Your CV is the first opportunity you have to make an impression with a potential employer. It is vital that it presents you in the best possible way, therefore it should look professional, be easy to follow and immediately convey your talents with the skills the employer is looking for.

Here are a few simple rules to help you get a favourable response:

1. Tailor your CV to each application and send it with a covering handwritten letter to draw the reader's attention to how you meet the criteria laid down in the advertisement.

2. Your CV must look good. It should be a maximum of two sides of A4, printed on high quality paper and should be well produced with correct spelling and grammar.

3. You should record your life chronologically, starting with the present and working backwards. Identify the skills and experience that are most relevant to the job you are applying for.

4. Make yourself sound confident and sell yourself. Never put yourself down.

5. Do some research about the Company you are applying to. Recruiters are impressed if you know something about their organisation.