CURRICULUM VITAE
Jobs are either advertised in the press, made known by word of mouth or
found by ‘speculative application’/ forced application (writing to a
company that has not advertised but may by chance need your services).
Advertisers may request a CV (in which case always include a covering
letter).
Curriculum Vitae (Latin) means the “course of life”. A CV is a
comprehensive statement of your educational background, academic
achievements and co-curricular activities. A CV usually accompanies
job application letters. A CV should be short and informative (around 2
sides).
PARTS OF A CV- (Some parts are optional)
1) Full Name of the applicant
2) Institutional affiliation
3) Full postal address, e-mail id, mobile number, telephone number of
the applicant
4) Date of birth and age
5) Marital status
6) Blood Group
7) Nationality
8) Education- List in reverse chronological order, giving the last
qualification first, degree, name of institution, year of attending,
marks/CGPA/ percentage. University should come first, followed
by college and then school (till class X)
9) Training Courses- Names of courses and duration, dates attended,
including special training/ qualification.
10)Other skills- Fluency or working knowledge of languages,
language skills, computer courses etc.
11)Seminars, Conferences, Workshops, Symposium, Colloquium.
12)Publications if any (with ISSN/ ISBN no.)
13)Work experience, internships. In reverse chronology provide the
last position first. Dates of employment, name and address of
employers, your position, short description of responsibilities,
number of staff supervised, any particular success etc.
14) Organizational experience
15)Any specific core area of interest
16)Hobbies / co-curricular activities personal interests. Voluntary
work, playing a musical instrument, involvement with a certain
sport, cooking, art, performance etc.
17)Names of any two well known referees with their institutional
affiliation and position.
Other points to remember-
Active words- Most employers want to find people who are active and
energetic therefore avoid passive constructions: ‘I took responsibility
for’ is better than ‘I was involved’. ‘I managed’ is better than ‘I was
asked to deal with’.
Some other active constructions:
I developed
I took responsibility for
I devised
I initiated
I negotiated
I created
I managed
I controlled
I responded to
First person singular
Even in a CV- the only document dedicated to talking about oneself-
some people avoid using the first person by adopting a telegraphic style:
‘I managed a team of five’ becomes ‘Managed a team of five’, for
example.
Simple words
Using simple words is not a mark of simple-mindedness. Short, well-
chosen words ensure clarity. Long words often give the impression of
pomposity when used incorrectly. If you must use technical terms and
jargon, make sure that you are using them correctly, and that you include
terms that are widely used in your field.
A CV must always have a covering letter/ job application letter in the
beginning.
This should tell the employer which job you are applying for and a few words
drawing attention to salient parts of your CV, saying why you are interested in the
job, and why you think you would be suitable for the job.
Pay close attention to the requirement of the employer. All job advertisements are
worded to attract a certain type of person. Pay close attention to phrases like
i) Experienced ii) mature iii) working knowledge of iv) outgoing
personality v) articulate vi) self-motivated vii) flexible
Next look through your CV and decide which points prove that you have the
background and qualifications necessary. You will need to draw attention to these
items in the letter. Even for speculative/ forced applications it is your aim to make
the addressee turn the page and read your CV, and after that, to invite you for a
discussion. Sound enthusiastic about the company and flexible in terms of the role
you might be able to play, and the company is more likely to be able to find a job
for you.
(Sample CV with covering letter of a 5th year law student applying for an
internship)
Internship Application: 15th May- 15th June, 2020 Kolkata office
11 Royce Road,
Kolkata- 700035.
April 20th, 2020
12, Old Post Office St,
B.B.D. Bagh,
Kolkata- 700001.
Dear Mr. Chaudhuri,
Summer Internship
I am Ananya Roy, a final year BA LLB student from WBNUJS, Kolkata and I am
very keen to intern at Fox & Mondal during our summer recess (15th May-15th
June, 2020).
I had previously interned at Khaitan & Co where under the tutelage of Mr. Sharma
I had learnt the basics of legal drafting. I have also completed the Mergers and
Acquisition course offered by the Bombay Stock Exchange. Moreover, I have also
been a part of the NUJS team at the MC Chagla Memorial National Moot Court
competition which won the runner’s up prize in January 2019.
I am sure interning at a prestigious law firm like Fox & Mondal will help me
further improve upon my skills. Given my prior experience in corporate law, I also
hope to contribute to your firm to the best of my abilities.
Please find attached my complete CV that highlights my experience and education,
for your kind perusal. I will be grateful if I am given an opportunity to intern at
your firm. Please let me know if you require anything else as a part of the
internship application. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Yours sincerely,
ANANYA ROY
5th Year, B.A.LLB
WBNUJS, Kolkata.
Ananya Roy
West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
Kolkata- 700002 Contact – 09830098300
Age- 21 years Nationality- Indian
Marital Status- Single
Academic Qualification
Degree Institution Year of Percentage of
Passing Marks
B.A.LLB WBNUJS 6 C.G.P.A.
ongoing ( Till 4th year)
CBSE +2 Kendriya 2015 97%
Examination Vidyalaya,
Kolkata
CBSE 10th Kendriya 2013 93%
Examination Vidyalaya,
Kolkata
Other Qualifications: Proficient in French, computer courses. (Please include any
other relevant courses associated with law)
Other Skills:
Core Area: Civil Procedure & Litigation.
Seminars, Workshops, Conferences & Publications: (insert chronologically,
state whether they are national or international seminars, put details of publication)
Internships: 1)
2)
Organizational Responsibilities: 1) Class Representative for UG first year.
2) Secretary for the Debating Club.
3)
4)
Extracurricular Activities: Debate societies, Public speaking, (trained to
demonstrate good communication, leadership and decision-making skills), Sports,
Chess.
Statement of objectives: A short paragraph stating your purpose; e.g, to secure a
position giving greater responsibility, more flexibility, new challenges, in which to
exercise skills already obtained.
Referees: 1) Ms. Anupama Banerjee
Principal, Educare Higher Secondary School
2) Mr. Soumya Dutta
Associate Professor, Dept. of Law.
University of Calcutta.
Contact no. 9830098300
