Look on your CV as the first step of a marketing campaign to a prospective employer. It's your advert and should be:

well presented
interesting
quick to rea

It should also be truthful - don't be tempted to lie on your CV - you will be found out! Remember, a CV is a highly personal document, so you must be comfortable with it.

About CV's
When should I use a CV?
when an employer requests one. If an employer asks you to complete an application form - NEVER send a CV in its place.
if you are making speculative applications for any type of work - permanent or temporary.
if the ad says, send full details to...

What about covering letters?
Always send a covering letter with a CV.
See Covering Letters for tips

How do I start? cv writing
Make a list of all your
academic qualifications
accomplishments
experience
then, pick out the highlights. Remember, don't underestimate yourself
check all the dates of school/university attendance
check dates details of academic and other qualifications

How long should it be?
Two pages at the most. Selectors rarely give CVs more than two minutes on their initial trawl
If you are a postgrad, you may wish to add an appendix detailing any research or publications. Don't include this in the body of your CV - it will make it too long

What should it look like?
presentation is really important - your CV needs to get its message over quickly
it should be word processed on good quality paper - photocopying paper is usually a bit thin, but there is no need to go for thick vellum!
most people stick to white paper - if you do choose a colour, think pastels.
think about the layout - it needs to be clear and balanced
keep paragraphs short
use bullet points
font size of 10-12 - smaller is difficult to read, larger looks like a primary school project!
typeface - is a matter of personal taste. In general non-seraphed face (like this - Arial or Univers) is quite modern, easy to read and no-nonsense. Times New Roman is a little more formal and old fashioned, whilst Comic Sans MS is a bit casual! Try not to get carried away - and once you've chosen a font - stick to it!
lots of underlining and italics can be distracting- use bold instead for headings

What should it include?
CVs usually include the following sections, but don't feel you have to follow this format slavishly.
Personal Details
Education
Employment or Work Experience
Responsibilities (and achievements)
Interests (and achievements)
Other Skills/ Additional Skills
Referees

Personal Details
Obvious, but this section should contain
Name
Address (home and term-time)
Phone
E-mail
Date of Birth

Don't include marital state/health
Only put gender if you have an unfamiliar first name
Nationality is not always necessary

Education
Put this in reverse chronological order
Degree subject and class
A levels / AS levels or equivalent - with grades
GCSEs- not necessary to list individual subjects and grades

Don't include
Primary school details
University and school address
Minor qualifications - list these elsewhere
A level or GCSE examining boards

Employment or Work Experience
Put this in reverse chronological order
You can include all employment/ work experience, paid or unpaid, but you may find it useful to divide it into 'related' and 'other', if appropriate
Describe the duties and skills needed, even for basic jobs
Expand on the skills developed

Referees
Two are usually enough
always ask permission
the ideal is one from university, one employer
check addresses
give postcodes, phone numbers and e-mail addresses

Responsibilities and Achievements
If you have had few formal responsibilities, ignore this heading
Concentrate on the last three years (approx.), don't give too much space to school
Expand on skills developed
Include student membership of committees, organising social events, anything in the wider community

Interests (and Achievements)
Don't just give a list
explain what was involved in taking part in the drama production - teamwork, reliability, time management
or captaining the cricket team - you need skills in communication, diplomacy, negotiation, motivation ,strategy and planning ,teamwork
emphasise achievements. If one of your interests is music, and you represented your county - blow your own trumpet!

Other Skills
Odds and ends - like
driving licence
languages - to what level
computing skills - programs, spreadsheets
Duke of Edinburgh Award
speech and drama
music
sporting/coaching qualifications

Should I use the same CV for every job?
Not really necessary to alter it for individual employers - your covering letter is the place to highlight things
Can be useful to change it for different types of employer
Sometimes worth it if you are applying for a job that needs particular skills or interests - advertising, or graphic design jobs for example

What is a Personal Statement/Profile?
often inserted between name and personal details
it summarises experience, skills and ambitions
can be useful for those in mid career
for example:
Highly motivated and committed to a career in the public sector. A good team worker with well developed communication skills, gained through enthusiastic participation in student and community organisations. Varied work experience, including a spell with local authority playschemes.
try to avoid anything that sounds like a personal mission statement

I'm a mature student - how should I write a CV?
try to anticipate any problems you may face as a mature student within your CV
explain reasons for returning to education, or changing your career
don't leave any gaps - if you have taken time out to have a family, include this time
put a positive spin on any experience you may have - for example, if you have been at home raising a family emphasise skill such as:

time management - juggling child care with study or part time work; dealing with several problems at once, rarely without interruption

negotiation skills - vital in child rearing