Sort your CV out

We know these are tough and challenging times, but I can't help feeling that some of you are not doing yourself justice. Now I know that most of you would not argue if I said this was quite a competitive job market. I know equally that many of you would love to move on into that ideal opportunity. However, I am seeing an increasing number of CV's and applications landing on my desk or into my e-mail box that are - how shall I put this? - embarrassing. I am seeing too many documents littered with spelling mistakes, badly laid out and above all clearly never looked at objectively since you started your first job in 1973 and have merely added each new job on ever since. I have covered how to write an effective CV on quite a number of occasions, but this goes way beyond laying out a document in the optimum way. Many CV's I get have had very little work done on them at all and should never have left your PC. Your CV could be the most important document you will ever prepare in your life - if it gets you through the door to your dream job, it will probably have more effect upon you personally and upon your family than anything else you have ever done (other than getting married and having kids of course). This is a tough career market. You need to invest some time in your own personal marketing and the way you present yourself.