Recruiters take just eight seconds to sieve through your résumé; therefore, let yours stand out for the right reasons. Learn how to write a résumé and get some tips that will get your application through to the interview stage.

What is a CV?

CV stands for Curriculum Vitae and is a written document that lists the writer’s knowledge and skills in work and education. A resume describes a person’s education, work, skills, and other qualifications. As such, it assists in the sale of skills to an employer. Most times, many employers request a cover letter to accompany a CV. Quite simply, a CV is a two-page document that allows one to introduce oneself to potential employers.

There is a slight difference between Resume vs CV (interlink first article here). A resume focuses on highlighting your most pertinent educational background and work experience. A CV is longer, more thorough, and has the capacity to contain more private information pertinent to research and academic roles.

How long should a CV be?

However, there are some exceptions. For example, a fresher with less experience should use only one side of A4. Again, this is not very common, but those holding senior positions or those that in the past five to ten years have gained massive experience or held a myriad jobs may use three pages. Some documents may require more time, for example, medical or academic texts, depending on the experience you have. On the other hand, a resume is supposed to be concise; however, it doesn’t mean you have to undersell your experience. You are only supposed to stick to keywords on what you are talking about and not repeat what you have already said in your cover letter.

How to Write a Good CV?

Knowing how to write well can enrich one’s career advancement. You can check the following points for your needs:.

1. Introduce yourself with a header.

Start with your full name, job title, and other relevant information, such as your phone number and email address, at the top of your resume. You may want to add some social media profiles and write an equally long list of tasks for them. Maybe add in a link to your blog, personal website, or an archive of your work. It’ll give ’em an idea of ​​what you can do with the written word and some insight into your experience.

2. Professional profile: a career summary

Consider an overview statement within a resume as a very short synopsis touting key skills that will differentiate the candidate from others. It’s usually going to give the employer an opportunity to know whether you will meet their requirements and where to go next.

3. List your employment history.

This should include your name, company name, length of time you have been with the company, and duties or responsibilities of what you do daily.

4. List your educational qualifications.

The list of all your academic qualifications should be in the order of the highest and include the details of the qualifications, the school name, and the grade.

5. Highlight your skills and achievements.

Include skills that are correlated to the job you are applying for. It’ll enhance your chances of getting a reaction. Think about including both hard and soft skills when you should be an attractive candidate. 

6. Include additional details.

You can then add relevant sections and organize the content with the help of anonymous lists. This could be anything from gifts and honors you may have received to free grants and scholarships. You can also add your licenses and certifications and include details of the volunteer work you have done. 

Types Of CV Formats

To create a good resume, you can use the following two types of resumes:

• Chronological Resume: If your work experience shows a steady growth in your area of ​​expertise and you are in the same place with a stable job, you may decide to choose a job-oriented format depending on your needs. It is ideal for candidates looking for success in the same profession or industry.

• Functional CV: If you are a freshman looking for a new career, have a lot of job openings, or are looking to change careers, a resume or skillset may be your best bet. A resume format focuses on your skills rather than the job.

Writing A Great CV

Here are some tips to help you create your resume:

• Use formal fonts. It is a good idea to consider including professional-looking, consistently-sized fonts that are a dark color, such as Arial, Calibri, or Helvetica.

• Choose the right format. You should see what format is best for you, whether it is chronological or functional.

• Include the necessary skills. Try focusing on the most relevant information and skills that pertain to the job that you want.

• Use active voice. Make sure to use phrasal verbs when talking about your skills and achievements.

• Make it easy to scan. When listing information, think about presenting it with bullet points and concise sentences. You can also consider using symbols for your section headers.

• Use a professional email. If you would not be able to use your email address for work purposes, think about getting a new one. 

How can we format a CV? 

The content of the CV could not be the only factor that affects the success of your CV; the way you format it is also very important. 

Here is some important information for formatting your CV. 

• Your file name should not be named ‘CV’ or ‘curriculum vitae.’ Rather, put your name in place of ‘CV’ in the title of your document. 

• Divide your CV content by including section headers. 

• You need to invest in them and be bold so that they stand out among your other needs. You may want to use a 14 or 16 point font for section headings.

• Use professional and easy-to-read text. Fonts like Arial, Times New Roman or Calibri are generally better. Don’t keep the font size smaller than 12 because you want people to be able to read your resume easily. Also try to use the same font throughout your resume.

• Everything is listed in backward order in the work sheet. This way, the employer sees all your most recent responsibilities and experiences before reviewing older information.

• Provide a file name that identifies you when saving. Do not save it as “Document 1” or anything like this.

