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A curriculum vitae, CV, otherwise known as a resume is a document which profiles you in as concise a manner as possible for the benefit of a potential employer. It is akin to a first date, a possible prelude to subsequent dates and ultimately, one hopes, a fruitful relationship between the CV owner and the recipient of the document as employee and employer.

Your CV is your first opportunity that you as a job seeker have to woo your potential employer, i.e. to start off with a good impression. It is a very rare thing indeed that one is given a second chance to make a first impression, good or bad; offhand, that would be contradiction in terms. Therefore, your CV, a career brochure advertising you, your skills and your experience ought to, at first sight, highlight your value to the potential employer for the purpose of securing that interview and, subsequently, the job.

It is important to understand what it is that the recruiter is looking for in the person required for the particular job or position which is on offer, so that you CV can highlight those attributes which you possess that makes you attractive for the position and a probable success story once you have landed the job. Keep in mind that the first port of call for your CV is likely to be the Human Resource (HR) or personnel department of the organisation to which you are applying, and the department is quite likely to be screening a considerable number of CVs for a limited number of openings. As HR personnel often do not have an in depth knowledge of all the specialist functions within their own organisation (especially if the organisation is a large one) it is of great importance that your CV sets forth in clear language that your skills and experiences do, in fact, fall within the broad parameters of skills and experiences that the recruiting department has sent to the HR department as the minimum required.

Please do remember that the potential employer is on the lookout for more than just your bare bones skills and experience; working in any organisation involves more than just these and your CV should convey to the recruiter at first glance that you possess those additional qualities that make it desirable to have you on board. So, your CV ought to show off your ability to communicate and present your case in the most efficient manner. It should also show that you possess those interpersonal skills that are so important in the team work that every organisation depends on. The recruiter will also

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