h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I picked this up from various agencies. Make sure that, on the front page of your CV, you have a summary or overview of your skills and experience.

Maybe a 10 or so bullet points stating things like:
-- 10 years experience in Management
-- Advanced Word Processing skills
-- etc........

Means they can see right away if you have the skills without having to trawl through what you did in other areas that could match what they would want you to do.

Its also good to try and get this sort of thing in an application form. There is almost always are area where they ask you to fill in more information on why you feel you are suitable for the job. This could be put here.

One thing that is becoming more important as it becomes easier, for even the dimmest interviewer, to do research online is this:- Don't lie about your experience.

It's OK to omit jobs where you may have not got on as well as you'd like, but be prepared for questions about the gap in continuity.

But don't lie. Even if your lie cannot be traced, it may become obvious!

I recently hired someone who clearly stated in their CV that they had used several of the usual Office programs. This was not the case and after a few weeks we had to part ways. This was bad for both of us, they had a very uncomfortable time trying to grasp something beyond them while pretending they knew it already and I still had work that needed doing.

If you think you're short of experience in an area that you're interested in working, do some short courses or night school or book study. Don't pretend you know something that you don't.

You have to admit that an employer does have a part to play when taking on someone. Surely if certain skills are important and the new employee will not be trained then you make sure that the applicant can do what he or she says. Proof by certificates and even short tests do weed out the obvious fakes or exaggerations. I've been to plenty of interviews where a short test has been sprung on me with no warning. It's not really an applicants fault if employers cannot be bothered to check this stuff out.

You have to admit that an employer does have a part to play when taking on someone. Surely if certain skills are important and the new employee will not be trained then you make sure that the applicant can do what he or she says. Proof by certificates and even short tests do weed out the obvious fakes or exaggerations. I've been to plenty of interviews where a short test has been sprung on me with no warning. It's not really an applicants fault if employers cannot be bothered to check this stuff out.

You have to admit that an employer does have a part to play when taking on someone. Surely if certain skills are important and the new employee will not be trained then you make sure that the applicant can do what he or she says. Proof by certificates and even short tests do weed out the obvious fakes or exaggerations. I've been to plenty of interviews where a short test has been sprung on me with no warning. It's not really an applicants fault if employers cannot be bothered to check this stuff out.