• Form the file in a .PDF format to make it viewable by anyone on any PC. 

In the end, how you present your CV is your call, but you can definitely make sure your CV format is correct when you submit it. Keep in mind the golden rule: You are tenser on paper, so make sure your CV appears professional, organized, and simple to understand. If you are open to it, you should show your CV to your friends or even relatives and get their advice. This could make a difference!  

How do you write an impressive CV?

• It’s a good idea to use active verbs whenever possible. Using terms like “created,” “analyzed,” and “devised,” for instance, are good for showing what you have done.

• Use a spell checker and get someone else to proofread the document as well.

• Don’t use overused general terms like “multitasker,” “hardworking,” and “team player.” Instead, provide cases from your own life that demonstrate each of these abilities.

• Customize your CV. Check out the organization on their website and social media sites, find out if there have been any recent articles about them in the media, and use the job ad to make sure that your CV is focused on the job and company. 

• Create the resume that best suits your situation. Choose whether you want to use an education report, skills report, or background report.

• Make sure the email address you choose looks official. If using your personal address for business purposes is inappropriate, open a new account.

• Never give out your home location when you upload your resume online since there may possibly be scammers targeting you. 

How to write the work experience on your Resume

This section gives details about the job title, employer’s name, the time you work there, all your duties, and the skills you gained there.

Here are the essential points that you must reproduce from your work experience in your CV:

1. Job titles

When entering your work experience, please include your previous work experience. For example, the job title “Social Media Marketing Manager” describes your role better than simply stating the job title “Marketing Manager.” List all jobs you have held at the company to show your career progression as evidence of your work, so focus on these if possible.

2. Companies you worked for

Provide the full name of your previous employer. Consider excluding job details older than 10 years to make your work history more relevant. Generally speaking, you should only include details from your three to five most recent employers, and you can list the names of other employers. However, if you worked for a well-known brand, showing them on your resume is another selling point.

3. Location of companies

If you have worked in a foreign country or, if not, have at least experienced different parts of India, do mention those places. That will make you a global citizen who can easily work with people from different cultures. India is a country of so many traditions and hence you are bound to meet different people at work. That is why it will be pertinent to speak of a cultural exchange of one’s wishes.

4. Responsibilities and achievements

Describe your key responsibilities for each position in your work experience. Equip them with key skills and accomplishments that will help you get the job done. 

Create the resume that best fits your situation. Choose whether you want to use the Education Report, Skills Report, or Background Report.

Resume for Internship

Full Name | Professional Email ID | Phone Number | LinkedIn Profile

Objective

General manifestations of the education you have received, skills that direct to what you have learned, and your carrier goals. Specify the areas where you are strong and how they can be related to the internship leg.

Education

Degree Name (Major or Specialization)
University/College Name, City, and State
Expected Graduation Date (or Graduation Date)
Relevant coursework, GPA*, honors (Dean’s List, scholarships)

Skills

Technical skills: Programming Languages, Software, Technologies, etc.
Transferable skills: communication, teamwork, problem-solving, leadership, time management, etc.

Projects

Project Title

• A brief description of the project, including your role and responsibilities
• Technologies/tools used
• Outcomes or achievements

Internships/Work or work experience (if any)

• Company Name, City, State
• Position/Role
• Dates of Employment

Key responsibilities and accomplishments

• Extracurricular Activities
• Involvement in clubs, organizations, or volunteer work;
• leadership positions or achievements

Certifications (if any)

List relevant certifications with issuing organizations and dates obtained.

Awards and honors (if any)

Academic or extracurricular awards and recognitions

CV Template for Experienced

Full Name | Professional Email ID | Phone Number | LinkedIn Profile

Summary

Write a summary telling about yourself, your experience, and your achievements. 

Professional Experience

Job Title   |    Company Name, Location

Dates of employment Key responsibilities and achievements using action verbs and quantifiable results.

Previous job title

Company name and location
Service Responsibilities and Completion Date.

Skills

Technical Skills: List relevant software, programming languages, tools, or certifications.
Soft skills: Communication, leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, etc.

Education

Degree Name,
University/Institution Name, Location
Year of Graduation

Certifications (if applicable)

List relevant certifications with issuing organizations and dates obtained.

Projects (if relevant)

Highlight significant projects with your role, outcomes, and technologies used.

Awards and honors (if applicable)

List the relevant awards and recognitions.
Publications (if applicable)
List articles, papers, or books authored or co-authored.

Professional affiliations (if applicable)

Membership in industry associations or professional bodies.

Get in touch with Resume Janus, who is an expert at creating high-impact resume or CV which can help you to open new opportunity door.