The content is vital, but so too is the presentation and construction. Formatting is vital and needs to be uniform and consistent, particularly in tables and lists. Texts in full paragraphs should be justified, whereas ‘half paragraphs’ such as employment history and publications should be left justified to avoid it looking odd with large gaps between words. Most applicants are now very computer literate, not only with basic word processing and presentation programmes but also with spreadsheets, databases, statistics packages and web design. If the work has led to, or is leading towards, a higher degree, it will need a more detailed description. Any gaps need to be explained, listing the date period and giving a brief explanation. Do not be tempted to add comments about experienced gained, as this will just clutter the list.