CV Writing

CV Writing

Spend some time creating a CV masterpiece. Not half an hour just listing your chronological job history. Imagine it's your first day in a new job and your boss asks you to prepare a small presentation; you'd probably spend hours on it, even working into the night, just to make a good impression. Why should your CV presentation be any different?

Whilst we used the term ‘CV masterpiece' this doesn't mean an artistic masterpiece, and it certainly should not be a 4 hour epic. Less is often more in a CV, and very few CVs should have any color other than black and white and using any more than 2 fonts can be distracting. So what should you be doing in these hours spent preparing your CV? As with any project, the most important parts are planning, analysis and preparation. Research how other people style their CVs (ask for help) and emulate the style that you think is most appropriate for your profile. Then you need to think about what you should write.

In terms of the CV content, try and stay focused on relevant experiences. Your time working in a bar during college does not need to be mentioned – unless of course it's bar work you are looking for! Also, experience gained over 5 years ago need only be summarised. More focus should be on your most recent experience. If you want to mention your hobbies and interests, then it should only be a one line entry.

Here is a summary of the typical content and ordering you should have in your CV:
  • Name (use bold or a larger font to make this stand out)
  • Personal details (typically: Date of birth, Nationality, contact information)
  • Summary and/or Objective (can be a short paragraph or 3 or 4 bullet points)
  • Education and Qualifications (focus on highest level attained)
  • Experience (reverse chronological...most recent first)
  • Technical Skills Summary
  • Languages
  • Interestes/hobbies (this is optional)
  • References (optional. Can also simply write available on request)

The following link offers you a Zeebra designed CV template. Feel free to use this format to base your own CV on: http://www.zeebra.cz/downloads/Zeebra_CV_Template2.doc