cv writing examples

cv writing examples

Effective Strategies for Writing a Professional CV

1. Introduction to CV Writing

In this introductory section, we will consider the contents of a CV, the common purposes of a CV, and the guidelines for developing an excellent CV to meet those purposes. We will also consider some typical CV formats and comment on their effectiveness. In a second section, we will consider a variety of strategies for CV writing. In that section, you will see how you can develop a clear sense of how to pitch your presentation to a specific job (or kind of jobs). You will also see how you can use your CV efficiently to show that your professional experience consists of the right blend of activities and accomplishments to support your job application. After that, you will see how you can create an organized and effective professional look for your presentation.

In this short guide, we will discuss some common strategies for developing an effective CV. This guide is intended to help you create a CV that is excellent rather than simply effective. You will see that some of the strategies may require a major investment of time and thought. Generally, that investment reflects the common but vital expectations of a professional job application: your employer must recognize that you have taken the time to focus your application and present it in a professional manner. After all, the employer will want to be confident that you will bring the same level of thoroughness and energy to professional projects.

2. Key Components of a CV

The headings detailed above should guide the organization of the entire professional CV. Where possible, CVs should not exceed two pages and should avoid irrelevant information. A clear layout, good organization, and well-defined sections make it easy and quick for a reader to obtain the required information. A potential employer is looking for an idea of the individual’s education/training, knowledge, skills, and abilities. Therefore, one should ensure that there are no gaps in knowledge or work experience and pay attention to the order and sequence of writing. Furthermore, CVs should be updated as work experiences occur and as qualifications are studied or awarded. This way, an employer will have the most up-to-date picture of each applicant.

For a CV to be effective, it needs to contain the following information: a. Personal information: Ensure your name, email address, and contact telephone number are clearly presented. b. Professional profile: Ensure a concise professional profile is placed at the top of the CV stating your key skills and what value you will bring to a future employer. c. Education and training: Begin with the most recent training or qualification and also explain the title of the course, name of the institution, and completion date. d. Work experience: Undertake this in reverse chronological order working from your most recent role. Ensure you give dates, the name of the organization for which you worked, your job title, and a brief explanation of the duties carried out. Give extra attention to specific achievements. e. Skills: List specific skills and abilities in bullet points. f. Interests and hobbies: List interests such as participation in university societies, volunteering roles, or traveling experience. g. References: Give the name, position, workplace, email address, and contact number of the reference.

3. Formatting and Design Tips

Use of Symbols: Use of symbols, other than bullets, is not commonly found in the resume and could look unprofessional based upon the location of the company or the position. Always be consistent with where these symbols are placed in the document. If you are using a symbol, then be consistent and use them as part of the document design.

Use of Capitalization: In English, capitalization is used to add emphasis where needed. In resumes it is common to use capitalization for position titles, company names, city names on dates, degrees, and universities when using a certain assortment of e-learning related services.

Creating Hierarchy in your Resume: To establish the professional image and the order of importance in your resume, you must create a hierarchy in the document. To do this, use different sizes, bold, or even small capitals for different pieces of information throughout the document.

Design: Don’t overuse underlining, bold, italics, and capital letters. The resume will look too busy and is difficult to read. Be consistent with decision using punctuation. When using bullet points for your descriptions and choosing the ending punctuation style, then be consistent and use the same punctuation for all descriptions. If you are using several different types of punctuation, then they stand out and distract from the information in your descriptions. No punctuation is a common ending style for bullet point descriptions.

Writing Your Phone Number: Write your phone number in the international format, country code, area code and then your number. It is customary to write a hyphen (-) between these groups of numbers or simply leave a space. Add the (+) sign before the country code, this helps avoid errors when the resume is submitted for an international position.

Use at least an 11-point font and set margins for at least 1 inch on all sides. Do not use script or decorative fonts. When typing your name, use bold text, capital title, and select a larger font size, usually no larger than 16 or 18 point. The name should stand out and the reader should be able to go directly to the name without searching for it. It is not necessary to provide information in the header; it is not difficult for the employer to find this information so it is unnecessary and does not add to the document.

4. Tailoring Your CV to Specific Roles

Remember, before applying for any position, look up the company website and research more about them. It is very essential to write your CV while always keeping the company and its values in mind. They always seek candidates that share the same values as them. Your CV should present values and competences that tackle the company’s pain points.

To customise your CV for each application, ensure you read the job posting carefully. Identify the key words in the job description and include those in your CV. You should swap these keywords in and out based on the job posting. Other things you can do include having a different skills section at your CV. Highlight different skills depending on what the employer is looking for in a candidate. Lastly, make sure your CV highlights experiences that are most relevant.

It is important to tailor your CV to each specific role you are applying for. As an applicant, you need to show that you have all the necessary and relevant skills for the position you are applying to. You can make small tweaks to your CV for each application, and this takes less time and effort than you think.

5. Showcasing Achievements and Skills

When your bullet points are strong and concise, they quickly draw attention to your key attributes and make it easier for employers to become interested in you.

– Communication: strong verbal and listening skills, public speaking ability, ability to write clear, comprehensive reports.

Say you are applying for a customer service position. You would want to address the fact that you have excellent communication skills. A very concise bullet-pointed example for this on your CV might be:

Bullet points help employers recognize key skills more quickly than if they were hidden in a paragraph somewhere in the middle of your CV. Bullet points also present this information in a more reader-friendly visual format and make it stand out. Note that the bullet points do not have to be sentences. If you use a descriptive word or phrase, a colon, and then specifics, you’ll produce very strong, very reader-friendly bullet points. Here are some examples:

– Good communication skills – Problem-solving skills – Leadership skills – Sales experience

Use bullet points to identify key skills and attributes that are appropriate for the job you are applying for: