How To Write a Curriculum Vitae (CV): A curriculum vitae is a comprehensive document that summarizes your scholarly and professional accomplishments. It is an acronym for the Latin phrase “curriculum vitae,” which translates as “life path.” CVs frequently include information about your work experience, successes and awards, scholarships or fellowships you’ve obtained, courses, research projects, and publications of your work. A CV should be no more than two or three pages long, but it is not uncommon for mid-level or advanced job seekers for it to be somewhat longer, as it serves as a thorough account of one’s professional accomplishments.
In essence, you are marketing your capabilities, talents, and competencies. Adhere to these guidelines to create an outstanding CV and, possibly, land the job you desire.
Brainstorming for Your Curriculum Vitae
1. Recognize the typical contents of a curriculum vitae: Personal information, educational background and qualifications, work experience, hobbies and accomplishments, skills and abilities, and recommendations are all included in traditional CVs. Additionally, seasoned pros will tailor your resume to the position for which you are applying. Utilize an up-to-date yet professional design. However, there is no conventional format for a CV; the material you include is totally up to you.
2. Consider the post for which you are applying: Conduct an investigation of the business. A strong CV is tailored to the job and organization for which you’re applying. What is the mission statement of your business? Is there an overarching objective for them? What attributes, in your opinion, are they looking for in a candidate? What qualifications are required for the position you’re applying for? All of these factors should be taken into account while composing your CV.
3. To learn more about the CV, visit the company’s website: Consult with them to determine whether they have any special needs for your CV. On the system’s interface, specific instructions may be displayed. This should be verified at all times.
4. Make a list of every job you’ve ever had: These could be current or prior employment. Include the dates on which you began and completed each job.
5. Create a checklist of your hobbies and interests: If you have unique interests or hobbies, you will stick out. Take care not to make assumptions based on your interests. Rather than showing yourself as a solitary, passive person, emphasize interests that demonstrate your ability to work in a team.
Businesses want someone who can collaborate well with others while yet being able to take the initiative when necessary. Positively connotative hobbies and activities: Taking on leadership roles on your soccer (or rugby) team, organizing a charity benefit for an orphanage, or serving as treasurer of your institution’s student-run government are just a few examples.
6. Create a checklist of the relevant competencies you possess: Capabilities in computing (if you’re an expert at Blog? Excel? inDesign?, and so on), dialects you speak, or specific goods the organization is looking for, such as targeted abilities, are all instances of these skills.
Read also: 7 Things Not Needed on your Resume in Nigeria
Consider the following as an illustration of concentrated abilities: If you’re applying for a position as a reporter for a daily newspaper, emphasize your familiarity with AP style. If you’re looking for a programming career, emphasize your experience with the scripting language.
Creating a Curriculum Vitae: A Step-by-Step Guide (CV)
Step 1: Create a CV template: Will each section be denoted by a line? Is each component going to have its own container? Are you going to compile a list of everything you know? Experiment with various formats to determine which appears to be the most official. Aim for no more than the front and back of a standard sheet of paper.
Steps 2. Fill in your name, address, phone number, and email address on the main page: It is critical to keep your name larger than the body of the text so that your assessor understands who they are reading about. It is totally up to you how you organize this data.
Step 3: Create your own profile: This is an optional portion of the CV that gives your reviewer a greater sense of who you are as a person. This is the section in which you highlight your abilities, knowledge, and unique personal characteristics. It should be original and well-written. Positive adjectives such as “adaptable,” “confident,” and “determined” should be employed.
Step 4: Include a section detailing your education and experience: This section might be included at the beginning of your CV or after other sections. You have complete control over the order in which the pieces are displayed. List your education in reverse chronological order. If you attended or are now enrolled in college, begin there and work your way backward. Indicate the institution’s name, the dates of your attendance, your major and minor, and your GPA or A-level grades.
Step 5: Include a section about your professional experience: This is the section where you should detail all relevant job experience. Include the company’s name, its address, the years you worked there, and the duties you performed. Beginning with your most recent employment, work your way backward. If you have a lengthy list of work experiences, focus on those that are pertinent to the position.
Step 6. Include a section highlighting your successes and abilities: This section highlights your successes from previous employment as well as the abilities you’ve acquired via your experiences.
Additionally, this is the section where you should highlight any published work, lectures you’ve given, or workshops you’ve taught.
Step 7: Include a section for your interests: Any relevant interests that best represent you should be added. Select a few interests from the list you created when developing your CV.
Step 8: Include a section for more information: Include this section if your CV contains an evident gap or if you have more information to give. This type of material includes leaving your career to care for children, joining the Peace Corps, and so on.
Step 9: Create a section for references: These are individuals with whom you’ve already worked, such as professors, previous employers, and others, who have seen your work and can attest to the compliments you’ve gotten. These references may be contacted by the firm you are considering in order to obtain additional information about your previous work.
Read also: What are Soft Skills Employers Are Looking for in 2022
Before providing a reference, verify that they have the same phone number as you, are ready to provide you with one, and remember your name. Make a list of their full names and contact information.
Finalizing Your Curriculum Vitae
1. Please check your spelling and grammar carefully: The most straightforward method of dismissal is to have poor spelling. Future employers will be unhappy if your CV is disorganized or contains errors. Verify that the company’s name, as well as the names of any past employers, are spelled correctly.
2. Look for any sentences that could be more succinctly expressed: CVs that are concise and well-written outperform lengthy and repetitive CVs. Ensure that you do not repeat yourself—it is preferable to describe a variety of your characteristics rather than the same few.
3. Examine your curriculum vitae as if you were an employee of the firm to which you are applying: What are your opinions on the design and content? Are you professional in your demeanor?
4. Have another person review your curricula vitae: What do they believe should be fully removed? Would they hire you if they were a corporation?
Pro tips:
1. Your personal information should not include your date of birth, your age, your marital status, your photograph, your gender, or your local government area.
2. Avoid typographical errors in your CV; it must be flawlessly edited and should never contain abbreviations.
3. Never use the same CV for multiple job applications; always personalize your CV to the specific job for which you are seeking.
4. Include only experience that is relevant to the job for which you are seeking. For instance, it is inappropriate to discuss your expertise or accomplishments as a software developer when applying for a position as a software developer in a law firm. Never attempt to brag on your CV; instead, focus on the experience that is relevant to the job for which you are applying.
5. Keep your curriculum vitae simple. A standard curriculum vitae should not exceed two pages. It is recommended to keep your CV to one page.
6. Never fabricate information on your resume.
7. Create and submit your curriculum vitae in a Word document rather than a PDF.
8. Define your goal early on and begin documenting opportunities and experiences that will help you achieve it. This is to help you create your CV because regardless of how well you write a CV, you cannot write one if you have little or no experience to mention.
Conclusion
Although there is no universally accepted CV structure, you should choose one that appears professional and well-organized. If you’re unclear where to begin, go online for CV templates or use one included with your word processing tool. Your CV’s format may be specified by the employer or program for which you’re applying.
If you’re a student, you’re likely to lack relevant work experience for your CV. Include any previous career experience, including part-time work-study opportunities, with an emphasis on the abilities, acquired while executing those responsibilities. Additionally, you might showcase your academic credentials and any applicable skills you’ve earned during your study. Extracurricular activities such as debate club or work on the student newspaper can help you stand out to prospective employers. Various tips on how to write a curriculum vitae cv has been explained in detail in this article.
