Learn how to write an effective Curriculum Vitae (CV) for a job or scholarship. Discover essential components, formatting rules, and professional guidelines for crafting a standout professional profile.
What is a Curriculum Vitae (CV)?
All/most of you will have to write effective Curriculum Vitae, in short, CV, (called 'resume, in American English) for various purposes such as, to get a job or scholarship, etc. Writing a good CV is a skill all of you will need for your career.
The CV is meant to introduce you and your background to somebody who does not know you. It should present you in the best possible light, in a concise and well-structured manner. A regular CV for business purposes should definitely not go over one A4 size page. If one wants to use it for academic purposes and not for a job, the CV can pass that limit, and the additional space is used to describe academic activities, like conferences, publications list etc.
A well written CV shows first what is most important, but contains all relevant information. To this goal, it is advised that you adapt it to suit your target (specific type of job or scholarship). Pay attention to the order in which you present information in your CV.
How to Write a Good CV: Essential Guidelines
Here is a guideline for writing a good CV. although there are a number of ways for writing CV, they agree on some common details.
The information you need to provide in your CV are:
- Personal details: Here you should include your date of birth, contact address, telephone number and nationality. In case you have a permanent address different from your temporary address, include both. Personal details can be written with smaller fonts than the rest of the CV if you want to save space. You should write your name with a bigger font than the rest of the text, so that the reader can easily see whose CV s/he is reading.
- Objective: You should state very concisely what you accurately want to do. Say something like, "To develop a career in ", or you can be more specific like "to obtain a position in ... where I can use my skills in..." You can write a few lines to describe that specifically, but keep in mind that you should show what you can do for the organization or company you are sending the CV to more than what the company can do for you. Writing a good objective is difficult, so take some time to think about what exactly you are going to write there.
- Academic achievements: After your personal details, give details about your education. It is suggested that you present details about education in reverse chronological order i.e., you start with the latest degree and go gradually back. You should mention all your academic achievements including grades/divisions/classes.
- You should also mention scholarships and awards you received along with your achievements in co-curricular and extracurricular activities in your academic life.
- Mention the scholarships if you have received any or other types of awards such as best student's award, best debater's award, award for poetry recitation, extempore speech, sports and games and so on.
- Experience: Here you should include experiences, if you have any, relevant to the position you are applying for. You should show that you are a person who can take initiative, has creativity and is innovative. You should be able to convince the employers that you will be the best pick for the job.
- Extracurricular activities: If you are writing a professional, and not an academic CV, you should mention activities/programmes you have attended/participated in.
- Language Skills: You should also mention your level of competence in any language you know in all the four skills, i.e. whether you are average, good, very good or excellent in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening in the languages you know.
- Computer skills: Write if you know—Microsoft word or anything else of computer.
- Hobbies: List your hobbies if space is left on the page. They look fine on a CV, showing that you are not a no-life workaholic, but a normal person.
What Are the Final Presentation Steps for a CV?
These are the usual components of a CV. Print the CV on plain-white paper. You should never send a CV without a cover letter. If the advertisement does not say anything about a cover letter, you still should send one. Send the CV with covering letter in a matching A4 size envelope.
For additional guidance on professional writing, you can check out this helpful guide on Writing a Cover Letter to Apply for a Job.
Key Takeaways
- A regular business CV should not exceed one A4 page, while academic CVs can be longer to include publications and conferences.
- Always organize your academic history in reverse chronological order.
- Include accurate contact details, a concise objective, relevant experience, language skills, and computer proficiencies.
- Never submit a CV without an accompanying cover letter, even if the job advertisement does not explicitly request one.
Quick Practice
Write your answers in the comments below:
- What order should you use when presenting your educational background in a CV?
- Why should you include hobbies on your CV if you have space left?
Frequently Asked Questions About CV Writing
What is the difference between a business CV and an academic CV?
A regular business CV should definitely not go over one A4 size page. An academic CV can pass that limit, using the additional space to describe academic activities like conferences and publication lists.
How should education details be organized in a CV?
It is suggested that you present details about education in reverse chronological order, starting with the latest degree and going gradually back while mentioning grades, divisions, or classes.
Is it necessary to send a cover letter with a CV?
Yes. You should never send a CV without a cover letter. Even if the advertisement does not say anything about a cover letter, you still should send one.