The average person changes jobs 12 times throughout the course of their lifetime. That means they create at least 12 different versions of their CV during that time.

A company you want to apply to has asked you to send in a CV and you're thinking, "wait..what?" Don't worry! A CV is a concise document which summarizes your past, existing professional skills, proficiency and experiences. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate that you have the necessary skills to do the job for which you are applying. Literally you are selling your talents, skills, and proficiencies.

A resume headline is a concise, one-line description of who you are as a candidate. A well-written headline can grab a recruiter’s attention and encourage them to take a more detailed look at your qualifications.

Your CV format will play a big part in it’s success.

It might seem obvious, but job seekers sometimes forget a key piece of contact information in this section. Double check and make it as easy as possible for recruiters to contact you for a job interview.

A resume summary statement is a short paragraph or section of bullet points at the beginning of a resume that highlights your professional skills and experience.

The work experience section is the heart of your resume. Employers look at this section closely to determine whether your job history and prior accomplishments make you a promising candidate.

It’s important to incorporate important skills throughout your entire resume, beginning with your headline which should, when possible, include the most important keyword, the job title. You can also list skills in a dedicated skills section of your resume if using a hybrid format.

It’s common to include your education on your resume, especially if you are applying to a job that requires a degree. If you’re a few years into your career, your resume’s education section can be minimized at the bottom of your resume.

Your hobbies and interest are an entirely optional section and should only be added if they are somehow relevant to the jobs or companies you are applying to.

To ensure your CV makes a positive impact on recruiters, try to avoid the following mistakes.

Even if you’re someone who’s confident in putting together a job application, it’s still incredibly easy to miss something. To make sure this doesn’t happen use a quick CV checklist to help you to make sure you’ve not missed anything.