offers. If properly produced, it will highlight your skills, accomplishments and work experience in a way that distinguishes you from the hundreds of other candidates in the recruitment market. It will position you as a serious contender who is worthy of interview time. Recruitment agencies will often ask you for a CV so they can submit it to companies who are looking for your skills. And when you are called on to complete application forms, your CV will act as an excellent memory jogger.

How should I prepare and write my CV?
Despite what certain individuals and books will tell you, there are no universal formats or rules for writing CVs. Fortunately, however, there are useful guidelines that will help you produce a CV that generates results.
Start by jotting down notes on your education, experience, skills and any professional or academic organisations you belong to. When recalling your previous employment, don't simply give job descriptions: think through the purpose of each job, the responsibilities you handled and the specific results you achieved.
Write down the details of when you started and finished each job. Take care to avoid unexplained jobs. If you had spells of unemployment, describe what you did with your time - for example, you may have been travelling, working voluntarily or even developing your skills on formal courses.
If you need a template to assist you in writing a CV use our online form.

Successful Interviews
Reaching the interview stage is a mark of success in itself. It means your CV has already identified you as a serious candidate. Having convinced the interviewer on paper that you are capable of doing the job, you now have the opportunity to demonstrate your suitability in a face to face discussion.
Don't think of the interview as a test. You are not simply there to answer questions: you are there to discuss the role with the interviewer and explore the extent to which your abilities and aspirations match the company's needs. It's as much about compatibility as competence. The interviewer needs to find out if your are right for the company, and you need to find out if the company is right for you.