There are various aspects to consider when designing your CV. Here are some tips:

• Your CV must be clear and concise and explain your duties fully. 

• Bullet points make your employment history easier to read. 

• Ensure that you mention any unique selling points / skills that you have i.e. “Top seller in the company with over £10million nett sales in 2018”, “Tailor-making holidays using Galileo CRS”, “Far East and Cruise specialist”, etc.

• Don’t miss the obvious stuff i.e. do you work to targets? If so, what were they and did you achieve or beat them? What destinations do you sell? What type of clients did you deal with?

• A full travel profile is important when applying for positions in the travel industry. Your travelling experience can differentiate you against the competition. 

• List the countries with a brief synopsis i.e. North America –2016 - 4 months spent travelling the east coast. 

• Split the list between personal travelling and fam trips.

• Don’t hide your travelling in “Hobbies and Interests”. Have a specific section called Travel Profile and if it is a strong list, consider locating it near the start of your CV.

• Use your travel profile as a way to target potential employers. If you have travelled all over the Caribbean, start applying to Caribbean specialists.

• When applying to any role, carefully read the vacancy details taking into consideration required skills and experiences.

• Visit the company website to get a clear indication of their needs and wants.

• If you have these skills, ensure that they are shown clearly on your CV. 

• Do not be afraid to amend your CV for each position that you are applying to.

• These can be beneficial but don’t omit any information that you include in the cover from the CV.

• Attach the cover letter to the CV, don’t add it separately to the email application.

• Be clear why you are applying and why you would be good for the role.

• Don’t waffle.

• Make sure you include your address, email and phone number (they are regularly forgotten).

• No wacky email addresses. “crazyfool@email.com”, does not paint a professional image. 

• Ensure that your computer spell check is defaulted to English UK not English US. 

• Clarify any gaps between jobs, i.e. Dec 2016 – May 2017 travelling in Australia. 

• Be realistic with the roles that you apply for! Companies receive lots of CVs so its not worth applying for a role that you are not right for.

• Try to ensure that your CV is as professional and focused as possible. 

• Let your personality come out in the interview. Humour on your CV will generally not result in an interview. 

• Ask a friend to check your CV and describe back to you your work history. If they can’t do this clearly, you need to revisit and amend your CV.

Once you have landed that interview, get ready for it.

• Visit the company website and learn all about them

• Read and memorise that job spec

• Practice with a friend.

• Dress professionally, make the right first impression.

• It you are offered a telephone interview, be somewhere quiet with good signal.

• If offered a video / Skype interview, make sure you dress as if it were a face to face interview and ensure there is nothing distracting behind you and that you will not be disturbed.

• Know where you are going and don’t be late.

Your CV is the key to unlocking the interview door and needs to stand out for the right reasons. You need to sell your skills and experience fully to prospective employers.