Top Tips To CV Success

Following this mornings story that a fifth of CVs contain major lies Adecco has provided the following íTop Five Tips to CV success.í

First impressions count so it is important that a CV reflects the messages you want to get across about your experience and personality. Whilst there are no hard and fast rules to CV success there are a few key guidelines that can be followed to ensure your CV reaches the top of the pile.

Avoid controversy - Always try to avoid anything that is potentially controversial, this includes any strongly held social beliefs, such as religion and politics. Whilst it is important to remain your own person an employer is looking for someone who will be flexible

Honesty is the best policy - The most common mistake made on CVs is bending the truth. Whilst it may seem harmless to change exam grades or lie about age this could be embarrassing if the potential employer finds out the truth. Dishonesty is considered to be the one of the worse traits in a candidate and an employer will automatically assume you are not trustworthy

Keep it succinct - Candidates should also avoid making a CV too long. Only include the highlights that are relevant to your career development. Keep your CV concise and informative

Spell check - A staggering 40 ñ 50% of CVs have significant spelling or grammar mistakes. The best way to avoid this to ask someone else to check the CV as a fresh set of eyes will be more likely to spot errors

Write your own CV - Whilst external advice about CV writing can be helpful you need to ensure your CV reflects your personality and experience. An interviewer may ask you about specific parts of the CV so you need to be fully able to answer any questions