Write a Good CV

A CV is a sketch of one’s professional and educational history. Because recruiters go through umpteen CVs on a daily basis, it is important to organize and present your details properly. Most CVs are reviewed in 10-30 seconds, so your CV needs to rapidly market your skills to the employer. It’s the quality not the quantity that matters. In addition, while you are selling only one product - yourself - you still need to alter your CV based on the job/organisation you are applying to. One size fits all is a common misconception: be sure to tailor your CV to the application for maximum results.


Different Types of CV
Chronological CV – outlines the entire employment history of the applicant, by mixing in educational and skill based facts.
Skills Based CV- focuses on one’s skills and abilities in a specific career. This is the most important part of the CV, while educational and employment history is secondary. This type of CV works best for experienced candidates. It helps to gloss over unexplained gaps in employment history, or if one is looking to change careers. Try not to leave any gaps in your employment record however.
A fresh graduate will need to focus attention on a chronological CV while an experienced candidate will prefer a skill-based CV. A student’s CV might have not have a lot of employment experience, so in this case, the course work listed must be relevant to the job being applied for. In addition, projects, dissertation work and internships can also be highlighted.


Writing a CV
A CV is usually divided into three sections: Personal Information, Education and Qualifications and Employment Experience. The order and emphasis of the three may change depending upon the job being applied for as well as the candidate’s experience.


Personal Information does not refer to a full-fledged biography, rather it includes identification details like name, address, date of birth and contact details. The applicant’s name must be presented in a larger font than the rest of the text. A sub-section on Interests and Achievements is often popular with applicants, who use this to try and impress prospective employees. Unless this section is related to the job in question, it should be kept short and to the point. When writing about interests, take care to avoid sounding introverted as this may project the image of a candidate who makes a difficult co-worker. Any leadership, organizing, negotiating, planning or teamwork related accomplishments should be mentioned as these add weight to an application.


Education and qualifications include the name of one’s educational institution, year of completion, and grades (unless embarrassingly low).
Skills include languages known, Computing Skills, and Additional Qualifications/Skills that have been acquired while on the job.
Employment experience should include the name of the organisation, duration of work, and a description of tasks undertaken. The preferred order is a reverse chronology, starting with the most recent job.
It is the general practise to include two references - one academic, and another from a previous employer. However, the initial stage of an application does not require references. Employers will ask for references if and when they need them.


There is no “accurate” way to write a CV; however, it is important to follow a few basic principles to ensure that information is presented in a clear, concise and effective manner.
Some Simple Tips – Increase your chance of being noticed

•  All CVs need to have a cover letter. Cover letters are to be tailored according to the company and position being applied to. Present your personal information in an orderly format as your objective is to convince the agency that your skills could prove useful to their organisation. Avoid letters longer than 1 page.
• Do not use clichéd expressions when describing yourself. Don’t try too hard to stand out from the crowd. Unless it comes naturally to you, keep it simple and brief.
• The CV should be carefully and clearly laid out: logically ordered, easy to read and organized.
• Employers do not want to know about your unicycle riding skills. Keep the CV brief and to the point. For a fresh graduate, the CV must not exceed more than 2 pages.
• Check and re-check the spelling and grammar in the CV to ensure accuracy.
• Most CVs are now read on screen rather than on paper, so choose san-serif fonts. The font size is a standard 12, as this is considered to be universally readable.
• Use quantifiable facts whenever possible. This adds credibility to your claims.
• The statement should not be vague or generic.
• Do not copy standard CV samples! Your CV should be your own and reflect your talents and personality.
• The word ‘I’ is best left out as much as possible.
• Appear positive in your CV: use action words like prepared, managed, developed
• Get an outside opinion on your CV before sending it off.
• Choose a sensible email address.
• Formatting plays a key role, focus on elements such as font, size, alignment, spacing and page numbering as these speak of one’s organizing skills.

There is a proven direct relationship between the number of CVs sent out and the number of interviews gained: the more CVs you send out the more interviews you will get.


In case of an emailed CV, an important tip is to type in the address bar at the very end. This gives one enough time to ensure that the document has attached properly and that the cover letter is mistake free. This also reduces chances of sending the email to the wrong person as is often the case.


Emailed CVs and Web CVs
If the CV is being emailed, the subject line should state accurately the objective of the application. The body of the email will contain the cover letter.
While attaching the CV, it is advisable to use a compatible MsWord format, although the pdf format is becoming widely popular. Web CVs use graphics, colour, hyperlinks, animation and video, which are effective for a multimedia posting as it acts as your portfolio, while getting your details across.
Candidates should try to ensure their CV stands out from the rest of the pile. However, while doing so they may mislead the employers by downplaying their shortcomings; to avoid this, many job sites today have a fixed application form for all applicants.
An increasing number of job seekers are uploading their CVs onto the internet to find jobs. By uploading your CV to job sites, you make it available to recruiters conducting online searches. Most job sites have a fixed application form for all applicants in a bid to ease the sorting and organizing of job seeker information
Keep in mind that there is no single formula for writing a good CV. One needs to determine the CV that works best for them. The above simple tips can come handy in creating a good CV.

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