For anyone looking for employment, this is something that you must do. A curriculum vitae basically is a document which outlines and summarizes your past, existing professional skills, proficiency and experiences. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate that you have the necessary skills to do the job for which you are applying. You are selling your skills, knowledge and experience, literally to someone who doesn’t know you.
What differentiates a good CV from a killer CV is the ability to impress a potential employer with your prowess even before they meet you for the interview. You need to do their things, brainstorm, write and then finalize. Let me break it down for you.
Brainstorm:
Obviously, you won’t just be writing your CV out of the blue. You need to plan what you want to be on your CV and how you are going to format and present it. Personally, I would prefer one that is simple and straight to the point. No unnecessary italicizing, bolding or a font that is too fancy. Calibri body or times new roman will do just fine.
After you brainstorm and list what you want to have on your CV, it’s time to write it. Give it the attention and concentration it deserves.
Write:
Since you have a format in mind, stick to it.
List your name, address telephone number and email at the top of the page. One should be able to get your contact information with no hustle at all. Your name should also have a slightly larger font size than the rest.
Have a personal profile.it gives your potential employer your view as a person. This is where you sell your skills, experiences, and personal qualities. Be original and use personal attributes like confident, team player and the like. Remember not to sell yourself short, if you THINK you are confident, then you ARE confident.
Have a section for education and qualifications. Employers want to know that you studied for the job you are applying for. Always write them in reverse chronological order- meaning that the recent should be first. Be sure to include the school you studied, when you went there, the course you did and the grades you got.
Create a section for work experience. Again, start with your most recent job and work backwards. List the name of the company, the location of the company, the years you worked there, and what you did. If you have a long list of work experience, only put the experiences relevant to the job you are applying for. Sifting through all of them can be very tiring at times.
Have a section for skills and achievements. Here list all the accomplishments you have had at your previous jobs and the skills you have developed through experiences. This is also the section where you list any of your published work, lectures you’ve given, training that you have gone to etc.
Also, remember to include your hobbies and interests. They should be something that will add value to the company that you are applying to therefore painting you in a positive light. For example, inasmuch that you enjoy swimming, don’t put it in your cv when you are applying to work in a media house. You will not be swimming in a newsroom.
Have a section where you put any other information that I relevant. If you don’t have, worry not. It is not veeery important.
Last but not least, have referees. these are the people your potential employer can contact in case they need more information about you. Also, before you put someone as a referee, ask them first and ensure that they know you.
Finalize:
Before you submit, proofread and make sure there are no grammar and spelling mistakes. Petty mistakes on your CV make you look reckless.
So, go ye therefore and write killer CVs!!