Getting invited for an interview is a critical leg in the door which, at least, gives you a chance to get heard. Getting assessed for an interview invitation is usually done through the curriculum vitae you submit with your application. The problem is that, most times, tonnes of these applications and CVs are received, even for a few vacancies. Screening becomes a huge task and the officer(s) doing this can only allocate a few seconds to your CV. Often, he is looking for something to quickly rule in or rule out each applicant. If your CV has not been packaged to win, it quickly ends up in the trash heap. When this happens, you never get to be at the interview and so, won't get a chance to prove yourself - the CV has already done that for you, bad as the result is. That is why you need to do a good job of your CV - only a killer CV will get you the chance to show the stuff you have. To be sure you have one, here are some rules to follow:

1. A Tidy Design
A good CV design without substance will not get you far, but a bad design is a put-off and may mean that the CV is not read at all. A good design means proper layout, good arrangement, nice font and formatting and overall appeal. The document should be attractive and easily readable.

2. Supportive Cover Letter
The cover letter is read along with and in fact prior to the CV and if it falls short of expectation, it ruins any chance the CV might have. If the letter is badly written, perhaps with errors of grammar, structure and arrangement, it is doubtful whether the screening officer will find any need in going further. Don't ruin the CV with a badly executed cover letter.

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3. Compact Size
No fixed size has been set for CVs, but yours shouldn't be a book. One reasonable test is that nothing in the CV should be irrelevant or unduly verbose. Every line of the document should therefore have an important, powerful message to deliver. If it isn't so, leave out that portion. In the end, you will find a document that is compact in size and content.

4. A prioritised Structure
Traditionally, CVs are presented as a chronology of ones life. The employer screening your CV is more interested in your strategic fit for the advertised position and needs to quickly see if this exists. Your best chance is to make that fact obvious quickly enough. An upfront loading of your key strengths for the position offered will help your cause. This means, in the first place, that the CV is tailored to the specific job opportunity. Get the equivalent of an elevator sales pitch out in the early part of the CV, showing how you are the best candidate for the position.

5. Specific Achievements
Your specific achievements count more to the prospective employer as he is keen to know your delivery track record. At the end, it is the results that count and if you have done it before, chances are you will do so again. So, spell out the results: grew sales by 'x' % in 'y' months; developed a system that cut processing time by half and doubled our revenue base; etc. Stating verifiable performance specifics will gain you more mileage that pages of platitudes. Don't just reel out roles and duties without any evidence that you delivered any measurable results.

6. Clean Language
Except for some low-grade positions, the delivery of your CV is expected to reflect a respectable standard. That means that, like the cover letter, errors of grammar and structure should be carefully avoided if you desire a look-in. You may have all the skills to do the job, but serious errors of grammar will sap your CV of power and easily overshadow its substance. That is why you need to comb through for such errors of grammar and typos. Let the substance of your CV shine out in its full glory and not be subdued by avoidable errors.

7. Relevant Content
In all, be sure that every information you have in your CV is relevant to the purpose of the current job application. Read through over and over again to see that you've neither listed irrelevant information, nor omitted any relevant one. The CV is a medium to sell yourself, but salesmen will tell you to harp on the value to the customer and not even the features of the product. That emphasises on the need to see it from the perspective of the prospective employer and provide information to help him reach a decision to invite you. Lots of banal content won't do it.

Your CV is the passport to an invitation to an interview. Ensure you get it right each time you submit one for a job offer. A poorly executed CV will end your application in the refuse dump and keep you waiting endlessly for an interview invitation that will never come. The time and effort spent to craft a powerful CV will therefore be well-worth it as it definitely boosts your chance to get that invitation.

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