Interview

4.2       Content

If aspects of presentation can be subjective there is widespread agreement on the content of the CV. You will certainly include personal details such as your name and contact details including email and mobile phone details. You don’t need to include your age or date of birth and it would not be normal to include a photograph. In fact in the UK such personal details including gender cannot be requested because of anti-discrimination legislation. You may of course choose to include such information if you wish.

Many CVs now follow this up with a brief profile and career objective(s). This needs to be brief and to the point, honest and realistic. You need to take care to be positive but avoid clichés which could make this appear to the reader as trite or even tacky.

You need to include a complete career history with dates and make sure there are no gaps because this will be one of the first things a potential employer will spot. Where there are gaps you need to be in a position to explain them at interview.

With all of these historical sections, reverse chronological order seems to be the preferred approach this is because generally speaking the employer will be interested in your most recent experience.

You will include your educational achievements from secondary school onwards and these days employers will expect to see some assessment of your skills profile as well as a comment on interests, achievements and responsibilities.

It is normal to include two referees. But you need to ask if they are willing to be named as referees first. Try to get blanket approval from your referees so you don’t have to refer every application back to them.

The different sites listed in the references at the end of this Paper provide more specific details on the content under each of the main headings.