HOW TO WRITE A GOOD CV

1. Headline. This can either be as suggested in our template with a headline that reads like this: "Application for [insert job title here]. But you can also get creative and create a headline that highlights some of your core competences in the field or use some of the keywords from the job advert. For example, it could be: "Experienced IT specialist with a flair for customer management seeks position as [insert job title here]"
2. A personal summary/professional profile. Here it's good to reflect the company's values in your own. Your competences and attributes should reflect what they are looking for in the position. Write a few words about your profile, i.e. your core competences, both personal and professional. Feel free to sell yourself in this section.
3. A professional image of yourself. Can be placed either by your professional profile or by the headline.
4. Short paragraph with name, address, email, LinkedIn link and phone number.
5. Work experience in order from most recent to oldest position. However, only select experience that is relevant to the position you are applying for. Remember that your work experience and achievements should be listed in reverse chronological order.
6. A list of your core competences.
7. Education and courses you have completed. Remember that this should be listed in reverse chronological order.
8. IT skills. Excel, Powerpoint, Photoshop, Wordpress or Magento, etc.
9. Languages. Which languages you speak or write and how proficient you are.
10. Personal stuff. Here you can highlight who you are as a person, what you do and your interests. Many companies don't hire on competences alone. 
11. References. Mention that these can be obtained upon request.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR CV STAND OUT

• A personal statement directly beneath your contact details gives employers a snapshot of your key skills and work ambitions and should catch their attention if it marries up with what they are looking for.
• When writing your skills section, try to use adjectives that are similar to those used in the job advertisement. If they require someone with ‘effective leadership and administrative abilities that possesses excellent interpersonal skills’, state that you have these. Don't copy the text verbatim, however, as this will be apparent, and obviously be truthful at all times on your CV.
• Remember that employers are interested in the outcome or impact of your actions, not just a list of the tasks themselves.
• When listing achievements, keep in mind that what really convinces employers is data. If you can illustrate your achievements with facts and figures, then make sure to do. Consider the differing impacts of the following two statements: Consistently exceeded sales targets in last year - Exceeded sales targets in last four quarters by x%, x%, x and x%, resulting in overall annual increase in turnover of £x
• Even if you struggle to recall or quantify your work achievements, it's worth spending some time thinking about it as it's important. Did you have a positive effect on productivity, efficiency, the speed of a process or response, customer complaints, waste, accidents, reporting, absences or any other aspect of an organization functioning? Then include it.
• Above all, remember that you are trying to sell yourself. Using phrases like ‘was involved in’ and ‘assisted’ implies that you were more of a bystander than an instigator. Use strong action verbs and take credit where credit is due.

The importance of tailoring your CV

• Don’t just scan the job description; really think about what the words mean in terms of day-to-day activity and how you can make your CV show that you can handle these tasks and responsibilities.
• Search online for profiles or adverts of jobs similar to the one for which you are applying to help add to your understand of what's required in the position. Then demonstrate this where you can in your CV.
• When writing your skills section, use adjectives similar to those used in the job advertisement. If they require someone with ‘effective leadership and administrative abilities that possesses excellent interpersonal skills’, you should state that you have these in roughly the same order – although not verbatim as this is too obvious.
• If the opportunity easily presents itself, it may help to pepper your CV with some technical terminology – but not too much – so that the employer knows that you understand the industry. However don't compromise the overall need for plain language in your CV. Never use a long word where a short one will do.
• Make sure to research the organization itself to find out about its reputation and how it presents its culture. Are they a 'work hard and play hard' company? Include any information about yourself that shows you will fit in with them. This may fit within your ‘Interests’ section if you choose to include one: charity work or sports, for instance.
• If you aren’t applying for a specific job but you know what type of roles you are interested in, read through job adverts and make the most of online resources that are specifically designed to help you understand different jobs, such as Prospects. This will help you to understand what skills and responsibilities are typical for these jobs. You can then tailor your CV to include these if you have them, or try to gain the skills that you don’t have so you can include them in future applications.