We all know that your CV is the first point of contact with a new employer and that you never get another chance to make a first impression.   So why do people continue to place so little value on a good CV

There are CV writing firms who offer to help you ‘write your CV in minutes’ – do they think that the rest of your career is worth so little to you.  There are others who will offer to provide you with a professionally written CV from only £35.   Now common sense tells us that every firm is in business to make a profit.   So if the firm is to make a profit, how much out of the £35 can they afford to pay to their CV writers.   How much time are they investing in writing your CV    Are their CV writers working for peanuts, or are they only spending a very little while on each CV.   It seems to me those are the only two alternatives.   Either way it seems quite mad to me so think that such an important document is worth so little time and effort. 

If you are on a limited budget and feel you need help with writing a CV you will get much better value by investing in a high quality CV writing template.   Don’t be tempted to go for a cheap service – if it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

The most important thing to remember here is the level of competition you are facing.   You may view the prospect of writing your CV with dismay because you don’t think you can find much to write about, but remember that as long as you are applying at the right level, employers will know what to expect from a school leaver or graduate.  The problems that face you will be the same as those faced by all the other candidates.

The biggest mistake that people make is in trying to ‘big up’ their achievements or work experience and trying to make it something that it wasn’t.   Remember that at starter level an employer will be looking for somebody who is willing to learn.  They won’t be attracted to the prospect of trying to teach somebody who already knows everything, or who appears to think that they are already able to function at a senior level. 

Make it clear that you understand that because you are only just starting out you still have a lot to learn.   If you have some work experience, then so much the better.   Try to demonstrate that you did what was expected of you.   If this involved some level of trust, eg cash handling, that would be good.   But even such mundane tasks as shelf stacking can be turned to good advantage by showing that you have self discipline, which is extremely important if you are going to take on the commitment of a full time job. 

Remember, you are trying to sell your services to the employer.   They will think far more of you if you tell the truth and keep it simple.

 What is the purpose of a covering letter    Quite simply to present your job application and your CV to the prospective employer.  

There are many CV writing Companies who will offer to write a covering letter for you and will charge you for doing so.   I can’t see how this can be justified.   In any event you don’t just want one covering letter, you will need a separate one for each job application.  

Yes, I would always help a client who had a reason to express something particular in the covering letter.   They might, for example, want to draw attention to the reason for a gap in their employment, or say that they had relocated to a new area which was they were now job seeking.    But generally speaking, the shorter and more concise the covering letter is the better.   You want the employer to get on with the job in hand, that is considering your CV.   You certainly don’t want to repeat all the information in your CV only in different words.

Remember to keep it simple, keep it short, but also try to avoid making it look like a ’round robin’.   This can easily be achieved by including just one paragraph that is unique to each application.    This could be something like ‘I am particularly attracted to the position you are offering because I have always wanted to live and work in [anytown]‘.   Or ‘Having had a good look around your website, I believe that I would be really happy working for [your company]‘.   I’m sure that you know the type of thing I mean, and if you can give a genuine reason why you would like that particular job then I believe that would work wonders for your application.

Apart from that, unless you have something particular that you need to say, keep the covering letter as short as possible. 

That question is a like ‘how long is a piece of string’ because it all depends upon the templates. 

There are many sites on the web offering CV templates.  They range from free templates right up to high quality CV templates with full guidance notes and there is very little similarity between the two types of service.  

Free templates can be useful when you are doing research, but they won’t help you in presenting your CV in a businesslike way.   One of the worst mistakes is in using a pre-set format which makes use of tables for laying out the CV.   This is a very bad way to go.   The problem with tables on a CV is that the end result is invariably that some of the columns will be crammed with text and others will be almost empty.   Apart from the clutter of unnecessary lines on the page, tables will give a very unbalanced look to the all-important presentation of your CV.  But free CV templates don’t cost you anything so it’s probably worth having a look at a few to give you some ideas as to the type of information you might like to include in your CV.

Much worse than that are the sites which offer a number of CV templates for a small charge.   They are no use at all. The ‘CV templates’ you will get for your money are not even worth following as a guide to layout because they are mostly of such a poor standard.   You might just as well approach a number of your mates and ask them to give you copies of their CV’s for you to look at. 

However, if you are a person who would really like to know how to write a first class CV and feel that you need some support in doing so, then CV templates at their best can be the ideal solution.   The important thing to look out for is whether you will get just a template or whether you will get full guidance notes with examples.   In fact, you may find that the guidance notes will be of more use to you than the template itself.   If the site makes it clear which topics are covered in the guidance notes and what you will get for your money, then CV templates can be an excellent way of getting the support you need in writing your own CV.

Don’t be tempted to put in everything in your CV – if you put in too much detail nobody will be able to find the information they are looking for.  

