This is a guide for people who have a hard time understanding how to write a CV.
For decades, the CV was the main tool for job seekers to show their skills and credentials in order to find work. But things are changing fast. With the advent of new technologies that enable better and more personalized connections among employers, employees and potential employees (e.g., LinkedIn), CVs are being replaced with one-page profiles called “resumes” or “LinkedIn profiles” that can contain most of the same information as CVs but in an engaging, easily readable format on smartphones or laptops. If you use the username “name” (which is always an email) and capitalize the name portion of your profile, employers can easily find you on LinkedIn.
Before you start we recommend you to check out thegood CV example to start writing you cv.
Nevertheless, some people still like to send CVs to potential employers. This article will show you how to format your CV as a resume and use it effectively when applying for jobs.
Downloadable template: Click here to get a free downloadable template for your CV in Microsoft Word (.docx) format. It is already formatted correctly with margins and line breaks, so all you need to do is pop in your information, print it out on high quality paper and attach it to an email.
1. What’s in a CV?
The first step in writing a CV is to find examples of other good CVs and learn by studying them. If you do not know where to start, consider using one of the following downloadable templates for Microsoft Word found on the main website of this blog. Be sure to format your CV with the margins and line spacing that I have used in this template (and the other two that are available):
2. How to format a CV
To be able to write a resume, you have to be familiar with at least two document types: resumes and CVs (although in practice most employers prefer CVs over resumes). The differences between these two documents are as follows:
CVs are usually written as single pages, whereas resumes can be multi-page documents. While most people use the single-page format, a few people prefer the multiple-page resume format because they intend to include different versions of their CV at different times, for example, an academic version, an executive version and a summary version. In this article, we’ll focus on resumes only. Some companies require letterhead cover letters and some do not. Most employers prefer not to receive any attachments, so the resume should be a print-out of your computer screen (not too big) and no more than four pages.
To format a resume, follow these steps:
A correctly formatted CV should have two main sections: “Education” and “Work Experience”. You can have several optional sections (e.g., career goals, skills, etc.). If you don’t apply for a job or positions that are not related to your desired career path in education or in work experience, feel free to remove sections from your resume to make it shorter without affecting its readability.
The Work Experience section lists your jobs, starting with the most recent and working backward until you eventually reach your school years.
The Education section lists your schools, starting with the most recent and going back until you reach your childhood. The list of secondary and primary schools (if any) should come first, followed by a list of all university degrees. If you don’t have a degree from a university or if you have other qualifications like computer certifications or professional certificates from associations, you can list them at the end of your resume (under a “Professional Development” heading). Keep in mind that they are not as important as degrees.
