CV Writing

A CV or Curriculum Vitae is:

• Your Life History
• Your Job History
• Your Achievements
• Your Skills

A CV or curriculum vitae is a marketing tool. With your CV you will be able to promote yourself. Imagine the CV as being a brochure that will list the benefits of a particular service.

The service being your time and skills! When writing a CV, look at it from your employer’s point of view. Would you stand out against the competition (the other candidates) and would the hiring manager want to talk you?

Networking and interviewing are essential for your job search and your CV is just the first step in the job search. However a CV will be your first contact with potential employers and will open the door. If you are invited for an interview you would then be in a position to explain and expand on what is in your CV.

CV Heading

In the CV heading you can write your general information:

• Name 
• Surname 
• Local address 
• E-mail address 
• Phone number

Personal Profile:

The Personal Profile states "What is the next step in my career?" This should be a short, concise statement that informs the employer what kind of position you are looking for. The type of position, the role (managerial, supervisor, contractor) should be included as well.

Keywords are a powerful tool in your CV and should be used! Use keywords to summarize your experience. Keywords will also help ensure that your CV comes up when employers search in their CV databases.

CV Skills Summary

The Skills Summary section of your CV includes your main skills. You should only include keywords in his section, do not go into lengthy descriptions of your skills. The skill summary is also called personal profile.

Education on your CV

List all of your qualifications in this section. Include all of your education including certifications from non-academic institutions, especially those that are related to the job vacancy. If you have more work experience than qualifications, put your work experience before your qualifications.

Professional or Work Experience description on your CV

This section includes any work experience that you have in the field you are applying for. When listing these work experiences include what type of position it was (Contract, Permanent, Part-time etc)

Each job detail should include this basic information

• Title of position
• Length you held the post
• Responsibilities
• Name of organization.

Honors, Awards or Accomplishments

Academic and related awards are listed here. Relevant Courses which are directly related to the job vacancy you are applying for should be listed in this section. If your degree is not related to this job, highlight aspects of the course that are. List any projects you have worked on that are related to this job.

Skills and Experience:

Computer Skills (include title of software package and proficiency level), Soft Skills and other skills that are not in the rest of your CV.

Include also languages (spoken/written/understood).

Activities and Interests:

Any activities that you do in your free time, can be related to your job. If you worked in the school paper it shows initiative and you are willing to make sacrifices in order to further your career. Participating in student activities, professional associations or enthusiast clubs shows leader ship qualities. Leave out any activities related to politics religion or controversial topics. alienating the reader.