Lots of people when writing a CV are simply afraid of leaving out the detail – they think it is important that the prospective employer should understand as much about them as possible so that they will be really impressed.   Unfortunately employers are seldom impressed by detail, because they don’t actually have the time to read it all.  

You need to make sure that your CV is easy to understand and clear.   Be very selective about what you put in – analyse every point and ask yourself "will this actually help me to get this job ".   When writing an excellent CV ‘less is more’ because every bit of information will have earned its place and be there for the specific purpose of improving your changes of getting an interview.  

 When you write A CV it is, of course, a good idea to include qualifications.   But too many people misunderstand this and think that it means you should include details of all your education right back to primary school. 

As with all aspects of writing your CV, before including anything, you should ask yourself ‘will that make a difference to the employer’s decision-making process ‘.    In other words, since we all went to school, unless yours was in some way different or intresting, don’t bother to include it. 

Qualifications are a different matter.  If you are a graduate then the name of the establishment where you gained your degree is  relevant because it was they who awarded the qualification.   ‘A’ levels on the other hand are awarded by an external body so the school or college is not necessarily relevant.

Educational qualifications are simply your ‘jumping off point’ but, in my view, training courses are much more relevant   As your career progresses it is likely that this type of qualification will have enabled you to develop your skills and expand your knowledge base.  

The golden rule in CV writing is to identify what is relevant so that you make your CV user friendly and fit for the purpose for which it is intended – to enable you to be successful in your job hunt. 

Remember in a job interview that you, too, have the right to ask questions. Indeed, you may well be invited to do so and you should be prepared so that you can come up with something intelligen

The decision making process is not only in the hands of the interviewer.  If there is anything at all that is worrying you about the job or the Company, don’t be afraid to bring it up.   You need to have all your questions answered so that you can decide whether you actually want the job. 

You are bound to have questions about things that have arisen during the interview.   You owe it to yourself to understand everything you need to know about the job and the environment you would be working in.  If there is anything that hasn’t been made clear, make sure you ask.   This may be your only opportunity to do so.   

Prepare a couple of questions in advance, just in case your mind goes blank on the day of the interview.   If you have not had the opportunity to draw attention to the fact before, you might like to raise a question starting "I see from  your website that………….."   This leaves them in no doubt that you have done your homework.   Just remember that, as always, preparation is the key if you are to give the best impression to the interviewer.

Your job search is not just about finding a job – any job – you are going to spend a lot of time there, so be sure it’s a job that you really want.   If you focus your job search on identifying jobs that you really think you would enjoy and for which you are well qualified, it is inevitable that you will have much more success in your job hunt. Don’t panic and apply for just anything.  Do yourself justice and be selective.   

Be positive in your approach, try to view yourself from the perspective of the employer.   Make sure that your CV demonstrates that you have the relevant skills and competencies for a particular job.   It is surprising how many people miss this point.   Don’t just send out the same old CV for every job you apply for.   Look carefully at what is being advertised, if there is a person spec make sure that the skills you are demonstrating are the ones they need.  

It is not necessary to have a different CV for every job you apply for, but a few minor alterations to your CV can make all the difference to be sure you are pitching at the right level and can greatly increase your chances of success in the jobs market.  

 Looking for a new job is not dissimilar to looking for a life partner.   You only need one and it’s important that it should be the right one. 

It can be very disheartening if you get as far as the job interview, give it your best shot, and still don’t get the job.   But try looking at it from a different perspective.  Employers understand about their team and the job on offer.  If they think you are not the best person for the job then give them the benefit of the doubt.   Take the attitude that they are probably right and you wouldn’t have enjoyed the job anyway.  

If there is only have one vacancy then the employers have to choose.   If were to offer you both an apple and an orange and ask you to choose one, it wouldn’t mean that you despised the one you had not chosen.  So don’t feel rejected, put it all down to experience. 

It may take a very long time to find just the right job, but be confident that it will come along, although it may take some time.  Every time you go for a job interview you are adding to your interview skills.    Keep on believing that the perfect job for you is just around the corner.     

When you sit down to to start writing a CV just remember that the person reading it doesn’t know you or anything about you.   This is your opportunity to show them that you are the best person for the job.

Don’t try starting at the top of page 1 and working through to the end.   The best way of writing a CV is first of all to put in your headings.   Then after that you can fill in the easiest sections.   REFERENCES – available upon request.   One section done already.   Next you may choose to complete the EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS section or you may create a list of all the jobs you have had since you left school. 

Writing a CV is not easy but as with any task it’s getting started that’s the hardest part.   Once you have some stuff on the page it will become progressively easier to carry on writing a CV that will do justice to your achievements and skills.