Your CV is the first document that you'll use to reach your prospected employer. It is your CV that will secure important interviews and will be the gateway to your new job.

Remember - your CV will speak for and about you, so you will need to ensure that it covers the following topics:

Personal Information

Both personal characteristics and background alike are important to any potential employer, no matter what kind of market you want to enter. Your name should head the document and immediately following that your exact date of birth should be given.

Affix a passport-sized photograph of yourself on the top right corner. If you are seeking opportunities within the Asian market, list your educational accomplishments beginning with the lowest; from elementary to collegiate. Also, mention any foreign languages you are fluent in, relevant classes you are attending, and your travel experiences.

Allow them to stand out in detail in your CV under a separate heading, showing that you are culturally-oriented and part of a global community.

Job History

Some organizations require only job-history specifics. They may want work record certificates and recommendations to be attached directly to the CV. This requirement will differ from country to country.

It is a good idea to inquire exactly what the organization would prefer for you to include in your CV before sending it to them.

Professional History

In most countries outside the United States, you will be required to list in chronological order the professional experience you have obtained or gathered over the year. That means that you begin with the first job you ever had, then the next, and so on and so forth. Your professional experience should be listed in order from the most recent to last in reverse chronological order.

In Britain, for example, employers wish to see your professional experience in reverse order. That means you start with the latest job and work backwards to your first job.

This is similar to the American resume, which is prepared in much the same fashion. It would perhaps be a good idea to find out the preferred chronological order prior to sending it out.

Language Style

Take care not to present your efforts and achievements as individual or singular achievements, but as team efforts. Your accomplishments will have more impact if they were achieved as being part of a team.

This will hold true no matter what the level of your contribution. You can also mention the achievements in phrase form excluding pronouns and verbs, for example: "maintained supplies" should be used instead of saying "maintenance of supplies".

Simple Presentation

Fancy fonts should be avoided altogether. Section titles should be placed in bold fonts. Language and style should be simple and short. Make your CV relevant in style to your level of experience and the job applied for.

Tony Jacowski is a quality analyst for The MBA Journal. Aveta Solutions - Six Sigma Online http://www.sixsigmaonline.org offers online six sigma training and certification classes for six sigma professionals including, lean six sigma, black belts, green belts, and yellow belts.