Include all your experience!

Your CV should be a testament to your experience, qualifications and skills as a professional.

Time and time again we come across candidates who do not put all of their experience on their CV. This does not mean to say that if you worked two shifts in a restaurant 15 years ago that you should include that necessarily, so be selective.

They key here is relevance - if you are applying for a food job and have experience in the food and drink manufacturing industry, FMCG, food retail industry, this should all be on your CV.

Experience is often the key to be able to perform well in a role, and whether you realise it or not, experience in different types of organisations exposes you to a wide variety of different working styles, types of customers, industries, product ranges - to name but a few.

For example, Nicole Moloney, Head of Graduate Recruitment at Focus Graduates provides a tip for graduates looking to get on the career ladder. She says:

"Put all of your experience on your CV. I am amazed how many times I come across candidates who, when interviewed, talk about experience they have not put on their CV. Many recruiters will talk about a '2 page CV', however my view is that you should put all of your experience on your CV as it could be the difference between getting an interview and being rejected from the start."

Whether you're a graduate or not - this still applies to you. Amend your CV for particular jobs to include experience that is relevant for that vacancy. If you're sending your CV in speculatively to Focus Management with a range of roles in mind, make sure you put as much experience as you can.

There is a whole host of articles on CV writing in our Help and Advice section. Why not check out A two-page CV, CV advice and our CV template.