CV WRITING

The Student Guide…

S.L.O 6.1.5

write resume and covering letter

(in response to a job
advertisement)
What is a CV?

Curriculum Vitae
Or
Résumé
What is a CV?

Curriculum Vitae
Or
Résumé
Curriculum Vitae


A CV is a written description of your

 Educational background
 Work experience

 Skills

 Personality

 Curriculum Vitae (CV) means "course of life" in Latin

Task 1: what do you know about a CV?

 Are these sentences true or false?


1. A CV is a document with information about you.
2. You use a CV to get a job.
3. You should put your photo on your CV.
4. Your CV should be 3 or 4 pages long.
5. It’s OK to have mistakes (spelling, grammar…) on
your CV.
6. All information on your CV must be in full sentences.
7. Employers usually look at a CV for about 2 minutes
When to use a CV…
Two main reasons for using a CV
 Applying for advertised job vacancies, where the

advert specifies "Send a CV..."

 Applying ‘speculatively’ to potential employers i.e.

when no vacancy has been advertised.

 Purposes of a CV
 Marketing tool: First impression is the one which
lasts
 Request for an interview: We are always looking
for jobs
 Your “big picture”: A detailed snapshot of your
professional and academic life
 CV Formats
 CV Formats
 Chronological
 Functional

 Chrono-functional
/Combinational/Combined
Chronological

Reverse
chronological order
Widely used for
corporate sector
Mainly used by
individuals with Solid
work history
Few or no gaps
between jobs
Functional CV

Focuses on the skill set

of an individual
Mainly used by
individuals
with significant gaps in
employment
a mixed employment
background
very short work history
Chrono-Functional CV

Specific work
experience
Specific skills and
talents
Freshly
graduated from
school
With
uninterrupted
work history
Applying for
specific jobs
 Functional

Academic
Used for academic applications (graduate
student
applications, scholarship applications)
Usually more detailed
Focuses mainly on academic achievements,
Relevant projects and courses mentioned
 CV Format
 Header
 Objective
 Education/ Academic Profile.
 Honors/Activities
 Work Experience
 Research Experience/Projects
 References
 Enclosure
 Interests and leisure activities
 Examination Prompt 2015
 A leading hospital in your area needs assistance of interns to evaluate its quality
assurance and customer service procedures. Candidates having an intermediate
degree can apply to work with the hospital’s Quality Assurance team to conduct
surveys and evaluate their results in order to determine what should be done to
improve customer care services
 JOB RESPONSIBILTIES: The interns would be required to
 provide assistance in documentation and implementation of various assignments related to
quality assurance and customer service procedures in different departments of the hospital
 SKILLS NEEDED:
 Skill set needed is documentation, conducting surveys and volunteering for different
operation-based activities.
 Interested candidates should be energetic, confident and proficient in English, Urdu
and one regional language at least.
Header Section

Name
Must be the first line of resume
Bold
Larger than the largest font used in body
Address
Current address preferable
Email Address
Use professional email addresses preferably with name
Phone number
Preferably use both home and cell phone numbers
E.g.
Name: Aslam Ahmad
Father’s Name: Ahmad Azeem
Date of birth: 15th August 1990
Marital Status: Single
Contact no: 03331234567
Email Address: a2z@ymail.com
Objective Section

Optional but highly recommended

Statement must be clear, concise and to the point
Bad: “I want to get a job”
Weak: “To attain an internship in livestock industry.”
Good: “To attain an internship in the livestock industry
with detailed insight into genomics and bioinformatics.”
Avoid being over specific
Target the company’s perspective
E.g. Objective:
A confident, enthusiastic, and energetic fresh
intermediate with experience in volunteer work,
surveying and documentation looking to employ my
strong communication skills to Fazl e Omar Hospital to
help with various tasks to be done by the Quality
Assurance department.
Academic profile
Educational qualifications from highest to lowest
Do not use high school details once you have
graduated
Must include years in school
Academic profile:
Year Degree + Subject University/Board Grade
2012-2014 FSc Pre Medical Aga Khan Examination Board A+
2010-2012 Matriculation with Biology Aga Khan Examination Board A+

Diplomas
Year Name of Diploma University/Institute
2013 Communication and Behavior Skills NUML Islamabad
2012 First Aid Training Nursing staff at NMO
College
 Work Experience Section
Experience should be listed in reverse chronological
order
POSITION TITLE, ORGANIZATION NAME, CITY,
STATE/PROVINCE, DATES EMPLOYED (Include
months unless this shows big gaps of unemployment )
Describes specific roles in bullets
E.g.
 2012-2014: Member of NMO College First Aid Society
 2012-2014: Volunteer work with Middle School Science
Exhibition
Honors/Activities Section
This section should scream “I am a leader”
Must contain all academic and professional
awards
May include extra-curricular awards
Include a brief description if not self-evident
from, title etc
Don’t include hobbies or activities not related to
the job or your story
Good to include leadership positions
 Honors/Activities Section E.g.
 Skills:  Interests:
 Energetic
 Marine Biology
 Confident
 Strong Interpersonal skills  Researching about new
 Apt in documentation medical techniques
 Surveying capabilities  Helping underprivileged
 Organizational and children with their studies
planning skills
 Can collect, analyze and  Book discussions ( medical
manage data and fictional)
 Team worker
 Reliable and dependable
 References

One of the most crucial things

Follow the requirement
If not mentioned, then “On Request/demand”
Ask referees beforehand
Use the best ones

 Reference: E.g.
Mr. Raheem Yaar Khan
Biology professor at NMO College Rabwah
Contact: 032144556677
Mrs. Amatul Naseer
Head of First Aid staff at NMO College Rabwah
Contact: 0476212234
What skills are in demand?
 Communication  Commercial Awareness
 I.T. Awareness  Financial Awareness

 Time & Personal  Organising/

Management Co-ordinating
 Team Work  Initiative
 Supervising  Problem Solving
 Flexibility  Promoting /
Influencing
Important things to think about…

Yourself
 Skills
 Knowledge
 Experience
 Attributes

The Job
 Requirements
 Position
 Company
So what information goes on a CV?

1. Personal Details
2. Career Aims or personal profile
3. Educations and qualifications
4. Employment/work experience
5. Achievements
6. Interests and leisure activities
7. Referees
Now it is your go…
 In small groups create a CV for your case study.
 After 20 minutes we will have a look at each case
study.
Your CV…
 What skills do YOU have?
 Write down as many skills as you can and how/why
you gained them.
 Feel free to chat with your friends about what you
came up with…..they may recognise that they have
those skills too!!!
Hints and Tips…
1. Check your email address –
ilovemcflysomuchiwanttomarrythem@hotmail.com
2. Check spelling and grammar! – 70% of CV’s are
rejected due to spelling mistakes!
3. Make sure you have the correct telephone number!
4. Don’t lie.
5. Tailor your CV to suit the job you are applying for.
Further Help and Advice…