Is there anything I should leave out of my CV?

It can hurt to edit your life, but if your CV runs to more than two pages it runs the risk of losing interest. If you keep in mind that put-upon CV-reader faced with a mound of papers, you’ll realise why brevity is the best policy.

There are usually some jobs in your history, particularly early ones, that can be described simply by their title and the name of the employer, with no more detail needed. Don’t include reasons for leaving jobs, or salary details.

Educational details are another area where many applicants go on too long. It’s understandable, particularly if you had good results, but unless they’re recent just provide the basics.

Also, go easy on the hobbies and on the clubs. A brief list helps to show that you’re a rounded character, but employers usually don’t want to know too much about what you get up to out of hours. Unless you’re looking for an opening at the Royal Mail, the fact that you were president of your school stamp club is not going to tip the balance for many employers.