What a
CV / resume looks like
There are many different styles of writing a CV
(Curriculum Vitae). This page gives you some guidelines on how to
present and write relevant information about yourself.
Layout
Your CV should fit onto one page of normal sized office
paper. Across the top you can put your name, address and contact
details. Some people put a career objective under their contact
details. This allows potential employers to see at a glance whether
they can offer a suitable job. Under the career objective, you can
have either your work experience section or your education and
qualifications section. After this, some people also put a section
called 'Additional information' and finally, their references.
Career objective
This should be as concise and informative as possible.
For example:
Career objective: to develop marketing skills in the food industry.
Career obective: to create effective advertising in the clothing
industry.
Career objective: to design computer games using cutting-edge
technology.
Work experience
Your most recent job should come first. You should also
include any experience that is relevant to the job you are applying
for, as well as anything that taught you a useful skill. You should
also give the names of your previous employers and the companies you
worked for, along with the dates you were there. Try to fill in all
the gaps - if you were unemployed at a certain time, you can write
something like "Personal projects".
Education and qualifications
Again, put the most recent education first. You don't
need to put high school (secondary school) exams and grades unless
they are particularly relevant, or required by the job.
You should give the dates of your studies, as well as the institutions
and the qualifications you gained.
For example,
1987 - 1991 University of London
BA Hons French and German
Some academic abbreviations:
BA (Bachelor of Arts)
BSc (Bachelor of Science)
Hons (Honours)
MA (Master of Arts)
MPhil (Master of Philosophy)
PhD (Doctor of Philosophy)
In the education and qualifications section, you should
also give the details of any relevant training courses you have
completed. Include the name of the diploma or certificate that you
gained after completing the course.
For example,
1991 - 1992 London Institute of Marketing
Diploma in Marketing Management
Additional information
This section could include any additional skills that you
have, or particular interests relevant to the job. For example,
"I am familiar with most Microsoft programs. I also speak French
and Spanish fluently."
References
Many potential employers like to see references from
previous employers. However, candidates for a job might prefer not to
include references at this stage, but to write something like "References
available on request".
What information to
leave out
You don't need to include your marital status, religion,
number of children or your maiden name (if you are a married woman who
has taken her husband's name). Only include relevant information on
your background so that you can keep your CV as short as possible..
Language and structure
Tenses
For previous experience or educational study, you will
need to use the Past Simple tense.
For example:
1987 - 1992: Secretary to the Managing Director, Unicorp Ltd
I was responsible for the …
To describe your present job or experience that exists up
to now, you should use the Present Perfect or the Present Simple
tense.
For example:
From 1998 to present day: Office supervisor, Unicorp Ltd
My responsibilities are to… I oversee a team of
accountants…
Or: Since 1996, I have been responsible for the
smooth running of the administration department.
Using I
You can vary your sentences so that you don't always use
"I". For example, instead of writing "I am responsible
for…", you can say "My key responsibilities are
to…"
Tips
Keep your CV relevant - ideally each CV you send out
should be tailored to the job you are applying for.
Keep it short - one page should be enough. (Two pages at the very
maximum.)
Make sure all your contact details are correct. Include
your email address.
Check for spelling mistakes and correct use of tenses and
grammar.
Think about the layout. You want your CV to be easy to
read and attractive, so don't cram too much information onto the page.
Use margins and spaces, as well as bold or italics to highlight
information.
Always send a covering letter with your CV. For
information on how to write a covering letter, click below.
