How to write a killer CV

Put yourself in a recruitment agent's shoes, every day you receive dozens of CVs which vary greatly in quality and it's your job to wade through them and sort the wheat from the chaff. A recruitment agent will quickly scan your CV and unless it's well presented look for any reason to move on to the next one.

• Stephanie Buck is clear on the competitive nature of securing a contract role: "If you send in your CV in response to an advertised position you've got just a few seconds before the agent hits the ‘delete' button. This is because for the average contract position advertised several hundred applicants will send their CV through - and why not? It's so easy to send an email."

Faced with a pile of CVs to whittle down to a shortlist a recruiter hasn't got the time or inclination to read through every single CV in front of them. There isn't any room for anything but a perfectly presented, convincing document that shows you in the best possible light for the job.

• The contract market has always been competitive and never more so than now. You need a professionally constructed CV to stand out amongst the hundreds of CVs which you are competing with - it's not really an option anymore. Each vacancy turns into a fierce competition - are you prepared?

Your CV is a document which should sell. It sells based on how well it can reflect your uniqueness & suitability for the given position. You might be good at fixing widgets but what are you like at comprehension? A single mistake could end your dreams of that perfect job.

Maximise readability

It is essential for your CV to be easy for the reader to scan quickly and effectively. You need to separate different sections and insert clear section headings. Avoid long paragraphs; use bullet pointing to break up text into more manageable ‘bite-size' chunks. It should be eye-catching and uncluttered.

• Check vigilantly for spelling and grammatical errors.

Include a Professional Profile and Objective

These sections should summarise and emphasise your key attributes and your intended future career path. Your words must flow seamlessly - avoiding cliché and superfluous hyperbole. They should each only be a few lines in length but they must spark the reader's interest. If you can't successfully ‘pitch' yourself in under ten lines then you risk losing the reader's attention.

• Be brief - you can highlight examples in later sections. But be persuasive.

Include achievements where possible

If you can include an Achievements section then it can make an instant and dramatic difference to the power of your CV, enabling you to distinguish yourself from other candidates. This is no time for false modesty. This is a time to show what you have achieved - and to imply that you will be capable of achieving similar results in the future.

Keep your CV concise and to-the-point

Your CV should be informative - but also concise. In general, two A4 pages is a maximum. Too many CVs are quite simply too long. Only include information which will actually help to sell you. Recruiters don't want to waste time reading details irrelevant to your ability to fulfil the job role.

Target/Tailor your CV

If possible, tailor your CV according to the specific vacancy for which you are applying. Whilst many people use a general CV designed to suit any position they are applying for, greater success can always be achieved by tailoring your CV according to the needs of the specific role to which you are applying.

• It stands to reason that every job and every organisation are different, and every CV should therefore also be subtly different.

When it's Over

After your interview your CV is still working hard acting as a refresher for your skills whenever the agent reads through it - refreshing his/her mind as to the impression you made and skill set. Even if you're shortlisted to one of 5 you don't want to be the next CV to be eliminated.

These points encapsulate the most important principles when constructing your CV. The real purpose of your CV is not to get a job - it's to get an interview.

Once you land a contract role make sure you choose your umbrella company wisely. JMK Group UK are a top umbrella company and the preferred choice for many hundreds of contractors.