Write a Killer CV

Most of us would either be working or studying. We might be looking for work or admission in a college for further studies.

Your CV creates your First Impression (In many cases, the only impression) at either of the places. We need to make sure, that our CV creates a good first impression about us.

So what does it take to write a good CV. Based on the feedback of various organisations and Career Counselors, I have written down the following few points.

Please feel free to add a few other points or post your questions related to making a good CV.

So, here are a few points:

General Characterstics:

* A CV is never static i.e. you should adapt your CV to suit the person who is most likely to read it. e.g. If the organisation values passion for work, it should be mentioned on your CV etc.
* A CV is at the max. 2 page long. Sometimes employers/colleges/universities demand a 1 page CV. But should never be beyond 2 pages unless you are Bill Gates or Dr. Manmohan Singh (Present Prime Minister of India, 12 October 2007).
* Never write stories in your CV. Be Concise and Precise.
* Never lie on your CV. Be sure that every word you write in your CV is true and can be proved. At times, you might be required to do so.

Presentation:

* Neatly typed and clearly laid out.
* Write in Good, clear English and don’t forget to check your grammar and spelling.
* Include your Name and Contact Details (with phone number and email address)at the top.
* Lay out your prior Educational Qualification and/or work experience in reverse Chronological Order.
* Dates are best tabulated on the left hand side. Please explain any gaps in education or career history.
* The person reading the CV might not know the jargons you use. So avoid any such Jargons.

Educational Qualification:

* Enlist the educational qualification in reverse chronological order.
* Please mention about the subject of study along with the grades and dates.
* Please mention about the grades at every major milestone.
* Specify key dates.
* Don’t forget to specify academic awards/achievements, if any.

Work Experience:

* Enlist the work experience in reverse chronological order with dates.
* Specify key dates of milestones.
* Put stress on what you learnt rather than what your responsibilities were. Chances are, you might not be offered teh same responsibilities but you will, for sure, use your knowledge from past experience.
* Don’t forget to specify about awards/achievements, if any.

Team Work and Leadership Roles:

* This is a place for you to prove your candidature. Exploit this area to your best. May it be Social Work or Leading your sports team, it comes here.
* This is the single most important area, unless you are applying for a post of Rocket Scientist or Heart Surgeon.

Other Activities:

* Your Hobbies, other Interests find mention in this section.
* If you do not have a hobby, develop one. You hobby will tell a lot about you. e.g. watching movies with friends is a hobby that tells that you are fun loving and outgoing. If nothing else it tells that you are passionate about something that you like.

Skills:

* Language Skills: If you know more than your native language, it adds value to your resume. For e.g. In China, Good (Written and Spoken) English in your language skills might make you the most wanted employee.
* Computing Skills: If you know about this blog, can read it and comprehend it you have good computing & english skills. But you need to mention it on your CV.

References: (Optional)

* Some organisations may request you for references while others might not. Your CV should be tailored according to varying needs of the organisation.