CV TIPS Va ca
nc
ies
CV-
A
v cti
e iti
s ngar
What do I want?
My skills?
CV
fVe채eg d
al t r o P r e e r a C
eb n
atilcl k jo
bb
et
Coaching Career Planning
Career Services CV tips CV stands for Curriculum Vitae, which is Latin for "life description". The term "resumé" is also used in the USA. The difference between a list of qualifications and a CV is that a CV is more detailed. A CV is a list of your knowledge, your experience and your skills. A CV must be well arranged, and it must be easy to see when, where and how you acquired your knowledge and experience. All information must be categorised clearly using headings. The language should be formal, with short statements and not full sentences. The aim of a CV is to arouse the interest of the employer and to persuade him/her to give you the opportunity of an interview. A good CV not only tells the employer what you have done, but also lets him/her know that you have what it takes to be a good employee. Remember: a good CV will not give you a job automatically, but is merely your ticket to an interview. You should not view your CV as a document which cannot be altered; you should edit it and adapt it for the job you are applying for. You can emphasise different things, use different headings, etc. and so underline different elements of your skills. It is very important to know who you are, what you want and what you have to offer. Writing a good CV requires consideration and self-insight. There are three different kinds of CV: chronological, functional and combined. More information on these different types of CV can be found in the CV manual which you can borrow from the Careers Service.
General points to bear in mind •
Your CV should not be more than two pages long.
•
Place details in reverse order chronologically; i.e. put your last job/course first.
•
Categorise your subheadings to put the most important one at the top.
•
Include courses dating back to (and including) your upper secondary graduation.
•
Referees must always be consulted before you use them. We recommend that you submit the names of referees on request, as this gives you more chance to prepare them and keep them abreast of developments.
•
Always provide a longer-term address. Employers may try to get hold of you weeks or months after you have sent in your application (CV).
•
Always enclose a covering letter with your CV for a complete application.
Contents The following headings must and/or may be included in your CV. The most common of these appear in bold type.
•
Personal details – Name, address, telephone number, e-mail. You can also state your year of birth and civil status, but these details are often unnecessary.
•
Objective – A very brief summary of your career targets.
•
Profile/summary – A brief summary of your profile.
•
Education and training – Can be divided up into your degree and other education, or higher education and other training.
•
Work experience – A brief, concise statement on what your work involved, what you achieved and what skills you developed or applied.
•
Languages – State which languages you can speak/write, and at what level. You can differentiate between your reading, writing, speaking and understanding abilities. For instance: "English – fluent", "Spanish – very good written and spoken skills", "German – can read and communicate well", and so on.
•
Computer skills – State which software you can use, and at what level. For instance: "Good knowledge of Excel", "Basic knowledge of PowerPoint", "Very good knowledge of the Office suite", and so on.
•
Additional activities/society activities – State what tasks you have performed, and what these entailed. Also state the period of time. It is important for your potential employer to understand the merits of what you are describing.
•
Other information – Here, you can add merits which cannot be accommodated under the other headings. For instance: grants which you have been awarded and other merits (e.g. sporting achievements), driving licence, longer trips (or trips abroad) – you can use a separate heading for these if you like – or other activities if you have no specific heading for these.
•
Interests – What you like doing when you are not working or studying.
•
Referees– Can be submitted on request. If you want to submit these names directly on your CV, include a title/position, name, contact details and that person's link with you.
Depending on what kind of CV you decide to use, you can also use headings such as: main skills, achievements, skills, most important results, wealth of experience, etc. Do not be afraid to play with headings; for instance, if something you did a fairly long time ago needs to be emphasised, give it a heading all of its own.
Things to bear in mind when writing your CV: •
Customise your CV to suit the job you are applying for. Emphasise the elements of your experience which give you a particular advantage.
•
Make sure that the merits you choose to include are explained fully so that the actual merit of what you are describing is obvious.
•
Ideally, use active verbs to describe your experience; e.g. developed, initiated, cooperated (see the separate list of active verbs).
•
When you describe your education, training and earlier work experience, try to come up with key terms that briefly describe what you worked with. Focus on responsibilities, skills (see the separate list of important skills for new graduates) and results. Quantify these details if possible.
•
For your education and training, specify the focus of your studies and any special courses that you want to emphasise, or write about skills you have developed, such as verbal presentation skills or an ability to work with others.
•
Be critical and ask yourself: if I add this information, how will it help me to get an interview?
•
First impressions count. Make sure your information is clearly structured, and ask someone else to read through your CV to find any problems with the language in it.
Finally, remember that writing a CV is not an exact science. Try not to use set templates; you have to find the approach that suits you best!