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HOW TO DESIGN AN EFFECTIVE CV CURRICULUM VITAE Howard Burns [email protected] 052-3485156
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CV Writing

Jul 12, 2015

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Page 1: CV Writing

HOW TO DESIGN AN EFFECTIVE CV

CURRICULUM VITAE

Howard Burns

[email protected] 052-3485156

Page 2: CV Writing

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

Page 3: CV Writing

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

Page 4: CV Writing

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.

Page 5: CV Writing

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

Page 6: CV Writing

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.

Page 7: CV Writing

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

Page 8: CV Writing

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

Page 9: CV Writing

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

Page 10: CV Writing

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

Page 11: CV Writing

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.

Page 12: CV Writing

CV/RESUME FORMAT FOR JAPAN

Expatriate may submit a standard two-page form in Japanese + cover letter.

Or a two-page American-style resume and cover letter in English.

American-style resumes should contain your name and contact information centered at the top.

You need not list job accomplishments on the resume; you will discuss them at the interview.

The CV requires a photo to be attached.

Page 13: CV Writing

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

Page 14: CV Writing

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

Page 15: CV Writing

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.

Page 16: CV Writing

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.

Page 17: CV Writing

CV STYLE 1

Targeted CVFocuses on particular objective and specific industry or company. Highlights skills, qualifications and experience that match the requirements of the advertised position.

Inventory CVIs 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.

Page 18: CV Writing

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.

Page 19: CV Writing

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

Page 20: CV Writing

CV SAMPLES

CV samples.doc

Page 21: CV Writing

SOURCES

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

Page 22: CV Writing

ANY QUESTION IS WELCOME

Thank you

Howard Burns

[email protected] 052-3485156