How should CVs look
General presentation Your CV's presentation gives an advance picture to businesses of how you might present yourself, and their business, in person. Presentation can't be overlooked as many employers are actively put off by bad layout and look. A good CV should be:
Short and succinct – 16% of employers in a recent Randstad poll admitted they are actively turned off if an applicants CV is too long. Try to keep it to 2 pages, and use headings, bullet points and tables to present your information concisely.
Legible and presentable – use a clear, professional typeface to ensure it can be easily read (e.g. Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman). Cut out the clutter and make it easier for employers to read your key attributes by bullet-pointing or highlighting key facts.
Correct and typo free - pay close attention to weeding out typos and spelling mistakes, not only by spell checking but by double proof reading, or asking someone else to proof read it. A recent Randstad poll highlighted spelling mistakes as THE pet peeve for employers when reading CVs, with 54% of employers billing it as their top CV irritation.
Organised and orderly - split your document into clear headings (work experience, education) so that these can easily be scanned. This shows you are well-organised and have logical thought processes.
Relevant - Don’t be tempted to put everything in. Leave out those roles/jobs at the start of your career if not relevant. Order your experience and education into reverse chronological order to highlight your most recent experience – which will likely show your strongest selling points. This shows you know how to concentrate on what’s important and prioritise
Professional – not flowery – Avoid flowery fonts, photos, pictures, bright coloured fonts, graphs, too many styles or fancy lines and designs between sections. Remember this is a business document – think professional and neat.
In short, your CV should be clear enough for an employer to understand your key strengths quickly. It should make it easy to appraise your key skills and experience to determine whether you are appropriate for the role.