Location, location!

Pinstripe Solutions's interview coach Kirsty Ferguson advises against wasting prime CV real estate on unimportant information like your address. "This is a marketing document - use the first page to sell yourself."

Spell it out

Most employers are put off by poor spelling, according to one UK study^†, so always run a spellcheck. And keep different fonts to a minimum so your CV looks professional.

Outcomes first

Think achievements - not responsibilities. If your job was to manage budgets and you cut costs by 20 per cent, include this on your résumé. Be specific, and always put the outcome of a project first, says Julie Farthing of career consultancy Career Dimensions.

Don't fib

A US study* has found that 44 per cent of executives embellish their job descriptions. Qualification checks are now standard, so you will be found out. If you don't have a long work history, include lecturers or family friends as referees - just declare the nature of the relationship.

Hold the hobbies

A CV is a professional document, so don't get too personal. Sure, you may love running and reading, but only include hobbies if they're relevant and "relate to the culture of the organisation", advises Grahame Doyle, NSW director of Hays Recruitment. Also, forget about including your age or a photo.

Does it compute?

Recruiters often use a database for applications that searches for keywords, so include the terms that are used in the job description, says Carolyn Vickers-Willis of recruitment firm RossJuliaRoss.

Résumés Reworked

We gave a sample CV to our career experts to redesign and rework. Download the results for examples of what a résumé should look like:

• The original CV (PDF, 28kb)
• CV modified by Julie Farthing, Career Dimensions (PDF, 21kb)
• CV modified by Kirsty Ferguson, Pinstripe Solutions interview coach (PDF, 42kb)
• CV modified by Carolyn Vickers-Willis of recruitment firm RossJuliaRoss (PDF, 21kb)