26+ CV Format – PDF
For those of you who are trying to get a job, then you should understand just how important it is that you manage to impress your potential employer. Not only that, but you will also have to show that you’ve met with the necessary qualifications which would deem you as a worthy applicant for a specific position.
To do that, you’ll need to come up with a document that’s able to convey all of that information. This is what you would call a curriculum vitae and this article is going to teach you all that you need to know in order to properly create one.
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How to Create a Curriculum Vitae
Take note that the main purpose of this document is to show that you have met the requirements that qualifies you for an open position within an organization. You should also know that a CV (curriculum vitae) differs from a resume in the sense that the former is more detailed when discussing what it is that you’re able to bring to the table.
So in order for you to show that you’re the best person that’s fit for the job, you’ll need to know what it is that you should put into your CV and how you’ll go about in placing them. Here are the steps that should be able to help you out:
Know What Format You Should Go For
One of the first things that you should consider before you even start making your CV is the kind of format that you will be going with. You need to find one that you think will show your employer exactly what type of applicant he or she is dealing with – the format alone can help determine what kind of employee a person would be if hired.
Which is why you’ll need to know things such as what kind of sections will your CV contain or what kind of information you’re going to place. There are even a ton of formats that you can reference throughout the many different CV examples that you can find online or in this very article. Just go with the ones that you think will help you stand out in the most professional way possible.
List Down Your Basic Information
When you start making your CV, then you’ll be writing down your basic information at the very top of the page. The person that will be responsible for going through the document will want to know exactly who he or she is reading about, which is why it’s important that you give this person information about yourself.
So you will begin by providing your name. Make sure that you write down your first name, last name, and middle initial so that the reviewer will know exactly who he or she is going to be dealing with; the information will make it much easier in the event that a background check will have to be done. Next is that you will need to place your address right below your complete name. Be sure that you provide everything such as the name of the street, this city and state in which you reside in, your zip code etc.
And lastly, you’ll want to provide your contact details. It should be pretty obvious that you will need to provide this piece of information as you want to give your prospective employer a means in which he or she can contact you in the event that there’s new about your application – regardless if it’s good or bad. Be sure that you write down your phone number, home number, and the current email address that you use so that there’s more than one way to get a hold of you.
Write a Personal Profile
Take note that this part of the CV is optional but it does pay to know how to make it should you want to give your prospective employer a more in-depth view about yourself. This is the section of the document that allows you to show why you’re the person that’s best fit for a job in a more creative way. You’re going to have to be original when coming up with your personal profile as it shows what kind of person you are in a few sentences.
Create a Section for Your Qualifications and Your Education
You can choose this to be the first thing that you want to write about or you can save it once you’ve written down all the other pieces of information that you would like to share. Every job will require some degree of education, but it’s the kind of education one will need will depend entirely on the skills and knowledge which will allow a person to do the job in a way that he or she is expected to. The more complex the tasks and responsibilities of a particular profession, then the higher level of education needed.
Which is why you will need to provide all employers that you will be applying to with the kind of education that you have been able to attain. List your education in reverse chronological order. Begin with university if you attended or are attending and work your way backwards from there. List down everything from the university’s complete name, the date in which you attended them, what you majored in, and your grade point average.
Create a Section for Your Work Experience
This is the section in which you’ll be sharing all of your previous work experience with your prospective employer. You’ll want to do this because a lot of jobs will require that an applicant have previous experience that’s similar to the one being applied to. There are times when a particular job contains complex tasks and responsibilities and some employers find it best to hire someone that has already gone through or at least have some knowledge on how they should be done.
So the more experience you have, then the bigger your advantage when it comes to applying for a job. However, you have to make sure that whatever work experience you’ve listed down on your CV is related to whatever job you’re applying for. Because if it’s not, then the prospective employer can easily discredit what you’ve application.
First, you’ll need to write down the name of the company that you previous worked for. Next is that you will need to provide the job title that you’ve previously held. And lastly, you will have to write down the number of days, months, or years that you’ve served during your time in the previous company. Start with your most recent job and work backwards.
Remember that whatever you share should be relevant with the kind of job you’re applying for. If this is your first time applying for a job, then list down any curricular activities that’s related to what you’re applying for to show that you have at least some measure of experience.
Make a Section for Your Skills and Achievements
If you’ve already have previous job experience, then you’ll definitely want to share what you have been able to achieve during that time. You’ll want to show just how valuable you are to your prospective employer as that’s what will give you a much higher chance to attain employment. So now is now the time to be shy as you’ll have to list down every achievement that you have been able to gain as well as the different skills that you have been able to develop throughout your entire career.
But much like your previous work experience, you have to make sure that what you share is relevant to whatever position that you’re applying for. Think about what it is that the job needs and what kind of employee the company you’re applying to is looking for and work your way from there. Once you understand that, then you’ll have no problem picking out what you have to share from what you shouldn’t.
Share Your Interests
It’s not logical for someone to be all work and no play, which is exactly why you’ll want to humanize yourself to your prospective employer by showing what interests you have. The only thing that you need to be careful with is what you decide to share. There are some who make the mistake of sharing interests that will often make employers decide to go with someone else that’s more suited for the job. So you will need to learn what kind of interests you have that will paint you in the most positive light.
Understand everything that you like doing such as what hobbies your currently do and make a list of what it is that you would like to share. Weed out any information that you think will hinder your chances of getting the job and place the rest into your CV
Make a Section for Other Pieces of Information
If you think that there’s a noticeable gap in your CV, then you may want to create a section where you can provide additional information that will help you get the job that you’re after. The information you share can be anything from what extra activities you take part in during your time away from work or even the family members that you provide for. Whatever you share in this section should be things that will help your employer understand what kind of person you are.
