A CV is like a messenger you send ahead to big you up

To give you some guidance, our experts have assessed a number of real-life CVs.

The results of our latest review is below, and you can find other CVs in the right hand column of this page.

CV hints and tips

Latest CV

Recent theatre design graduate

Alison has recently graduated and is hoping to work professionally in theatre design

Reviewed by Jeni Barnard from acrobatic theatre company Acrojou

- If you are going to do some of your personal profile in the first person, make sure it continues this way. Currently it jumps around and is confusing for the reader.

- Maybe be more selective with the details you include about each of your experiences. In my experience, people like CVs to be two pages.

- If you are using the CV for your professional work, I would exclude the section on general employment as it is not relevant.

- I would actually put the contact details of two referees on the CV. It wastes time to make a potential employer request references, unless there is a specific reason for not including their details.

Aimee Fairhurst, Drama Development Officer, Surrey Arts, says:

- I would suggest double checking for typos and check dates of employment.

- If possible, re-format so that it fits on two pages. You can reduce the font size and look at the spacing of the page. You could change the format of ‘work experience’ section to avoid repetition. You could list your roles and then the people for whom you have worked ie:
Costume Designer – Short films – Blind Date, Dream Catcher (Drama Centre) etc and then list key skills: Excellent financial management skills working within a very tight budget.

- Give two referees.

- Give addresses of employers.

- List useful skills like driving licence/enhanced CRB disclosure in a separate section.

- In your personal profile, you should state what your current aim/objective is, for example – ‘I would like to continute to develop my experience of working in theatre design, boradening my experience to working on stage and focusing on further experience in set design and build…..’