Improve your CV.

Your CV is the first step to selling yourself, so making sure prospective employers see the best of what you have to offer is essential. Follow these top ten CV tips from Fruition IT and you’ll soon be celebrating career success.

1. Short and sweet
   Keep your CV short and to the point; you don’t need to include every job you’ve had since you left school, only the relevant ones, and definitely keep it to no more than two pages.
   
   
2. Tailor your CV
   Make sure you tailor your CV according to the job you’re going for – only include what’s relevant for that particular role, and present your information in chronological order, starting with the most recent first.
   
   
3. Check your spelling!
   It might be obvious, but you’d be amazed at just how many CVs get sent in with simple grammatical and spelling errors. Don’t just rely on spell check software either – get someone to double check your CV before you send it off.
   
   
4. Be honest
   Lying on your CV is a big no-no; you’re only cheating yourself, and you could lose your job, not to mention your reputation.
   
   
5. Be inspired
   If you’re not sure where to start when writing your CV, there are lots of examples online that you can access for inspiration. Alternatively, ask us for advise – we know what employers look for and what you need to include.
   
   
6. Keep it simple
   Make sure you keep the layout of your CV simple and fuss-free. Your CV might be impressive but if it is hard to read, chances are it’ll end up in the bin.
   
   
7. Mind your language
   Keep your language punchy but professional – points should be in bullets and kept to succinct plain English.
   
   
8. Be spectacular
   Your CV has to sell YOU, so make sure you stand out from the crowd and focus on what makes you the ideal candidate.
   
   
9. Check your references
   Sounds obvious, but make sure you give your referees a heads up before you include them on your CV.
   
   
10. Include a covering letter
    When sending off your CV, make sure you include a tailored covering letter, and if possible, addressed to a named person rather than ‘sir or madam’ – it is much more likely to make it onto the decision-maker’s desk if you do that.