Having examined and analyzed the job advertised, you should now be in a position to determine how to write a resume or CV specifically for the job you are applying for.

Fundamental requirements of a CV or resume

The letters “CV” stand for Curriculum Vitae, which derives from Latin. Translated, this means “the way your life has run”. Correspondingly, the CV is a personal statement, which demonstrates to the employer the way your life has run. The CV will usually start from your early education and progress through to higher education and chronicle your employment. It will also chronicle your personal interests. The end product should present a well-rounded picture of you.

A CV serves several basic requirements. Firstly, it highlights your potential value to an employer. It also provides a framework within which an interview can be guided and acts as a record of the interview, or its substance.

Many people find they encounter a mental blockage when required to formulate a CV. It's not the easiest task in the world. Time and effort plus creativity are key components of the task. The most important point to remember at the outset is that the resume should be concise and easy to read. All of the relevant and most important facts should be present.

The layout of the ideal resume

Before any information has been entered onto the CV, consideration needs to be given to the layout. By layout, I mean the actual design of the visual presentation.

Remember that a better impression will be made if the person reading the CV feels comfortable with what they are reading. Effective visual design reflects neatness, and the end product should be easy on the eyes and immediately give an impression of orderliness, which will go a long way to impress the reader.

Although the ultimate decisions on who to recruit are made on a combination of factors and not just visual presentation, the manner in which your information is presented and assembled makes that very important first impression, and could very easily make all the difference between your potential future employers being attracted to take the time with your resume or deciding to drop it and move along to the others in their pile.

Make sure also when you are typing the information that you use all of the features of the Word Processor (assuming that you are using a WP). Make sure that you have clean margins and that you are consistent when presenting your information. For example, you might want to ensure that your work is not right hand justified as this lends a certain uniformity to a CV. Maybe it is better to leave it unjustified or “ragged right” as it is known.