Effective CV Writing
By Yimesgen Tarekegn
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Resume vs. Vitae
• Length: Short • Length: As long as it takes
• Content: All-inclusive summary of skills, • Content: Area-specific listing of
experiences and education education and academic background
• Purpose: to get an interview or • Purpose: promotion and tenure,
employment grants, specialist positions, awards, etc.
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Curriculum Vitae (or CV)
• Latin origin
• Means “the course of one’s life”
• Vitae or Vita?
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What is a CV?
What is the purpose of a CV?
• To inform the employer about your education, work
experience, skills and interests
• To ‘sell’ these qualities and to persuade the employer to
invite you to interview
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It’s all about you
CVs are an opportunity to show an employer why you are an ideal
candidate for the job.
A good CV will:
• Stand out from the crowd.
• Draw attention to your relevant skills, experience, achievements and
potential.
• Create such an impression on the employer that they will not be able
to turn you down for interview.
Everyone has potential
Everyone has more skills than they think they do
Everyone can write a good CV
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Do
• Use a standard font size in.
• Include recent and relevant work experience (paid or voluntary). Be
consistent in your layout.
• List your skills and achievements and back up with evidence. Keep
it short (maximum 2 pages).
• Use positive action verbs such as “organised, delivered, accomplished,
achieved”.
• Include a statement about your career aspirations and what you have to offer
the employer.
• Be honest but positive (negatives can always be turned into positives).
Proof-read for spelling, punctuation, grammar and meaning.
• Get someone to check it for you.
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Don’t
• Do it in a rush.
• Leave gaps in
employment. Lie.
• Include irrelevant personal details such as marital status.
• Simply write a list of duties under work experience
•• (remember you are selling yourself!).
Use flashy or large font.
There is no single way to write a CV. It is your document and can
be structured and presented as you wish within a basic framework.
The important thing to remember is that this is the first
impression an employer will have of you. It is your marketing
brochure through which you are trying to sell yourself.
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5 Tips for a CV
• Clear – well organized and logical
• Concise – relevant and necessary
• Complete – includes everything you need
• Consistent – don’t mix styles or fonts
• Current – Up-to-date
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What should be on a CV?
• Start with contact information
• Full name
• Permanent mailing address
• E-mail address that won’t expire
• Phone numbers Education
• Honors and Awards
• Professional Experience (employment) Publications and
presentations Extracurricular and volunteer experience
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Other sections for a CV
• Certifications and licensure
• Professional affiliations
• Professional activities Research
• Added qualifications
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Proving your ability
There are four main things employers will look at in CVs:
• Education - ability to think clearly, analyse and assess information, draw
conclusions, work independently, research
• Work experience - ability to get on with people, work under pressure,
meet deadlines
• Leisure interests - ability to plan and organise, co-operate with others,
compete, lead, work hard to achieve results
• Specific skills – e.g. driving licence, computer skills, foreign languages,
artistic skills
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Tips on Education section
• Most current schooling first (include your current
educational work)
• Only include diploma distinctions
• Get the school’s names correct!
• Degrees/certifications are what is important – not time
spent
• List Thesis/Dissertation titles
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Education and Qualifications
2011 – Present University of Kent
BA (Hons) Fine Art
Modules include: Contextual Studies, Creative
Investigations
Project: Communication and Critique
2009 – 2011 Maidstone Grammar School
A-levels: Media Studies (A), Art (B),
Information Technology (C)
2005 – 2009 Wrotham School
GCSEs: 8 GCSEs including English and Maths
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Tips on Honors and Awards Section
• List most recent first
• Honors/Award Title – then date received
• Go back to undergrad but not before.
– Only academic or professional
• Scholarships count
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Tips on Professional Experience Section
• Includes anything you were paid to do or was extensive and regular
volunteer work
• Only list items relevant to academic work List most
recent first
• If listing research, include the lab and director/principle investigator
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Work Experience
• There is no need to list every job you’ve ever had – detail the most relevant
Don’t just list your duties – sell your skills. Which skills are relevant to the
•
position/company you are applying to?
Dates, name of company, position and skills:
April 2010 – Present Museum of Kent Life
As a shop assistant, I have learnt the importance of
providing great customer service to gain maximum sales.
I am responsible for organising stock and ensuring that
costs are controlled. Carrying out weekly risk
assessments has increased my awareness of health and
safety issues. 16
Tips on Extracurricular and Volunteer Experience Section
• List most recent first
• This tends to be a long list – careful!
• It is better to have long-term items or very relevant items instead
of EVERYTHING
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Tips for Professional Section
Affiliations Activities
• Only those current • Past and present
• Most current first • Most current first
• Include all dates of affiliation • Only those specific to academic/research
• Note any leadership positions • Should be school or university sponsored
• Include your role
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Tips for Research Section
• List most current first
• Make sure you indicate others you worked with Include grant
• funds if obtained
• Briefly describe here
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Publications and Presentations Section
• Two options for listing
– Most recent
– Order of publication
• Always bold your name in authorship
• Include submitted and/or pending publications or presentations
• Presentations may be large or small but pertinent enough to talk about
• Have copies of your pubs and/or presentation for the life of your CV
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Added Qualifications Section
• Should be verifiable
• Include language fluency
• Cultural knowledge – maybe. Especially if you have had
hands-on experience
• Anything else special
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What examples can you give from your work
experience?
If you have no paid work experience, give examples from voluntary work or from your course
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Matching up your CV with the position/company
• It is not ‘one size fits all’, you need to tailor
your CV to each position you apply for.
• Research the company. Do they have a mission statement or core values?
What will they be looking for in you? Who works there at the moment? What
are they passionate about?
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Presentation of your CV
• The first visual impression of your CV is important
• For standard CVs, use plain white A4 paper
• Do not double side
• Keep your CV to two sides of paper
• Check your spelling
• Use bullet points and bold font but in moderation
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Presentation of your CV
• Formatting – make sure it’s consistent
• Size 10-12 font (depending on font style)
• Clear font e.g. Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman
• Focus on accomplishments
• Target your CV to that job/company
• 2:1, not Two One or 2,1
• Use short, concise sentences
• Consider your audience
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References
• Ideally, one academic and your manager
• Ask permission from your reference and let them
know what position(s) you’ve applied for
• Use relevant references if possible
• You can say ‘references available on request’ rather
than including contact details if you wish
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Covering letters
• Never send a ‘naked’ CV
• There are two types of covering letters:
• Speculative/accompanying letter
• Letter of application
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Speculative/Accompanying letter
• Should be three short paragraphs
• Opening paragraph – why you are writing
• Paragraph 2 – show knowledge of employer, highlight your
skills
• Paragraph 3 – Refer to your CV and availability
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Letter of application
• Used when asked to ‘apply in writing’ or ‘send CV and cover letter’
• Opening paragraph – motivation for the job
• Followed by background skills and experience developed through study, work
experience and paid work
• ‘Matching up’ with job description
• What you can offer the employer
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Thank you for your Attention!
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