How to Write a Good CV
A CV is an integral part of the modern labour market and the most effective tool to make a favourable impression on a potential employer. In the long run, it is a crucial factor in deciding whether you will be granted an interview. Your CV must stand out and make an employer or recruiter consider you a viable candidate for the position.
Writing a strong CV can be a challenge: you have to cram your whole life's experience and accomplishments into a one-page document, while at the same time showing yourself to the greatest advantage. In order to do this, you should remember the following advice.
Your CV should be tailored to the specific job offer. It should be unique to the position advertised. So if you decide to apply to several companies, you should adapt your resume for each different job description, highlighting the qualities that match their requirements. The most important thing here is to show that you meet the criteria for the job.
A good resume should be quite short and concise (one or two A4 pages) and divided into clear headings. It should contain the following information: the first section should include your contacts, such as your name, address, e-mail, and phone numbers. Some employers would also like to see a photo. However, you shouldn't attach one unless it is specified in the job advertisement. If you decide to include your photo in your CV, make sure it is a business style picture taken recently.
The next section is educational background, starting with the most recent things. Then come job experience and previous employment in reverse chronological order, followed by relevant skills and qualifications. When listing these, make use of a lot of strong, varied action verbs. Focus on your achievements rather than the tasks you fulfilled. Show your potential employer that you already have some proficiency in the skills required for the position.
Finally, detail your hobbies and interests. These are important for the employer as they reveal your character and working style.
You can also include additional information such as computer and language skills, personal qualities, etc. These may not be directly related to the desired position, but they can be useful in your future job. Remember to write only information, which can characterize you as a professional.
It is important to be brief in your resume. Don't write full sentences, but use bullet points instead. Presentation is significant, too. Your CV should be easy and pleasant to read. Use standard fonts (Times New Roman or Arial) of readable size. Once your resume is finished, check it for spelling and grammar mistakes or misprints.
To summarize, writing a good CV is not an easy task, but if you remember these tips, you are sure to be a success.
Vocabulary:
- to make a favourable impression – to make other people notice and admire you
- CV (British English) / resume (American English) – curriculum vitae: a document giving details of your qualifications and jobs that you send to someone when applying for a job
- potential employer – a company that may give you a job
- interview – a formal meeting in which someone asks you questions to find out if you are suitable for a job
- viable candidate – a person competing for a job who is likely to get it
- position – a job in a company
- experience – knowledge and skill that is gained through time spent doing a job
- accomplishments – something difficult that you succeed in doing, especially after working hard over a period of time, achievements
- job offer – an offer from an employer to give you a job
- position advertised – announced job vacancy
- apply for a job in a company – to make an official request for a job in a company
- match the requirements – to have the necessary qualities
- meet the criteria – to correspond to the necessary standards
- concise – expressed using only a few words, but in a way that is easy to understand
- heading – the title at the top of a page or piece of writing
- educational background – the type of education or training that you have had
- in reverse chronological order – recent things given first and followed in order to more distant things
- previous employment – the jobs that you had before
- relevant skills and qualifications – skills and qualifications directly connected with and important to the job
- tasks fulfilled – work that you did
- proficiency – a high degree of ability or skill
- desired position – the job that you want to get
- brief – using only a few words
- bullet points – a printed circle or square before each thing on a list in order to emphasize it
- font – a set of letters in one size and style, used for documents
- spelling – the correct way of writing a word
- misprint – a mistake, such as a word that is spelled wrong, in a printed text
- tips – a useful piece of information about how to do something
