When you are finished, check your CV carefully. Is there anything you can remove without deleting essential information?

You may safely omit:

• listing every GCSE subject and every degree/HND module
• outdated and irrelevant awards and achievements
• marital status, gender, age and date of birth
• stating ’Curriculum Vitae’ at the top of the page – you could replace this with your name.

You may also consider omitting:

• nationality (unless important)
• referees’ complete details (but don’t forget to ask their permission, if you do decide to include them!).

Gaps in your CV

There are some matters, such as disastrous exam results, health issues and unexplained gaps on your CV that may be worrying you. Sometimes explanations can be made on the covering letter, but some issues may be better tackled in other ways. If in doubt, take your CV to a careers adviser.

Draw it all together

So you’ve read this step-by-step guide to the content of the CV, you’ve got some great ideas of what you want to include, and you’re ready for CV action! Before you begin, take a look at this example CV to help you visualise, develop and personalise your CV. But remember, this example should not be copied. Recruiters can easily spot a template, so it’s crucial that you make your CV original and tailored to each individual job that you apply for.

Final CV check

The best thing you can possibly do when you have finished your CV is get an expert to check it over for you and suggest any improvements that might be made. Specialist companies can charge hundreds of pounds for this kind of service, but if you have access to your careers service you can have yours checked for free. It’s the single best investment of your time you can make.

Find out more

• Share CV tips with other students in the forum
• Check out our example CV
• Read more application advice