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How to write your CV	Career in IT \| IT Career Tips \| Career Advice on Do’s and Don’ts

Use good quality paper: this is important if you're sending your CV by post. Put it in an A4 envelope so you don't have to fold it.
Keep your CV to two pages: you can boil this down further to an American style one-page résumé, but don't sacrifice relevant information for the sake of succinctness.
State all your contact details at the top of the page: include home, mobile and business phone numbers, if appropriate.
Embolden text: to highlight different sections - also try different fonts or shaded areas. Leave white space around each item to make it easy to read.
Use bullet points: this breaks up the information into bite size chunks making it harder for readers to miss key information.
Use action verbs: at the start of each bullet point and write in the third person and past tense. Use 'instigated', 'developed', 'improved', 'managed' and 'co-ordinated', for example, rather than 'did'.
Start with your most recent position: and work backwards if compiling a chronological CV. If you're short of space, reduce the number of bullet points for positions you held early in your career.

Apply the 'so what?' test when you've finished your CV: look carefully at the experiences and achievements you have listed. Ask yourself 'So what?' for each one. Each point you make should have a tangible and obvious benefit to the recruiting organisation.
Back up your assertions: each achievement should ideally be related to some evidence in the form of a statistic, percentage or amount of money.
List your highest-level qualification first: include only important qualifications and don't list all your 'O' levels or GCSEs. Include memberships of professional institutions.
Include additional skills: don't forget to mention your language or IT skills.
Include training courses: but mention only the most relevant ones you've attended.
Be careful when using attachments: they can occasionally be appropriate, especially if you work in certain sectors or types of jobs, and stop the body of your CV from becoming cluttered with detail.
Check your CV carefully: check for spelling, grammar, punctuation and typographical errors. Get a trusted friend to read through it as well.

Write the heading 'Curriculum Vitae' at the top: recruiters know what the document is.
Use the first person: writing in the third person is more effective - say 'Managed' not 'I managed'.
Include information on religion or political affiliation: the reader may have a different view - don't open yourself up to being rejected for any reason other than your skills not matching a role.
Put anything controversial under the 'Interests' section: think carefully about what your interests say about you first.
Mention remuneration: keep salary information for the covering letter if you have been asked to provide details, or preferably for discussion at interview.
Attach a photograph