Writing a good CV (Curriculum Vitae) is one of the many things major job seekers find difficult to wrap their heads around. Most of the time, it is one of the easiest things to do but sometimes it is difficult especially if you do not know what to write.
Basically, I see writing Curriculum Vitae as just telling the employer what you have to go through till now and the experiences so far. This allows the employer to access you and know if you are fit for the job.
I have seen several times people trying to put fake information in their Curriculum Vitae to attract the employer. That is what makes the writing of Curriculum Vitae very difficult. If you already know what you are writing, there should be nothing difficult about it.
What Is A CV?
It is a document stating an individual’s life journey, especially focusing on experiences, education, skills, and achievements. This document is usually requested by employers to determine if the job seeker has what it takes to do the job.
How To Write A Good CV
If you want to write your CV there are many things you must consider. There are also several things you must add.
The first thing to do before writing your CV is to know the kind of job you are applying for. This is what will allow you to determine whether your experiences will be needed.
This will also allow you to know which kind of questions you are likely to answer during your interview and prepare.
How I Prepare My Curriculum Vitae
First of all, I prepare a New CV for every job interview. The reason why I do that is that I believe the first impression counts. The employer might not have time to read my whole Curriculum Vitae but the first few pages should be enough.
I prefer to summarize the whole thing about my skills, education, and experiences on the first page. This means as soon as the employer takes the document, they can tell who I am without reading it entirely. I also make sure that the first summary focuses on my skills that will help my employer.
From that first page, the rest is where I write into detail my full life history. I go systematically as I have outlined below.
- Summary Of CV
I summarize everything focusing on the skills and experiences my employer might have the most interest in.
- Contact Information
I write every contact information I would like people to reach out to me through including street addresses.
- Educational Background
I get as truthful as possible when I realized I can read until I stopped writing exams. I make sure I state the dates that I went to school and the dates I completed. I put in the name of the schools or institutions.
I also indicate the location and address of each of the institutions. I add short courses I took both online and offline. I indicate how long the courses lasted as well.
- Certificates
I list the certificates I have and the institutions that awarded them. I indicate their serial numbers or any unique Identifier I can find on them.
I list all the certificates I acquired online as well.
- Skills
I list every skill I have acquired indicating how I acquired them. I also make sure my skills are not exaggerated as I have seen most people do.
- Working Experiences
Adding your working experience to the document interests the employer more especially if you are applying for the same role.
State the companies and the role you played. Do not forget to add the dates and indicate why you quit.
- Achievements Or Milestones
I talk about the milestones I hit and all the achievements including awards and celebrations. It could be anything you have achieved out of your hard labor. I do not add properties I made.
- Ambition
This is key but does not let your ambition be what you will do for the company. I always put things I would like to do for myself apart from working for a company. Eg; businesses, education, career flow, etc
This becomes the last thing on my document
Bad CV Writing Practices
Lying
You have to be truthful no matter what. That is what makes you very confident when answering questions about your Curriculum Vitae.
Most people are tempted to exaggerate or sometimes put experiences they never had just to attract the employer. It is a very bad practice.
- Add Company Addresses Instead Of Referees
For all you know, that supervisor has quit or forgotten about you quit the job. Adding numbers, the person could forget ever meeting you. If there is some confirmation, the employer can check from the company’s archives instead of asking a human being who could forget easily.
There are over 100 Free CV templates you can choose from. I have added free templates and real life examples which will help you write a good CV. Fill this form and I will send it to your inbox.
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Summary
It is not easy to write a CV. It is always something you write and build upon it as you grow. So when you write your first one, always keep a copy to edit later.
Make sure you do not confuse Resume with Curriculum Vitae. They are almost the same but definitely two different things.
You can check How To Write A Good Resume That Stands Out here.
If you have any comments or suggestions, leave a comment below.