As the Coalition loves to remind us, "we are all in this together", so we may as well all club together and try to secure decent employment. That's the theory, at least.
DISCLAIMER: The suggestions below are purely for those with a substandard resume and struggling to find work. They are no substitute for the real thing.
1. Utilise any experience gained in a work environment, or at school, to give the impression you aren't simply the sum of a steady education. Even if all you've managed on the side is a bit of occasional bar work, consider how that might look if written up as experience in customer service, working under pressure, marketing and sale, etc. It may feel like an exaggeration, although you could say you're simply labelling undertakings efficiently and professionally.
2. Consider accessible changes which will focus attention towards those areas which compliment you best. On a basic level, if it doesn't add to the impression you are attempting to convey, remove it. Extending this further, prioritise your assets by placing them higher up or expanding the detail provided. This has a twofold benefit in drawing focus onto the areas of your choosing and leading off with the best aspects - a benefit when you consider the minimal attention given to applications in the days of a billion hopefuls per position.
3. Make it up. Well, not exactly that, because that'll look worse than nothing at all. In fact, definitely never make it up. But do yourself justice. One person's "pointless thing I did just because it was there once" is another person's interesting and highlighting activity, or else the opening question to break the ice in an interview.
Consider including a section detailing your interests if you have yet to. Though a CV is supposed to basically list your skills and experience, it can be worth including a brief paragraph to highlight the person behind the paper. Placing it at the end is probably the best course of action - it can't do any harm.
Jordan, GRB Journalist
