Your CV is of the utmost importance; it is the key to your campaign. Essentially, it is a sales document - it must sound business like and convincing and present the information in an attractive way. Give it the time and effort it deserves. Not only will you produce a better CV, but the process will enable you to understand yourself in relation to your experience and achievements. You must be fully aware of them and be able to talk about them with confidence.

The following points emerge from research into employers preferences when reading a CV:

Neatness
Aim for the best standard which you can reach in layout and content. You will be judged by your CV.

Brevity
Most people can set out everything necessary, at least for a short career summary, on two sides of A4.

To be effective the first page should include key personal details, together with information about your education and your current or most recent appointment. An interested reader will read on, whereas a CV which omits significant information on page one will be unlikely to be pursued to page two.

Fact
Let the reader infer the kind of person you are from what you have done and the way you express it. A good principle is to include in a CV only information that can be factually verified. Expressions such as a "candidate with drive", "a good mixer", etc are best omitted; their truth can be conveyed much more effectively face to face in an interview.

Positive
Aim to bring out what you have done: your achievements, strengths, contributions, transferable skills and experience and so on. Responsibilities are also important but the CV should be more than a catalogue of those. If you do not set out what you are selling, how can the employer know what is for sale? Asking "how was the company better off due to my presence - compared with having nobody in that position?" can help you focus on your achievements, Use positive language and expressions; there is a list of useful strong verbs later in this text.

Presentation
Laser printed on quality white paper.