Create a Section for Your References
When a hiring committee decides to conduct a background check, one of the first methods to gain information is by contacting the people listed down as references in an application, resume, or a CV. What references do is basically tell those who contact them everything that they need to know about an applicant as these are people who have experience in dealing with him or her.
References can be anyone from professors, former workmates, etc. A lot of employers tend to be strict by stating that family members and friends cannot be listed down as references as there’s a very high chance that doing so will only end up with a ton of biass; and that’s exactly why you have to refrain from listing those people down.
But before you list down any person as a reference in your CV, you’ll need to contact these people first. The reason as to why you would want to do this is because you want to make sure that this person remembers who you are and what you’ve done, still has the same contact numbers, and is okay with being your reference for a job application. This way, they won’t be surprised if someone contacts them and asks about you.
Once you’ve talked with the people that you want to have as your references, you must then write down their complete names as well as their updated contact information into your CV.
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Tips for Making Your CV
Now that you’ve learned about what you should place into your CV, what you should learn about next is how you should go about in improving it to ensure that you’re able to get the job that you’re applying for.
So here are a couple of tips that should be able to help do just that:
Stand Out
One of the best ways to get noticed by a potential employer is if you manage to make yourself stand out from the rest of the other applicants that are trying to take the position that you want. Your CV should demonstrate your unique blend of skills and experience. While it’s important to show that you’re qualified for the job, you want to do more than just that. You need to provide information that will help show that you’re the best person to take up that company’s slot.
One of the best ways to do that is by sharing additional information that can help increase your chances. Share characteristics about yourself. activities that you do in your spare time, and accomplishments that you’ve managed to gain that will you think will help you get the job.
Keep Things Simple
You don’t want to go overboard when deciding what kind of font you’re going to use or the layout for how you want to present your information. Sometimes, it’s best that you stick with the simple way of doing things as employers tend to appreciate that more than those who end up becoming too creative to the point where their CV’s end up looking a jumbled mess.
Which is why if you’re still choosing a format for your CV, go with the one that looks clean, simple, and shows your prospective employer that you’re a professional. Remember that you can go through the many different examples of CV’s online or you can even choose from the ones here that you can use a reference for your own.
Don’t be Generic
There are a lot of people who make the mistake of creating a CV that shows everything that an employer expects should be in there, but nothing more than that. Employers who go through CV’s that all have the same format or have nothing new to share other than how qualified applicants are will make them think that the people who made the documents didn’t take the time and effort to make something that will impress them.
So before you start creating your CV, you’ll need to find out who you should cater it to. Try to learn what is you should in order to make your CV a document that not only presents how qualified you are, but one that shows your employer that you’re the best person for the job and that you’ll do anything to show what you do. Highlight the right aspects that you think will help you get the job and present them in a way that let your employer know that you’re taking the job application seriously.
Update Your CV
You can’t use the exact same CV for every job that you’re applying for. You will need to know what it you should share that will cater to the needs and wants of the company that you’re applying to. And that is the reason as to why you will need to update your CV with every job you plan on applying for. Take note as to what it is that your prospective employers are looking for out of the type of employee that they would like to see when going through an applicant’s CV.
So you will need to carefully think about what you’re going to have to place into the document. Think about work experience that you’ve managed to attain, your skills that you have managed to develop, the achievements that you’ve been able to gain, and your current level of education. Share what you think is relevant to the position that you’re applying for so that your prospective employer will know just how well you’ll fit if you were hired.
Take note that the more relevant things that you manage to share, then the better your chances of gaining employment.
Don’t be Shy When It Comes to Providing Information
This is especially true for when you have to share what you have managed to achieve or skills that you’ve developed from previous jobs that you’ve had. This isn’t the time for you to be embarrassed as you’ll want to share whatever you can that will tell your employer that you’re the best applicant and the best choice. Share everything that you think will help you get the job, just make sure that whatever you do happen to put in your CV actually increases your chances rather than giving your prospective employer the excuse to look for someone else better for the position.
Make Sure Your References Actually Know Who You Are
There are a lot of people who end up just placing down random names and numbers down in their reference section of their CV’s. And that usually ends up with them not getting the job. Now why is that? Simply because these people might not have anything to share that would have been valuable to an employer.
So before you list down anyone as your reference, you have to ensure that they have at least ample knowledge about what you do and what you’re like. So long as there’s that, then you don’t have to worry about so much about them saying something that may just make you lose your chance at getting the job that you’re aiming for.
Use a Template
By following a CV template you are not restricting the way in which you can express yourself, but you will find that your CV becomes easier to read and that it’s able to cover all of the most important aspects of your work history. Although this has already been said numerous times, it cannot be stressed enough that there are many different samples of CV’s that you can find online or right here in this article.
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Proofread and Edit
Once you’re done placing everything that you think that your CV needs, the last thing that you will want to do is make sure is that it contains no grammar or spelling errors. You want to show your prospective employer that you took the time and effort into making a well-polished and professional CV. And that’s exactly why you have to go over its contents so that you can see whatever mistakes that you may have made. Go over it at least twice so that you can spot and fix any errors immediately.
If you would like to learn more about CV’s or anything that can help you with applying for a job, then the easiest thing to do is to go through our site. It has the many different articles you need to help you and all you need to do in order to make effective use of the information they present is to read them thoroughly.