If you were to abide by 4 rules to CV writing what would they be? You shouldn’t be short of ideas...a trawl through back copies of newspapers shows careers advisors, journalists, recruiters, psychologists and other ‘experts’ have churned out 1,000s of articles on how to construct the perfect CV in the last few years.

Providing fresh, useful advice is difficult. I think the majestic skill is in distilling all the advice and actually doing something about it.

Whilst I do not profess to being an employment psychologist I do confess to having read every one of the 277 CV advice articles written in the national press this year. And guess what...there’s considerable repetition.

To save you going goggle eyed, here is the shortest summary of 277 articles you will ever see.....the 4 ‘golden rules to effective CV writing’:

1. Remember the purpose of a CV – simply to get you to interview. This needs to be your sales pitch. Showcase accomplishments and skills and convey drive and determination.

2. Be aware of what a recruiter/employer will do with the CV – Over 40% only read a CV for a minute before making a decision.

3. Be aware of what will an interviewer will do with the CV - Try to get behind the veneer. Are you running towards a new job or running away from an old one. What opportunities have come your way? What did you make of them? What problems have you faced? How did you overcome them, or how did you fail to do so?

4. Know your customer AND your competition – Be specific. What skills is the employer looking for and how does your experience match. Who else could apply and why do you stand out?

Seeking help from others is not unwise. Career, CV and Interview Preparation services are designed to distil the vast amount of information in the public domain so you can focus on doing, not researching.

Remember the old saying: if you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got. Whatever you do next, make sure it isn’t reading another career advice article. Please start doing and remember that we are happy to help.

Good luck,
David