• Use a word processor to write your CV, sometimes a company may specify that they want a hand written covering letter but the CV should always be typed - remember quality of presentation should never be ignored.

• No longer than two sides of A4 and put the most important information on page one. Do not print on both sides of the paper.

• It is crucial to keep things concise because you will probably find that two pages provide not a lot of room to include all of your details, intelligent formatting is required. Make the layout clear logical and not cluttered, use sensible margin spacing.

• Use the best quality paper you can get hold of, but use common sense, do not send paper that is too thick.

• Bulleted paragraphs are a good way to save space and add impact to statements.

• Titles are required so that an employer can instantly see just what he/she wants to read. But try to avoid using formulaic titles such as Skills, Objectives, Profile, Introduction etc. Instead use a few sensible broad headings, 'Career', 'Personal', 'Professional'

• Talented design and layout with flashy type settings cannot fail to impress, however do not over do it, smart design cannot be considered a substitute for quality content. Another problem with complex formatting is that when it comes to posting your CV online, often the format is lost. Ideally have two versions, one flashy CV which can be snail mailed and e-mailed in Word, or PDF format and one which is txt. format which can be cut and pasted into online CV fields.

• Tailor your CV to each separate position when possible by carrying out some research into the company (the easiest way to do this is to look at their website) - see section on tailoring your CV.

Do not quote your previous salaries, and do not state why you left previous jobs