Types of CV / Resume

Basic - a basic CV will list your basic information in chronological order. It will start with your name and contact details. It will then it will list your last two or more jobs, with details of the what you did in the post and what you learnt. Next it will include a list of your educational achievements. Finally this CV could include additional information regarding skills you have or activities you are involved outside work.

Employment CV - the employment CV lists in great detail your recent employment, with a focus on what your role was and what you learnt from each role. This CV looks at the skills your learnt, how you applied them and gives examples of where you achieved and overcome problems. This type of CV will benefit from numerical examples. For example, "I increased sales by 10 per cent in six months".

You should use an employment CV when you are seeking a job which is very similar to your past experience. It is therefore unlikely to be used if you have just left education and do not have much work experience. Remember not to include too many past employers in this CV, choose the most recent and most relevant jobs.

Achievements CV - this CV gives a more general insight into the main achievements that you have completed in your career and education. It is a useful type of CV if you are looking to change job or if you have just finished education and do not have relevant work experience. You should try to use this type of CV to highlight the fact that although you do not have directly relevant experience, you have achieved various other things that make you suitable for the role and a valuable asset to the company.

Targeted CV - if you know exactly the sort of job you are looking for and perhaps even exactly the company you want to work for, then you might want to write a targeted CV. This type of CV will show a knowledge of the type of job you are going for and will focus on showing the potential employer that you have direct experience and knowledge to complete the role. Having exactly the right experience will suit this type of CV and generally is suitable when you are looking to move to a very similar job to the one you have been previously undertaking.

Creative CV - if you are looking to move into the creative sector such as fashion or web design then it might be worth thinking about making your CV stand out by adding some artistic flare to your CV, whether this be with graphics or placing the CV into an online format. This is unlikely to be suitable for a senior or management position but could make you stand out for a competitive junior position, particularly if you lack extensive employed experience. However, make sure you don't forget to include the important information in the CV as a potential employer will still want to know about your education and work experience.