CV Writing

The purpose of the Curriculum Vitae (CV) is to market yourself and your abilities to a prospective employer. The CV and cover letter should therefore be designed to attract the employer's attention and persuade him/her to take your application to the next stage. It is worth taking the time to get it right as a perfect CV should open a lot of doors for you. If you are not sure have a friend or colleague proofread it for you as a fresh pair of eyes can offer a completely different perspective.

Cover letter

The cover letter is the first communication with a prospective employer. It should be clear and concise and outline your ability to satisfy the requirements of the job in question. It is always preferable to address the letter to a specific person unless you are requested to do otherwise. If you are applying to a non-advertised job, call the company to find out whom you should send your application to.

Above all the letter should be well laid-out, free of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors and not so long that it becomes a chore to read. Make sure the letter is tailored to the company you are applying to. Whilst the letter should be relatively formal and business-like, it is also possible to style the letter in such a way as to allow positive aspects of your personality to shine through.

Curriculum vitae

When writing your CV, always bear in mind the following general tips:

Make it easy to read. A cluttered and rambling CV will create a negative impression with potential employers. Think about the information that the potential employer will be interested and follow a traditional format for the content (see below).

Make sure the format of the CV is well laid-out, with clear headings and not overly cramped. Keep your CV to a manageable size to ensure that a prospective employer does not lose interest before he gets to the end. Do not fall into the trap of reducing the font to a hard to read size in order to make it fit to the desired length and do not use fancy fonts if you are going to be emailing it as often the receiver will not have the same fonts on their PC.
Keep it clear, simple and concise.

The CV provides a summary of your professional and personal achievements and qualifications. It should be used to draw attention to the qualities you believe are relevant to the position without providing unnecessary or superfluous information. Your CV should enable you to provide additional detail and background at the following interview.

Tailor the CV to the job opportunity

Make sure the CV is directly focused on the company you are applying to. Place most emphasis on the skills and qualifications which most closely match the job on offer. A prospective employer will be unimpressed if he receives a CV which looks as if it was targeted at a completely different type of job.

Double check for errors

Spelling mistakes and errors in a CV tell the employer that you are sloppy in your work and do not pay attention to detail. Check your CV and cover letter carefully to ensure that it reads well and does not contain silly mistakes or unnecessary repetitions. Do not simply rely on the spell check function. It is a good idea to have a friend or colleague read your CV with a fresh pair of eyes - it is difficult for you to look at your CV objectively after reading it several times.

Be honest

All employers view honesty as an essential characteristic for employees. If information provided on your CV is found to be untruthful, your application will be immediately discarded. Lying is therefore a waste of time both for yourself and the prospective employer.

CV contents

Although there is no standard format of layout for a CV, there are a number of basic sections which should be included in the information provided.

Personal information

Full name, address and contact details (including phone number & email address where available), date of birth, nationality and marital status.

Professional experience

Starting with most recent position first, include employer's full name, location, position(s) held and start and end dates. Use bullet points to list main achievements and responsibilities. If you are seeking your first job, list any relevant work experience, including summer jobs and unpaid work.

Education

Starting with most recent first, include educational establishment's full name, location, and start and end dates. List academic qualifications obtained and other relevant achievements. Higher education qualifications (MBAs, PhDs, University Degrees etc) are worthy of attention but be brief with schooling if you have been working for several years.

Professional qualifications and other skills

List professional qualifications (awards, certificates, associations or recognised skills). Include computer and language capabilities and any other skills which may be relevant to the job. If you have extra-curricular activities which you believe demonstrate additional abilities (eg leadership) to an employer, list them briefly. Do not include qualifications which have little relevance (eg scuba diving certificate).

References

If you provide references, make sure that your referees are aware that you have asked them to act in this capacity and that you are comfortable they will provide positive support to your application. If you put 'available on request', make sure that they can be provided promptly.