I'm sorry if I've posted this in the wrong place, but at the moment I'm desperate for help.

I very stupidly deleted some files off my memory stick (I had to restore my computer, lost all my files, but saved them to my stick to return to the computer this evening) before I managed to get them back into my documents on my laptop.

I downloaded Smart Data Recovery and I have recovered the items that I lost (my UCAS STATEMENT, my CV and my sisters CV). I've restored the files to my documents and my UCAS statement and my sisters CV opened up fine, but my own CV wouldn't open in MS Word.

As soon as Word opens a window pops up titled "File Conversion- Leanne's CV"; select the encoding that makes your document readable: windows default, MS-DOS, other encoding. The preview below this shows a list of numbers and symbols- nothing really readable (the occasional "Sony Ericsson" in there [nothing to do with my CV]). And when I open the file there is 100+ pages of symbols.

A friend suggested opening the file in WordPad, but I had the same results as above. Is there any way I can convert this information back into my CV? Please, if you have any advice, COULD you help me? So far everybody I have asked for help has said "It's just a CV" but there is some very important information in there (for me, anyway).
It sounds like your document got corrupted. Recovery programs aren't always successful in recovering files, because deleted files easily can be overwritten. If that is the case there isn't MUCH hope of getting it back.
But you could try another recovery software (for a SECOND opinion) like Recuva. Thanks for the advice, my CV was corrupt, as were the REST of the files on my memory stick. I'll just have to get busy writing a new one!