CURRICULUM VITAE
HOW TO DESIGN AN EFFECTIVE CV
By: Nani Triana
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
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
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.
WHAT DO CVs AND RESUME’ INCLUDE ?
Resume CV contains:
contains: Your Life History
An accurate summary of Your Job History
your credentials Your Achievements
Education, Your Skills
achievements, job Job descriptions for all
experience positions held
Goals for the future Performance reviews
It should flow naturally Educational transcripts
and be easy to read and records of
seminars/conferences
attended since high
school.
References
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.
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
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
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
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/dynam
ic/c98/cv166_en_US_Europass_CV_Template_
EN.doc
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
CV STYLE 1
Targeted CV
Focuses on particular objective and specific
industry or company. Highlights skills,
qualifications and experience that match
the requirements of the advertised position.
Inventory CV
Is 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.
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.
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
CV SAMPLES
Thank you
A N Y Q U ES T I O N I S W EL C O M E
By: Nani Triana
[email protected].id
