CURRICULUM VITAE

How to design an effective CV

STRUCTURE What is a CV ? What is a Resume’ ? What do CVs and Resume’ include ? CV or Resume’ ? Common mistakes Tips on effective CV writing Various CV and Resume’ formats CV styles Remember ! CV samples

WHAT IS A CV ?

CV or curriculum vitae is a marketing tool

Latin word for "course of life", "life-track", or similar.

It is a summary of your main experiences on paper. It is retrospective in the way that it only lists things of your past life

WHAT IS A RESUME ?

Résumé" is synonymous with "summary", not a summary of your life but a single paper summary of your total job application (what you want from the job and why just you should have it).

The emphasis on a résumé is on your career objective. The experience you list on a résumé should be relevant and supportive of your goal.

WHAT DO CVs AND RESUME’ INCLUDE ?

Resume contains: An accurate summary of

your credentials Education,

achievements, job experience

Goals for the future It should flow naturally

and be easy to read

CV contains: Your Life History Your Job History Your Achievements Your Skills Job descriptions for all

positions held Performance reviews Educational transcripts

and records of seminars/conferences attended since high school.

References

CV or RESUME ? 1

The main difference between a CV and a Resume’ is brevity.

Resume’ should be a teaser, the hook, to pass on the essential information.

For young graduates better Resume The Resume’ instead of experience highlight

your match to the job in terms of skills and personality traits

CV does not consider the future as a résumé does.

CV or RESUME ? 2

Your Marital Status and Date of Birth are not needed in a Resume’

Write a two line CV Objective under your personal details.

Do you have what it takes to do the job? A list of skills for positions like programmers and engineers are essential to show which field you are most qualified or experienced in.

In a Resume’ provide as much information as concisely as possible

COMMON MISTAKES

Send a CV without cover letter (some countries

Change the cover letter and send the same CV to each company.

Show you are overqualified Explain gaps and hiccups Not proof-reading Don’t lie

TIPS ON EFFECTIVE CV WRITING 1

Use cover letter as gateway Explain why you want the job

(especially if overqualified) The CV should be accurate and correct Your contact information should be

clearly visible on the first page of the CV

Your CV should be typed in an easy-to-follow format, i.e. the headlines should be indented and highlighted so as to catch the attention of the reader easily

TIPS ON EFFECTIVE CV WRITING 2

Give two unrelated references Do not forget to write your areas of

personal interest, such as hobbies Your qualifications should be presented

clearly and concisely All info should be listed in a bullet

point format Follow the standard format of the

country or region, http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/img/dynamic/c98/cv166_en_US_Europass_CV_Template_EN.doc

TIPS ON EFFECTIVE CV WRITING 3

Be as much to-the-point as possible (6 sec. the time an employer decide if to take your CV in consideration)

Ask for a colleague/friend for feedback (10 seconds)

Research for the company, job description

In USA employer scan a CV for less than thirty seconds.

CV/RESUME FORMAT FOR UK

Always include a cover letter Address your cover letter to a specific

person In the UK, a resume is sometimes

called a CV Include a 'profile' section in your

resume Include 'References are available on

request' at the end of your resume

CV/RESUME FORMAT FOR FRANCE

Cover letters are generally hand written A photograph is attached to the resume Maximum resume length is 2 pages Personal information is optional (Ex: birth

date, marital status) Include fluency in other languages Include other important sections such as

education, previous jobs

CV/RESUME FORMAT FOR CANADA

Canadians use resumes instead of CVs and prefer computerised applications.

The application process is much more commercial and as most employers will read resumes on the computer the resume should fit a specific template

Bullet point words such as contributed, managed, organized, developed etc. at the start of a sentence for maximum impact.

INTERNATIONAL CV/RESUME FORMAT Generally you would need to include more

personal details such as citizenship, your date and place of birth and marital status.

Use real/actual rather than active verbs. Use good language skills and good prose

(avoid repetition). Use a qualified translator. Use at least a two check system where a

translators work is proof read as well. Remember that some languages, such as

French and Spanish, have different variations within the language. Be sure your resume is written in the intended variant.

CV STYLE 1Targeted CV Focuses on particular objective and

specific industry or company. Highlights skills, qualifications and experience that match the requirements of the advertised position.

Inventory CV Is used when sending your CV to:

Various recruiters, when you do not have a specific job objective. is a more general overview of your skills, achievements and qualifications.

CV STYLE 2

Chronological CV most commonly in reverse chronological order. Functional CV is usually two pages in length and covers your

entire career history. It focuses on your skills, abilities and expertise. It is important that the skills you detail are relevant to the position you are applying for.

Combination CV used by job hunters who have a solid

background associated with their career objectives. Combines chronological and functional CV.

REMEMBER !

Every six months you need to update your CV with the latest information

Every time you apply for a new job, you need to re-write the CV which should be totally tailor-made to the job you are applying for.

Look at it from your employers point of view

CV SAMPLES

CV samples.doc

SOURCES

http://www.cvtips.com/job_seekers_advice.html

THANK YOUAny question is welcome