What to include in a CV or Resumé

It's important to include the right information when writing a resumé or CV. Hiring managers and interviewers need to be able to see straightaway why you are the best candidate for the job, and why they should employ you, and they get the majority of this information from your resumé.

In your CV you should include personal details, but take care to avoid superfluous information such as religious affiliation, the names of your children, or so on. It's important that the information tell the interviewer about you, but only the things that will make them hire you.

When providing details on your educational background, try to be as clear and details as possible. If you can, include information on the types of qualification as well as the institutions you attended, and the dates you attained each qualification. Put them in reverse order, so that the interviewer can see the most recent qualifications first. Make sure to place higher educational qualifications ahead of others (starting with degrees, and working backwards through professional, college and high school, dividing them out into relevant categories).

Again with work experience, provide details like the employers name, location, type of work and dates, and again put them in reverse order so that they interviewer can see the latest employer first.

When writing a curriculum vitae it's important to include all the right information so the hiring manager can see, at first glance, why you are a strong candidate for the job. List your achievements against each role so that the interviewer can see what you took away from each job role.

Skills are not to be mistaken for qualifications, and should be included separately. Include such things as foreign language skills, recent training and development, and other skills that you feel would be relevant to the job you are applying for.

Keep your hobbies and interests short, and as impersonal as is possible. Do not include superfluous information, and try not to be overly specific or long winded.

References can be covers with as simple, "Available on Request" clause.

Kevin Fitzgerald, North American Marketing Communications Manager, Michael Page International, one of the world's leading professional recruitment consultancies, shares his advice on what to include in your curriculum vitae.

Your resumé or CV should be no longer 2 pages long. Any longer and you risk the interviewer missing crucial information.