The Top 10 Small CV Fixes that Everyone Should Do

I posted this in The Guardian a few days ago and got a lot of positive response about it - so I thought I'd put it up here too.

I could very easily fill an encyclopaedia-sized volume with the CV errors that arrive on my desk on a daily basis.

Here's a quick top 10 of small fixes that every CV writer should perform (how many did you forget to do?):

1. Don't begin your CV with 'Curriculum Vitae' in big letters at the top.
2. Keep it under 2 sides of A4.
3. Don't start shrinking your borders and margins in order to cram in more text.
4. You don't have to include your date of birth or references.
5. Make sure your font doesn't go below 10 point.
6. Only include major qualifications (nobody really cares about that B in 'O' Level Woodwork you got back in 1975).
7. Please, please, please run a spellcheck THEN get someone else to read it.
8. Funky fonts and migraine-inducing coloured paper - NO.
9. Don't pad out with useless information - be your harshest critic.
10. Tell the truth. It'll save everyone a lot of time in the long run (you included).

...also, when it comes to covering letters, it's written 'CV' or 'C.V.', never 'C.V' - and while we're on the point, plural of CV is CVs NOT CV's.

GOOD LUCK !!!

www.dazzlingcvs.co.uk