The aim of your CV is to sell yourself to a prospective employer. You therefore have to create an effective CV outlining your abilities and achievements. You only have one chance to impress that potential employer so make sure you capture their attention, show that you have the ability to do the job you are applying for and the potential you have to offer the company in the future. Make your CV lively, generate interest in YOU and not your competition and most importantly make the reader want to see you, for that all-important interview. It is possible to create a strong generic CV that can be tweaked for the individual company needs, but you have to get it right. So what is the key to getting it right? If you follow these tips you will be well on your way:

· Keep it simple, stick to the facts. An overcrowded CV will detract from your unique selling points. It will not impress, just make the reader bored and uninterested
· Avoid templates, this is your chance to stand out. Although you have to include certain information in your CV take the opportunity to make it individual
· Communicate your strengths, achievements and your individual personality. This is your CV so make sure it portrays you in the best possible light
· Be honest. It's all too easy to be caught out. Lying will get you nowhere, only the job centre
· Use strong positive language. Words such as gained, achieved, managed, responsible for, all highlight your individual profile.
· Spelling and Grammar. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors are the biggest sin in writing your CV. If you can't take the time and effort to do a good job on your CV then an employer will take no interest in you what so ever
· List your contact details. It's no good having a top CV if the potential employer can't get hold of you
· References. Make sure to contact your referees before you put them on your CV. It would be highly embarrassing for both you and your referee to be caught unaware
· Think before you write. Take time to plan out your CV and write a few draft copies Get a second opinion. Once you have written a few drafts of your masterpiece get a friend or colleague to take a look and point out any areas for improvement
These tips will apply to any country in the world. There are many schools of thought on how to tailor your CV to different nationalities, but at the end of the day they are all looking for the same thing, the right person with a strong CV.

What needs to be included?
Personal details
Identify yourself, otherwise how will the reader know who you are. Include name, address, contact numbers, date of birth, nationality, marital status and sex.

Personal profile
You don't have to include a personal profile, but if done well they are always a nice touch.

Education
Start with your most recent qualification and work your way back to O level / GCSE. Include, name and address of school / university, dates attended, subjects taken and grades achieved.

Skills
List all relevant skills i.e. computer courses, Languages.

Work Experience
Paint a picture of your professional career, start with your current or most recent position including name of company, start and end dates. Work backwards briefly summarising your roles highlighting areas of responsibility, achievements and successes. A strong career means high profile job roles, blue chip clients and latest technology expertise. If you have these then make the most of them.

Activities
Include professional, personal or community awards, organisation memberships, hobbies and interests. Express yourself as this is a chance to show whom you really are.

References
Either list your referees at the bottom of your CV or write "available on request", and make sure they are.
You can also include testimonials or quotations from performance appraisals that you may have received in previous jobs. Buzzwords, can also give a sense of credibility to your CV, however don't over do it. Finally, think carefully about the layout and headings for your CV, these can make it individual, but can also make it an individual mess.