There are no hard and fast rules for writing CVs. Admittedly there are (self-proclaimed) CV experts out there and countless books on the subject, but it’s rare that these sources agree on what makes ‘the perfect CV’. The main thing to keep in mind is that the overall aim of your CV is to market you and your skills to an employer to convince them to call you for an interview. While a little considered originality can go a long way in doing this, there are some simple fail-safe tricks of the trade that you should always pay attention to.

The overall aim of your CV is to market you and your skills to an employer to convince them to call you for an interview

Step 1: focus your message

Decide what your CV actually needs to say and resist the urge to put down your whole life and academic history on paper. How you focus your CV will depend on the job and industry you are applying to and on what you want the recruiter to focus.

Read job adverts and job descriptions carefully and pull out the key skills and experience the employer seeks – circle the words and key phrases, or make a list. Use these to help you focus the content of your CV and showcase your skills, qualifications and experience that match the requirements.

Step 2: pick a format and stick to it

First impressions count when it comes to your CV. A quick glance could be all your CV gets – recruiters don’t waste time trying to locate hidden details. For this reason, your CV must be logically structured and broken down into clearly marked, easily readable sections.

Most CVs follow the same format: personal details followed by education and work experience in chronological order and finally, your other interests. Alternatively, you might push your key skills to the fore using a skills-based format. How you choose to structure your CV is up to you, but the most important thing is to decide on a layout and style and then be consistent with your use of headings, fonts, etc, throughout.

It’s important to think about the industry you’re applying to as well. Some sectors, such as law, are more traditional than others and will not be impressed with a radical new approach to CV writing. But others, such as the media, may be interested in a more creative style. However, recruiters still need to easily see that you have the skills and experience for the job.

Step 3: use space wisely

The maximum length of a graduate CV is two pages of A4 – there is no room to waffle! Be logical – employers will read from the beginning so this is where the most relevant information needs to go to catch the recruiter’s attention.

Always make it easy for recruiters to find details that show you meet their minimum requirements

Whether you opt for a chronological CV format, or a skills-focused format, it is crucial to give the most space on your CV to the information that is most relevant to the job. Review the selection criteria for each employer and match your own skills as closely to these as possible. Writing a list of all of your skills and achievements can be a good way to do this.

When you include your skills in a CV don’t just list tasks and activities you have done. Provide brief statements that illustrate how you have used and developed your skills.
Always make it easy for recruiters to find details that show you meet their minimum requirements (eg degree qualification and class, A level subjects, etc).

Step 4: fill in the gaps

Never leave anything up to the imagination of a recruiter. Gaps are highly conspicuous on CVs and recruiters will spot them a mile off – they’ll be looking for them when they check continuity and consistency.
Tempting as it is to miss out bad exam results or not mention those lost summer months you can’t quite account for, it’s much worse to leave them out all together. If you do, recruiters have no choice but to guess what should be there and why you’ve left it out – this is nearly always worse than the truth. Gaps can put your CV in doubt and can result in a lost interview.

Step 5: stand out from the crowd

When you’re competing against others for the very best positions, you’ve got to stand out from the crowd or risk being lost in a sea of identical applications and CVs. But it’s important to get noticed for the right reasons.
Showing any evidence of work experience and skills developed through extra-curricular activities will always give you an extra edge in a pile of CVs from similarly qualified applicants. However, sometimes it is actually the simplest things that can make a CV stand or fall.

Recruiters will be distracted away from your attributes if they can't find your degree result or they have to make sense of a poorly constructed CV that's full of typos.

Even your choice of e-mail address can be a potential pitfall. toptotty@...co.uk might amuse some recruiters, but it will make others doubt your professionality. Make a good first impression by simply presenting a targeted, accurate, neatly styled, professional and proofread CV.

Step 6: check it

Once you have finished your CV print off a copy and read through it to make sure you are happy that it: 

• makes sense
• is targeted to the job and employer
• shows you meet the employers minimum requirements
• has no spelling errors.

However, also try to get feedback from other people you trust. All of the details you've included in your CV will make perfect sense to you, but you may be surprised by the things that others will stumble over and query. Be prepared to take on board constructive criticism and to also hear about the positive traits others see in you that they think you should sell. Ultimately, this will help you to produce a more rounded CV that will be easier to read by recruiters and employers.

Where to look next

• Sample CVs for graduate jobs: examples of the three basic types of CV plus samples for specific types of graduate training programme, eg Law, Engineering, HR, Sales, Finance, and Media
• Covering letter essentials for graduate vacancies
• Different CVs for different types of graduate jobs
• Advice on making graduate applications