CV Preparation

Read on for some do's and don'ts of CV preparation:

DO'S:

• Tailor your experience to a particular job you are applying for. Eg if you have 5 years experience as an Accounting Technician and you are applying for a Payroll position make sure to highlight your payroll experience.
• Go into detail about your past jobs, relative to the length of time you spent there. Employers often see CVs of candidates who may have 10 years experience in their last position, but have only listed 3 or 4 duties. If you have done it, write it down. If it isn't in your CV, an employer will assume you haven't done it!
• Use a combination of bullet points and sentences. A big paragraph is not inviting to read, but using only one or two words may not fully explain the level of your experience.
• Prepare your CV in chronological order with your most recent experience at the top. The same goes for your education.
• Use key words to draw an employers attention to your skills: ie Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, credit control, bank reconciliations, payroll, VAT returns, Trial Balance, budgeting, management accounts.
• Be honest. When you are called for interview you will be asked about your experience and your level of technical knowledge. If you can't talk through what is written on your CV it will become apparent very quickly.
• List all contact details so that employers can contact you to arrange interviews! Ensure you have your home address, email address, mobile number (with voicemail set up) and an alternate contact number if possible.

DON'TS:

• Have any spelling or grammatical errors. It is imperative to use spell-check before sending your CV anywhere. Employers often discard a CV with spelling mistakes as it shows a lack of attention to detail.
• Date your CV. Within a few days your CV will appear to be outdated.
• Have incorrect dates on your CV. Re-read your CV and make sure all months and years are correct and there are no unexplained gaps.
• Put irrelevant information down. A little information about yourself (ie hobbies) is fine, but keep it professional.
• Let your CV run more than 3 or 4 pages. Employers may not have the time to read 6 or 7 pages.

The ultimate aim of preparing your CV is to secure an interview with a prospective employer