Your resume is your primary tool to showcase yourself. It outlines your skills and experiences, your education, knowledge and successes. It is the simplest foot you can ever put through a company's door. Getting your resume precise from the start will make the process of finding appropriate employment much easier for both you and your recruitment agent.

We have compiled a list of tips and tricks that should help you to build a resume to be proud of.

There is no specific way to present a CV. However, it should reflect the quality of the position that you seek. The resume is designed to get you an interview. Once in an interview, you can sell yourself face-to-face.

It is important that your resume be laid out in a logical and concise way. The font should be easy to read, and the paragraphs short and succinct. Use headings to break up information and draw the eye of the reader to the important elements. A well-laid out resume can be the differentiator in securing an interview.

A tight, well written resume should be your goal. Keep it short and relevant.

Break your resume up into logical areas, and keep it concise. Headings should be used that are familiar to most employers such as

This section should include your name, address, email, telephone contacts, and a brief overview of your interests. It should be short.

School, University and other qualifications should all be detailed here. Lay out in chronological order, with the most recent qualifications first.

List your employment history starting with most recent roles. Provide more detail on the roles in the most recent 5 years, and only summary information on roles pre-ceding the last five years. Include job titles, employers, dates of employment and responsibilities and achievements for each role.

Provide the contact details for both personal and professional referees, particularly from recent employers. Always request permission from the referee to provide their name and contact details as such. You should include the name, title, office address, telephone number and email for approximately four referees. It is also useful to include the basis of the reference (Employer; Co-Worker; Personal Referee etc). Friends and relatives do not make appropriate referees.

Always proofread your CV before submitting it. Look for spelling and grammatical errors, and errors in chronology.

A good resume is the first thing a potential employer sees, so it is worth the effort!

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Well Done! You've made it through to the interview stage with a great employer! Job interviews can be a stressful process but they don't need to be, especially if you have prepared well in advance. Below are some job interview tips you can follow. As with all things, preparation is the key. Take these interview tips with you and practice them with a friend or family member and remember, you can never prepare enough.

The more information you have about the prospective employer, the greater your likelihood of success

This is the first commandment because it's the most important. There's a wealth of information available on the Internet, at the public library and through professional associations and networking groups. Research into the organization so that you know about its size, market sector, products and services, locations, recent growth and any recent headlines news concerning the organization.

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Below are a set of popular interview questions and a review of the techniques that can be used to respond. Take your time, work through them, and you should find that you are prepared for many interview scenarios.

This is not an invitation to ramble on. If the context isn't clear, you need to know more about the question before giving an answer. In such a situation, you could ask, "Is there a particular aspect of my background that you would like more information on?" This will enable the interviewer to help you find the appropriate focus and avoid discussing irrelevancies.

Whichever direction your answer ultimately takes, be sure that it has some relevance to the world of your professional endeavours. The tale you tell should demonstrate, or refer to, one or more of your key behavioural profiles in action--perhaps honesty, integrity, being a team player, or determination. If you choose "team player" (maybe you're the star player on your team tennis group), you can tell a story about yourself outside of work that also speaks volumes about you at work. In part, your answer should make the connection between the two, such as, "I put my heart into everything I do, whether it be sports or work. I find that getting along with teammates--or professional peers--makes life more enjoyable and productive."

Or you might describe yourself as someone who is able to communicate with a variety of people, so give an example from your personal life that indicates an ability to communicate that would also apply at work.

This isn't a question that you can answer effectively off the cuff. Take some time in advance to think about yourself and those aspects of your personality and/or background that you'd like to promote or feature for your interviewer.

To answer this question, you will need to have researched the company. Reply with the company's attributes as you see them. Cap your answer with reference to your belief that the company can provide you with a stable and happy work environment--the company has that reputation--and that such an atmosphere would encourage your best work.

"I'm not looking for just another pay cheque. I enjoy my work and am proud of my profession. Your company produces a superior product/provides a superior service. I share the values that make this possible, which should enable me to fit in and complement the team."

The interviewer is looking for incompatibilities. If a trial lawyer says he or she dislikes arguing a point with colleagues, such a statement will only weaken--if not immediately destroy--his or her candidacy.

