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CV Writing Tips |
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Your CV needs to be a simple, clear statement of your qualifications and achievements. You would also need to show how your qualifications and achievements can be useful to the company you are applying for or to perform in the position you are applying for. |
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If you are currently employed or have worked somewhere previously, start with your employment history beginning with the most recent job. If you are looking for your first job, start with academic history, again starting with the most recent qualification.
If you are a fresh graduate / recently qualified person with a limited employment history, it may make sense to list the grades you obtained. However, if you are someone with a long employment history, listing your qualifications alone may be sufficient.
Rather than listing the activities that made up “your typical day at ABC Company”, write about your responsibilities and achievements in each position and then, if possible, show how these can help you in the position applied for. Quantify any achievements that can be quantified. |
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The longer you CV is, the lesser the chances of getting it read in its entirety. However, if you are capturing your most significant achievements briefly, length isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Don’t cram too much information into one page just to save on the number of pages. However, a well written, brief document is always preferable to a CV that is “padded out” in an attempt to make you sound impressive. |
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In order to reduce the length to a manageable size, eliminate unnecessary detail. Look at each piece of information you have included in the CV and ask yourself “Does this piece of information help my case?” If you feel that it doesn’t, don’t include it. |
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Use bullet points, numbers, boxes etc to make the CV more readable, keeping in mind of course, the need to avoid clutter. If you are using bullet points, make sure that you don’t use too many types of bullets. The same goes for numbers. Make use of white space to improve readability. The font size should be at least 12.
Spelling and Grammar
Perfect spelling and grammar may not get you the job if you don’t have the necessary qualifications and attributes for it. However, spelling and grammatical mistakes can easily damage that great impression you’re trying to create for your prospective employer. For example, if you have applied for a job that involves attention to detail, mistakes that you make in your CV can easily cost you the opportunity to be short-listed for an interview. |
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Format only to the extent that it improves readability. In terms of aesthetic appeal, tastes can differ and what appears to you as a “lovely border” may appear “gaudy” to another.
Good luck in creating that winning CV that will help you get your “dream job”! |
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