A company you want to apply to has asked you to send in a CV and you're
thinking, "wait..what?" Don't worry! Curriculum Vitae (CV) means
"courses of life" in Latin, and that is just what it is. A CV is a
concise document which summarizes your past professional skills and
experiences. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate that you
have the necessary skills (and some complementary ones) to do the job
for which you are applying. Follow these steps to create a great CV--and
go get 'em tiger!
DO shout about your achievements
Your résumé/CV needs to
position you as the best possible candidate for the job. So without
waxing lyrical, let your potential employer know what you’ve achieved in
your current role. For example:
Company name * Pipeline Engineer * 2011 – present
Successfully coordinated, planned, scheduled and managed a $200M pipeline under budget and within time scope.
It’s
also a good idea to outline your achievements at the top of your
résumé/CV as a ‘career summary’ or ‘career highlights’. Recruiters or
hiring managers may have lots of résumés to wade through, and if they
can immediately see your accomplishments, this can only be to your
advantage.
KEY POINTS TO NOTE WHEN WRITING A CV
Know what information a CV generally contains.
Most CVs include your personal information, your education and
qualifications, your work experience, your interests and achievements,
your skills, and references. However, there is no set format for a CV,
what you include is up to you.
Consider the job you are applying for.
Research the company. A good CV is tailored to the specific job and
company you are applying for. What does the company do? What is their
mission statement? What do you think they are looking for in an
employee? What skills does the specific job you are applying for
require? These are all things to keep in mind when writing your CV.
Check the company’s website for extra information about the CV.
See if there is any specific information they want you to list in your
CV. There might be specific directions listed on the application page.
Always double check this.
Make a list of jobs you have held.
These can be both jobs you hold currently and jobs you have held in the
past. Include the dates that you began and ended your term at each
particular job.[2]
Brainstorm your hobbies and interests.
Unique interests or hobbies will make you stand out. Be aware of the
conclusions that might be drawn from your hobbies. Try to list hobbies
that portray you as a team-oriented individual rather than as a
solitary, passive person. Companies want someone who works well with
others and can take charge if need be.
Hobbies and interests
that paint a positive image: Being the captain of your soccer (or
football) team, organizing a charity event for an orphanage, secretary
of your school’s student-run government.
Hobbies that imply a
passive, solitary personality: watching TV, doing puzzles, reading. If
you are going to put any of these things, give a reason why. For
instance, if you are applying for a job at a publishing house, put
something like: I enjoy reading the great American writers such as Twain
and Hemingway because I think their writing gives a unique perspective
into American culture at the time they were writing.
Make a list of your relevant skills.
These skills often include computing skills (are you a wiz at
Wordpress? Excel? inDesign? etc.), languages you speak, or specific
things the company is looking for, such as targeted skills.
Example
of targeted skills: If you are applying to be a writer for a newspaper,
list that you are fluent in AP style. If you are applying for a coding
job, mention that you have worked with Java script.
Create the format for your CV.
Are you going to break each section up with a line? Are you going to
put each section in its own box? Are you going to list all of your
information? Play around with different formats to see which looks most
professional. Aim for no more than the front and back of a standard
sheet of paper.
List your name, address, telephone number, and email at the top of the page.
It is important to make your name a size larger than the rest of the
text as it is important for your reviewer to know who he or she is
reading about. It is up to you as to how you format this information.[3]
Standard format would be to have your name in the center of the page. Your
home address should be listed in a block format on the left side of the
paper. Put your telephone number and email below your home address. If
you have another address (such as your address while you are at school)
list this address on the right hand side of the paper.
Write a personal profile.
This is an optional part of the CV that is good for giving your
reviewer a more in-depth look at you as a person. This is where you sell
your skills, experiences, and personal qualities. It should be original
and well-written. Use positive words such as “adaptable”, “confident”,
and “determined”.[4]
Example of a personal statement for a CV for
a publishing company: An enthusiastic recent graduate looking for an
entry-level editorial position that will utilize organizational and
communication skills developed as a summer intern at City Lights.
Create a section for your education and qualifications. This
section can be at the beginning of your CV or you can choose to list it
after other sections. The order of sections is up to you. List your
education in reverse chronological order. Begin with university if you
attended or are attending it and work your way backwards. List the name
of your university, the dates you went there, your major and minor, and
your grade point average or A levels.[5]
Example: Santa Clara
University, English and History 2009-2013 Subjects include: Medieval
Literature, Victorian Literature, Criticism of Poetry, and History of
Great Britain. Obtained a 75% on my 2nd year exams. (If in the US-
Maintained a 3.7 GPA.)
Create a section for your work experience.
This is the section in which you should list all of your relevant work
experience. List the name of the company, the location of the company,
the years you worked there, and what you did. Start with your most
recent job and work backwards. If you have a long list of work
experience, only put the experiences relevant to the job you are
applying for.[6]
Example: Diablo Magazine, Walnut Creek, CA,
March 2012-January 2013. Fact-checked information, wrote articles for
Diablo’s blog, assisted in researching of material for articles.
Create a section for your skills and achievements.
This section is where you list the things you accomplished at your
previous jobs, and the skills you have developed through your
experiences. This is also the section where you list any of your
published work, lectures you've given, classes you've taught, etc.
Example
achievements: Successfully took a national bestseller from manuscript
to publication; Received certification in copy-editing from UC Berkeley
Create a section for your interests.
You should list any relevant interests that paint you in the most
positive light. Choose several interests from the list you created while
brainstorming for your CV (in Part One).
Create a section for other information.
If there is a noticeable gap in your CV or there is some other
information you would like to share, put it in this section. This sort
of information can include leaving work to take care of children, join
the Peace Corps,
Create a section for references.
These are people you have worked with in the past such as professors,
previous employers, etc. that have seen your work and can credibly
support praises that they give you. The company you are applying to may
contact these references to find out more about your previous work. You
should talk with the person you would like to list a reference before
actually listing them--it is best to double check that they still have
the same number, are ok with giving you a reference, or that they
remember who you are. Write down their full names and contact
information (including their phone numbers and emails).