Most interviews start with a preamble by the interviewer about the company. Pay attention: That information will help you answer the question. In fact, any statement the interviewer makes about the job or corporation can be used to your advantage. So, in answer, you liked everything about your last job. You might even say your company taught you the importance of certain keys from the business, achievement, or professional profile. Criticizing a prior employer is a warning flag that you could be a problem employee. No one intentionally hires trouble, and that's what's behind the question. Keep your answer short and positive. You are allowed only one negative about past employers, and only then if your interviewer has a "hot button" about his or her department or company; if so, you will have written it down on your notepad. For example, the only thing your past employer could not offer might be something like "the ability to contribute more in different areas". You might continue with, "I really liked everything about the job. The reason I want to leave it is to find a position where I can make a greater contribution. You see, I work for a large company that encourages specialization of skills. The smaller environment you have here will, allow me to contribute far more in different areas." Tell them what they want to hear--replay the hot button. Of course, if you interview with a large company, turn it around. "I work for a small company and don't get the time to specialize in one or two major areas."

The safest answer contains a desire to be regarded as a true professional and team player. As far as promotion, that depends on finding a manager with whom you can grow. Of course, you will ask what opportunities exist within the company before being any more specific: "From my research and what you have told me about the growth here, it seems operations is where the heavy emphasis is going to be. It seems that's where you need the effort and where I could contribute toward the company's goals." Or, "I have always felt that first-hand knowledge and experience open up opportunities that one might never have considered, so while at this point in time I plan to be a part of [e.g.] operations, it is reasonable to expect that other exciting opportunities will crop up in the meantime."

Keep your answers job related. You might begin your reply with: "Although I feel my biggest achievements are still ahead of me, I am proud of my involvement with . . . I made my contribution as part of that team and learned a lot in the process. We did it with hard work, concentration, and an eye for the bottom line."

You might be tempted to give a simple "yes" or "no" answer, but don't. It reveals nothing, and you lose the opportunity to sell your skills and value profiles. Actually, this common question often comes from an unskilled interviewer, because it is closed-ended. As such, the question does not give you the chance to elaborate. Whenever you are asked a closed-ended question, mentally add: "Please give me a brief yet comprehensive answer." Do that and you will give the information requested and seize an opportunity to sell yourself. For example, you could say: "Yes, I usually find it stimulating. However, I believe in planning and proper management of my time to reduce panic deadlines within my area of responsibility."

Your answer should be short and to the point. It should highlight areas from your background that relate to current needs and problems. Recap the interviewer's description of the job, meeting it point by point with your skills. Finish your answer with: "I have the qualifications you need [itemise them], I'm a team player, I take direction, and I have the desire to make a thorough success."

The interviewer wants to know whether you are open - minded and can be a team player. Can you follow directions or are you a difficult, high-maintenance employee? Hopefully, you are a low-maintenance professional who is motivated to ask clarifying questions about a project before beginning, and who then gets on with the job at hand, coming back to initiate requests for direction as circumstances dictate.

This particular question can also be defined as "How do you take instruction?" and "How do you accept criticism?" Your answer should cover both points: "I take direction well and recognize that it can come in two varieties, depending on the circumstances. There is carefully explained direction, when my boss has time to lay things out for me in detail; then there are those times when, as a result of deadlines and other pressures, the direction might be brief and to the point. While I have seen some people get upset with that, personally I've always understood that there are probably other considerations I am not aware of. As such, I take the direction and get on with the job without taking offense, so my boss can get on with her job. It's the only way."

The question looks for information on two fronts: How do you define difficult? And, what was your handling of the situation? You must have a story, one in which the situation was tough and one which will allow you to show yourself in a good light. Avoid talking about problems that have to do with co-workers.

You can talk about the difficult decision to fire someone, but emphasize that once you had examined the problem and reached a conclusion you acted quickly and professionally, with the best interests of the company at heart.

These questions are so similar that they can be treated as one. It is tremendously important that you show you can remain calm. Most of us have seen a co-worker lose his or her cool on occasion--not a pretty sight and one that every sensible employer wants to avoid. This question comes up more and more often the higher up the corporate ladder you climb, and the more frequent your contact with clients and the general public. To answer it, find something that angers conscientious workers. "I enjoy my work and believe in giving value to my employer.

This question is usually used to determine whether you are a team player. Before answering, however, be sure you know whether the job requires you to work alone - then answer appropriately. Perhaps: "I'm quite happy working alone when necessary. I don't need much constant reassurance. But I prefer to work in a group--so much more gets achieved when people pull together."

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