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Your CV is an essential tool in job searching, so sell yourself with confidence, says Jane Redfern Jones

Finding a job you want to apply for is only the start. Now you have to present yourself on paper and con vince your potential employer that you are the best person for the job.

An impressive CV that conveys information clearly and concisely will show an employer how well suited you are for the position. It will greatly improve your chances of getting an interview.

Several companies produce personalised CVs commercially, but is that what you really want? Could a stranger do a better job than you in producing this most important document? Writing a CV can be rather tedious, so look on it as a challenge and an opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

You might struggle to fit it on two sides of A4, so what do you leave out? Remember, quality, not quantity. Check that all information is relevant and will tempt the employer to interview you.

Making sure that your CV is well presented and easy to follow is as important as including all the essential information. It creates an all-important first impression and could make the difference between getting that interview or missing out. Follow these tips to create a document to impress:

• Choose good-quality paper: white, off-cream and grey are the easiest to read.
• Use the same stationery for the covering letter and envelope.
• Pick a plain typeface; use bold and italic font sparingly.
• Simple bullet points are best for separating duties and skills
• Avoid big blocks of text and leave plenty of space.
• Check carefully for spelling and grammatical mistakes.
• Ask someone else to check and comment.

Keep a working CV and update it regularly, tailoring it to meet each application. Even if not required, an up-to-date CV can be useful to transfer information to an application form. Sometimes, if the application form is too brief to detail all your skills, send your CV as well. But don’t make the mistake of thinking you can put less effort into the application form.

Check whether the application form should be sent by post or email. Emailing a CV is undoubtedly quicker, but some employers may check their in-boxes infrequently. If in doubt, put it in the post

Jane Redfern Jones is a freelance nursing writer.