Your CV is the first thing that an employer will usually see of you so it needs to do the job of selling you effectively.

Writing a CV is very important and you should take the time to do it right. Once you have created it you can maximise potential by sending it to a recruitment agency. You can easily find an agency by doing a geographical web search (for example, if you were looking for jobs Yeovil you could try using ‘employment agency Yeovil’ or ‘recruitment agency Yeovil’) or you could try doing a sector specific search.

Upload your CV to online job sites so that employers have the chance of finding you when looking to fill their positions. A plain text CV works best on the web as it avoids formatting problems.

If you are sending out a CV yourself for a specific job, make sure that it is tailored for the position that you are applying for, highlighting relevant experience and achievements. Taking a general approach will not secure you an interview.

All this is well and good but if your CV is not written well in the first place it won’t help you to send it out anywhere. If you are unsure about how to put your CV together in the first place, following a few tips will help.

Make sure that the grammar and spelling throughout your document is correct and that the information is clear and concise. Make sure that your contact details are at the top of the first page so that it’s easy to find. You can either do a skills based or chronological CV, depending on what is most relevant to you. All wording should be in a professional typeface such as Arial and there should be no gaps in your dates.

When you have finished your CV, get friends and family to read it and then ask your employment agency their opinion. They will want it to be at its best because they get paid when you get placed in a job. Agencies can give constructive tips on improving your document and point you to further information.

Making your CV work for you is a combination of writing it well to start with and then marketing it effectively, whether directly to employers or using an employment agency or online service.