Curriculum Vitae – How to draft a winning CV?
What is a CV?
A Curriculum Vitae, often abbreviated as CV, stands for “course of life” in Latin. It is used by the job applicants to showcase their professional and academic accomplishments and it is critical to know how to draft a winning CV. Although, there is a difference between a CV and a resume, in this article we will use these terms inter-changeably.
A Curriculum Vitae is usually the first information that a prospective employer receives about the candidates when screening the applications. It is often followed by an interview of the shortlisted candidates. The applicants submit their CV to the employers using email, online employment portals, or a job-oriented social-networking platform, such as LinkedIn.
Why is it important to have a good CV?
First Impression
Curriculum Vitae is valuable and important because it creates the first impression on the recruiter. The CV may also be the only direct communication with a potential employer.
Presentation is key
For this reason alone it should be carefully thought out, designed and written so that it makes an immediate positive impact on key decision makers. You could be the best qualified and most suitable applicant, but if your Curriculum Vitae is rambling, disorganized and does not highlight your key abilities then you will probably be overlooked.
To be shortlisted, your CV should show clarity, relevance, quality and be constructive.
A great pitch for you
The CV is essentially a marketing tool that gives you a platform to showcase your abilities to the employers. It must :
- Mention your strengths and experiences that are most relevant to the job you are applying for.
- Showcase a positive approach and insight.
- Exhibit your potential as a future prospective employee.
Other Benefits of having an updated CV
Apart from applying for jobs, a Curriculum Vitae is also useful for:
- It helps you to see if you have achieved targets set by you previously.
- Preparing your mind before the job interview.
- Identifying weakness in your skills, work experience and qualifications.
- Reminding you of your career graph.
The resume focuses on you and the past. The cover letter focuses on the employer and the future. Tell the hiring professional what you can do to benefit the organization in the future.
Joyce Lain Kennedy, Cover Letters for Dummies
What are the different types of CVs?
Before deciding which style is appropriate for you, let us first understand the different types of CVs.
Functional CV – Skill based
This is the most basic type of Curriculum Vitae. A functional resume focuses on skills and experience rather on your work history.
This kind of factual presentation of skills and experience is a great way to present yourself if you have gap years in employment, or are a fresh graduate with limited employment experience.
Chronological CV
This is the most commonly used format for the Curriculum Vitae. It lists your work history in order, as per dates.
Many recruiters prefer this type because it gives them an overview of your work experience. Start with your current position and end with the earliest.
Combined CV
It’s a mixture of a chronological and a functional Curriculum Vitae.
This is ideal if you want to emphasize your key skills. This is particularly more suitable if you are changing fields entirely.
How to draft a winning CV?
Here are some tips on crafting a winning CV that can help you land your dream job.
Keep your Curriculum Vitae clear and concise
An employer takes an average of 30 seconds to go through a resume. Draft your CV to make them see right away that you are qualified for the position.
Proofread your CV
There should be no spelling or grammar mistakes. A simple spelling mistake on a CV can give a very negative impression to the employer. Use the spellchecker option and double check your CV before sending it out to prospective employers.
David Hipkin, head of recruitment and resourcing at Reed Business Information, warns, “With most employers experiencing massive volumes of applicants right now, giving them the excuse to dismiss your application because of avoidable errors is not going to help you secure an interview.”
Limit the CV to two pages
Prioritize your most recent experience. Older jobs and experience that are more than 15 years old should be minimized. This helps to draw the attention of the recruiter to more relevant information.
Choose the chronological CV format
Although there are multiple formats that you can use to draft your winning CV, it is recommended to stick to the chronological format, unless otherwise requested. It helps employers quickly understand the value of your most relevant experiences.
Define your achievements
Use data and figures that the employer will understand and be impressed by. This could include facts such as how many people you supervised, how many products you sold, by what percentage you increased sales, etc.
Only mention relevant details
Read in detail the instructions about the job application. Also read the job description and modify your Curriculum Vitae accordingly. Specify work experience and achievements that are relevant to the position you are applying for and will add value to your application.
Objective of your Resume
An objective gives the employer with an overview of the goals you have for your employment and your broad career goals.
Use simple action verbs and words
Curriculum Vitae can be reviewed by recruiters or Human Resources specialists who may not be familiar with your specific field. Avoid using field specific jargon and stick to using plain and simple language.
Things not to include on your CV
- Hobby Listing – It should be kept precise. If you have hobbies that will put you in strange light, better kept to yourself.
- Colorful text and creative fonts – You do not want the recruiters to have a tough time trying to decipher what is written in the document or get distracted by too many colors and fonts.
- Don’t include references – There is no need to add references or even say “references available on request” unless the job opening specifies it.
- Do not lie about your credentials – A through background check is conducted by the companies before hiring. It is not advisable to lie about your credentials in the CV less you face loss of your credibility, loss of trust. Even if you were to get the job based on false credentials, it may get discovered later on leading to greater dissatisfaction on either side due to distrust, job loss and may also lead to negative record.
- Salary expectation – The salary negotiations are typically conducted at a later stage in the recruitment life cycle. So, you can wait until that stage before outlining your salary expectations.
Life is what happens when you’re making other plans. So does your résumé. It takes on a life of its own if you let it.
Regina Brett, God Is Always Hiring: 50 Lessons for Finding Fulfilling Work
VIDEO CV
A video Curriculum Vitae is a short recording of the skills, experience and your suitability to the job.
A good video CV could feature pointed questions and answers thereto, to showcase your superior abilities vis-a-vis the competition.
It can be uploaded to a video hosting site, such as YouTube or sent as a video file to employers directly via email. The latter would be highly recommended if the job description is specific about the skills and experience that the company is looking for.
Why create a video resume?
A video CV is the perfect way to grab attention, get your message across effectively and stand out in a competitive job market.
A video resume will get your message across straight away. It also tends to deliver a greater impact and could leave a powerful lasting impact on the recruiter.
There is also the added advantage that your video CV may pick the interest of a recruiter who has been filtering through paper resumes all day.
Tips to make a video CV
- Make it relevant
- Write a script
- Get creative
- Keep it short
- Collect feedback to critique it.
- Video resume should be professional quality.
Apply Successfully
With the help of the information mentioned above, your professional Curriculum Vitae is always within reach. Whether you decide to quickly and easily create it yourself with our points – your CV always stands out from the crowd.
Good Luck!
About The Author
Archana Jain is a management professional and currently pursuing MA in Psychology. She has a rich experience in recruitment in industries like retail, hospitality, logistics and runs a talent acquisition firm.
Her passion includes Music and Travel. She is also associated with an NGO which focuses on the education of underprivileged kids.
This is one of the exhaustive articles I have come across in recent times and I am sure if followed diligently, your CV will get that magical touch to land you in your dream job. My personal favourite section in this is around Video CVs. Catch the trend early and be ahead in the race. Best wishes in your job hunt!
Thank you so much!!
This article about drafting a winning CV provides many ideas and guidelines to make positive changes in a resume. It has helped me to redesign and reframe my resume to make it look more professional and to the point.
Thanks so much.Glad it helped in reframing your CV!!