Formatting your CV

Avoid titling the document 'curriculum vitae' or 'CV'.

It's a waste of space. Instead let your name serve as the title.

Section headings are a good way to break up your CV.

Ensure they stand out by making them larger (font size 14 or 16) and bold.

Avoid fonts such as Comic Sans.

Choose something professional, clear and easy to read such Aria!, Calibri or Times New Roman. Use a font size between 10 and 12 to make sure that potential employers can read your CV. Ensure all fonts and font sizes are consistent throughout.

List everything in reverse chronological order.

Then the recruiter sees your work history and most recent achievements first.

Keep it concise by using clear spacing and bullet points.

This type of CV layout allows potential employers to skim your CV and quickly pick out important information first.

Name the document when saving

Don't just save as 'Document 1 '. Make sure the title of the document is professional and identifies you, such as 'Lewis Mansell'•CV'.

Unless the job advert states differently

(for example, it may ask you to provide your CV and cover letter as a Word document) save with a . PDF file extension to make sure it can be opened and read on any machine.

If you're posting your CV, print it on white A4 paper

Only print on one side and don't fold your CV - you don't want it to arrive creased.