You are unique. No-one has the same behavioural make-up that you have. Likewise, everyone's career history is also unique. Why is it then that a great many CVs are mostly descriptions of past jobs or standard CV templates and give away very little about the individual behind the CV? It's almost as if the majority of job seekers are afraid to let their own personality shine through.

Perhaps in a corporate world where everyone feels they have to have the same professional image – dress in dark, formal suits, for example – the same is subconsciously felt to be true for CV writing. But there's a difficulty here: you want your CV to stand out and yet at the same time are afraid of saying anything that might make you stand out? The problem with the above thinking is painfully clear. Your CV will be dull, and likely to be swiftly passed over by an employer. Surely it is much better to be brave? To define your personal brand, as marketers might say. This isn't about making unsupportable statements: it's about choosing words that describe the qualities that drive your success. In short, what makes you good at your job.

Writing about oneself can sometimes be difficult. It involves the ability to see yourself from different people's viewpoints. Working with a professional CV writer is one way to achieve that and to present your character positively within a CV. Asking a colleague that you trust is also a good way to find out how others see your strengths. Try not to use classic recruitment clichés. Everyone says they have great ‘communication' or ‘organisational' skills. This gets ignored by recruiters. So, instead think carefully about who you are and what you bring and then try to describe yourself. In that way you give recruiters something original to engage with, something that grabs their attention.