If you are looking for a job, then it is very important to offer yourself in the best way to an employer.This is done by writing a good 'CV' (curriculum vitae - Latin for 'life story'), called in some countries a 'resume'.
Different countries may have different requirements and styles for CV resumes. So you must follow the correct practice for your culture and country. However, here are some important principles and advice.
WHAT IS A CV RESUME FOR?
A CV resume is quite simply an 'advert' to sell yourself to an employer. You should send a CV to an employer when they ask for one in a job advert, or when you are enquiring if any jobs are available. So the purpose of your CV is to make you attractive, interesting, worth considering to the company and so receive a job interview.
An employer may have several hundred enquiries about a single job. He or she will only choose a few people who appear suitable for interview. Therefore, your CV must be as good as you can make it.
GENERAL ADVICE
- Do not copy standard CV samples. Your CV should be your own, personal, easy to read, and a little bit different.
- Type it on a word-processor, use an attractive layout and print it on a good quality printer.
- Do use bold and/or underline print for headings. Do not use lots of different font types and sizes. You are not designing a magazine cover!
- Do use plenty of white space, and a good border round the page.
- Do use the spell-check on your computer!
- Use 'bullets' to start sub-sections or lists.
- Customise your CV, if necessary, for different employers.
WHAT TO INCLUDE
- Personal details
Name, home address, phone number, email address, date of birth, your own web homepage (if you have one) - Education
Give places of education where you have studied - most recent education first. Include any special project, thesis, or dissertation work. Pre-college courses (high school, etc.) should then be included, with grades. Subjects taken and passed just before college will be of most interest. Earlier courses, taken at say age 15-16, may not need much detail. - Work experience
List your most recent experience first. Give the name of your employer, job title, and very important, what you actually did and achieved in that job. Part-time work should be included. - Interests
They will be particularly interested in activities where you have leadership or responsibility, or which involve you in relating to others in a team. A one-person interest, such as stamp-collecting, may be of less interest to them, unless it connects with the work you wish to do. interested.) If you have published any articles, jointly or by yourself, give details. If you have been involved in any type of volunteer work, do give details. - Skills
Ability in other languages, computing experience, or possession of a driving licence should be included. - References
Usually give two names - one from your place of study, and one from any work situation you have had. Or if this does not apply, then an older family friend who has known you for some time. Make sure that referees are willing to give you a reference. Give their day and evening phone numbers if possible.
Length
Maybe all you need to say will fit onto one sheet of A4. But do not crowd it - you will probably need two sheets. Do not normally go longer than this. Put page numbers at the bottom of the pages - a little detail that may impress.
Style
Chronological
Information is included under general headings - education, work experience, etc., with the most recent events first.
Skills based
You think through the necessary skills needed for the job you are applying for. Then you list all your personal details under these skill headings. This is called 'targeting your CV', and is becoming more common, at least in UK. But it is harder to do. So take advice on whether it is OK in your country and culture, and how to do it best.
Optional extras
It can be good to start with a Personal Profile/Objective statement. This is a two or three sentence overview of your skills, qualities, hopes, and plans. It should encourage the employer to read the rest.
You could add a photo of yourself - either scanned in by computer, or stuck on. But make sure it is a good one. The pictures that come out from automatic photo-machines do not show you at your best!
Presentation
You may vary the style according to the type of job, and what is accepted in your country and culture. So a big company would normally expect a formal CV on white paper. But, just perhaps, a CV applying for a television production job, or graphic designer, could be less formal - coloured paper, unusual design, etc!
Consider using a two column table to list your educational qualifications and courses taken.
Covering letter
If you want to make sure that the CV arrives on the desk of the correct person., write a covering letter. Take the trouble to telephone, and find the name of the person who will be dealing with applications or CVs, and address your letter, and envelope, to that person by name. (In a small company, it may be the managing director. In a medium size company, it may be the head of section/department. Only in a large company will there be a Personnel or Human Resource Department.)
To persuade the person to read your CV, it must be relevant to the company, interesting, and well produced. It should clearly state what job you are interested in. If you are sending in a 'speculative' CV hoping that they may have work for you, explain what sort of work you are interested in. Do not say, 'I would be interested in working for Widgets Ltd', but say 'I believe my skills equip me to work in the product development department/accounts office/whatever'.
Have you already written your CV in English?
Have you recently updated your CV in your native language?
What was the last time you took a look at it?
Have you compared your CV with somebody else's?
Or perhaps, are you the ones who think a CV must be written and/or updated when you are about to apply for a job?
Writing a CV today will save you time in the future.
Your CV should always be ready to hand in, don't you think?
Write down your comments and share your views with other students.
