How to write your curriculum vitae (CV)

  

Date Posted: 2/10/2018 4:00:02 AM

Posted By: Alambi  Membership Level: Gold  Total Points: 2017

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How to write your curriculum vitae (CV)
Writing a curriculum vitae can be a daunting task, particularly when you're beginning from scratch. Though their isn't a one-size-fits-all answer for the perfect CV, it needs to be formatted well and be brief enough for a recruiter to peruse quickly - and most especially - suit the position you're applying for.

What to include in your CV

Curriculum vitaes should not be completely based on a formula, but there are some items they should always have:

1. Personal details: This may seem obvious, but some people do forget to put their personal details on a CV. Here, you write your name, email address, phone number and physical address. To avoid awkward situations, ensure that you clearly include these details at the start of your CV.

2. Personal statement: This is an important part of standing out from the rest. A personal statement shows who you are, what you can bring to the table, and what you're searching for. Try to prove why you are worthy of the position in one brief and specific paragraph.

3. Work Experience: This part should show all the relevant job positions you've held, list the most recent job first and continue in that order. Write the job title, the name of the workplace, period of time you worked there, and your main responsibilities.

4. Achievements: It is your opportunity to display how your prior experiences have empowered you with the skills required for the job you're applying for. Highlight all your relevant abilities and achievements (supporting them with examples), and state how you would apply them in the new job.

5. Education background: Here, you should list your educational experience and what you have achieved, together with dates, qualification type and the grade you scored - though the specific educational information you include will

be based on your personal situation; for example, if your achievements in education are more than your job experiences, putting emphasis on this area is wise.

6. Hobbies and interests: It is not always compulsory to include the hobbies and interests section in your CV, but listing relevant hobbies and interests you have could support your skills and make you stand out from the rest - moreover, it could give you something extra to say at the interview. Just avoid statements like, "you like to socialize with friends" just for the sake of writing more information. If it is irrelevant, do not include it.

Any extra details, like why you want to change your job or why you've been out of work for a while should also be stated as required.

Relevant keywords for your curriculum vitae

It can be challenging to know exactly what words to include in your CV - particularly if you're attempting to fit multiple abilities and experiences into one brief document. Examples of words that are appropriate for your CV include: accurate, hard-working, proactive, adaptable, dependable, confident, creative and responsible.
Furthermore, you should also support your qualities with truthful achievements. This will help you in standing out from the other candidates with similar skills, and enable you to prove your qualifications in detail. Truth be told, anybody can state they are proactive, but not all are able to provide proof.

Things you should leave out

When writing your CV, there are specific words and phrases that you need to leave out, because they are usually common clichés. Using them could easily irritate the recruiter and you will not stand out from the rest at all. Some examples of these clichés include: outstanding communication skills, motivated, independent, flexible, good at multitasking, self-driven, goal driven and detail- oriented.
Of course, exceptions may be made if any of the above phrases were written in the employment description as an important ability - but supporting them is still vital.

How to present your CV

Your curriculum vitae is the first item a recruiter will view when employing people for a vacancy, and how it is presented will be the reason he/she chooses to take a second glance at it. Even if you're qualified for the position, a poorly written CV will probably not get read in detail.
Here are a few tips you should apply:
1. Keep your CV short and brief, 2 sides of an A4 page are enough.
2. Use a legible and professional font to make your CV readable.
3. Arrange the information in your CV in a logical order, with adequate spacing and distinct headings.
4. Arrange your work experience and education background in backward chronological order to show most recent achievements and employment.
5. Peruse your CV to get rid of any spelling and grammar errors.

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