A foot in the door

Are you struggling to know where to start? Has it been a while since you last looked for a job? If you are unsure about what you want and unclear as to what employers are looking for, it may be a good idea to start by reading through the job pages in magazines and newspapers and scanning the internet. This will help you to discover the specific skills that organisations are looking for in your particular role and region.

As we all know, employers are busy people. You need to attract their attention and provide them with all the information quickly and concisely. Don't try and use the latest fonts or add pictures, keep it simple and stick to a standard CV format.

• Your name, contact details and personal information should come first on a CV. Remember to only include a work phone number if you don't mind being contacted at work and make sure that all these details are up-to-date. You don't want to miss out on an opportunity just because you have forgotten to update your CV.

• After a career objective, which states what you want (avoid beginning this with 'all I've ever wanted to be is a...') list your qualifications, educational achievements and any industry affiliations. Chartered memberships and industry qualifications are also extremely desirable to new employers. They provide tangible evidence that not only are you interested in the health & safety industry, but that you are actively contributing to it.

• Follow this with your work experience. List each experience in reverse order, so that the most recent appears first. When referring to projects that you have worked on, be specific - detail the value of the project, the length of time you worked on the project and your individual role. This information is invaluable to an employer.

• Do not to leave gaps in your CV. If you took a year out or carried out an interim assignment, say so. If you do include gaps, potential employers can suspect the worst.

• Your CV will vary in length depending on how much experience you have, however it should be kept to a maximum of 3 pages.

Once you have the basic elements of your CV in place, you need to target it towards the specific job. What qualities have they specified in the job brief? Does your CV clearly highlight that you can meet these requirements? This will entail in-depth research into the company and the industry. Remember to utilise all resources to achieve this. Libraries often store information on local companies, the internet provides reams of information, plus your recruitment consultant will have an inside knowledge into the company and knows exactly what they are looking for.

DonÕt forget to spell check your CV. It sounds obvious but a huge number of candidates make this elementary mistake. It gives the employer a terrible first impression and some are even likely to dismiss the CV on the spot if they find an obvious mistake.

Also, make sure you keep a copy of this targeted CV. It sounds simple, but you will need this to refresh your memory when you get to the next stage – the 1^st interview. Good luck!