The Perfect CV

First interaction between a job applicant and the potential employer is your CV.

A short CV is typically the first information that a potential employer receives from a job-seeker, and CVs are typically used to screen applicants, often followed by an interview. CVs may also be requested for applicants to post secondary programs, scholarships, grants, and bursaries. In the 2010s it became popular for applicants to provide an electronic version of their CV to employers by email, through an employment website, or published on a job-oriented social-networking service such as LinkedIn.

Below I will share with you few guidelines and suggestions about how to write THE PERFECT CV

What is a CV?

A “CV”, short for Curriculum Vitae (latin translation - “course of life”), is a document summarizing your education, work experience, skills, achievements, and other qualifications. 

In the US, Canada, and Australia, a CV is used to apply for academic positions. For job position you must use the term “resume” (career summary)

In Europe—a CV is used to apply for academic and work position.

A CV is not a Cover Letter. A curriculum vitae contains your work history, education, and skills, while a cover letter explains the recruiter in detail why you’re the best match for the job. 

How to write a CV?

We will explain you how to write a Cv to impress your potential employer

1. Choose the right Format (template)

Recruiters spend only 6-7 seconds scanning each CV. So, the very first impression is key. If you submit a neat, properly organized document, you’ll convince the recruiters to spend more time on your CV.

Start with creating a CV outline divided into the following sections:

• CV Header with Contact Information

• Personal Profile: CV Objective or CV Summary

• Work Experience

• Education

• Skills

• Additional Sections

Tip: If you’re fresh out of uni and need to write a CV with no experience or graduated from a prestigious institution within the last 5 years, put your education section above your work experience.

When filling in the sections, always keep in mind the gold CV formatting rules:

Go for one of the standard CV typefaces: Arial, Tahoma, or Helvetica if you prefer sans-serif fonts, and Times New Roman or Bookman Old Style if serif fonts are your usual pick. 

Use 11 to 12 pt font size and single spacing. For your name and section titles, pick a 14 to 16-pt font size.

2. Be consistent with your CV layout.

Set one-inch margins for all four sides. Make sure your CV headings are uniform—make them larger and bold, but go easy on italics and underlining. Stick to a single date format on your CV: 11-2017 or November 2017.

3. Don’t cram your CV with gimmicky graphics.

Less is more. White space is your friend—recruiters need some breathing room! Plus, most of the time, after you send out your CV, it will be printed in black ink on white paper. Too many graphics might make it illegible.

4. Get photos off of your CV.

Unless you’re explicitly asked to include your photograph in the job ad, use a professional-looking picture, but not as official as an ID photo.

5. Make your CV brief and relevant.

Don’t include every single detail of your work experience and education. Stick only to the facts that are relevant to potential employers.

Tip: After writing, save your CV in PDF to ensure the layout stays intact. But pay close attention to the job description. Some employers won’t accept a PDF CV. If such is the case, send your CV in Word.

2. Add Your Contact Information the Right Way

Build a CV header that includes the essential contact details. In the contact information section, enter your:

• Full name

• Professional title, if any

• Email address

• Telephone number

• Social /professional networks account

• Home address

• Place of living

The contact information section seems pretty straightforward, but here’s one reason it might be tricky:

Recruiters will use it to research you online. If your social media profiles are unprofessional or your LinkedIn profile information doesn’t match your CV, you’re immediately out of the race.

3. List Your Relevant Work Experience & Key Achievements

More often than not, your work experience section is the most essential part of your CV—the one that gets the most eye time.

Share with the recruiter the positions occupied and description or your job

Add a “key achievement” subsection for an impressive CV. Then, include numbers.

To ensure your key achievements shine, follow the PAR (Problem Action Result) formula to describe them. Problem you find in your company’s activity. Action you took. Results you obtained 

4. Build Your CV Education Section Correctly

If you’ve got any post-secondary education, include only that on your CV. Don’t mention your high school unless it’s your highest education degree. 

List:

• Graduation year (if you’re still studying, enter your expected graduation date)

• Your degree

• Institution name

• Honors (if applicable)

Including your honors is optional. If you don’t want them to do you more harm than good, add them only if they’re 2:1 or higher for the undergrad degrees and “merit” or “distinction” for postgrads.

5. Highlight Your Relevant Soft and Hard Skills

The Employer are really interested in your skill. More than you learned in schools, he is interest in what do you know to do.  So he needs to know your skills. Regarding skills for a CV, focus on their relevance instead of trying to include as many as possible.

Skills for CV:

• Communication skills

• People skills

• Active listening skills

• Leadership skills

• Management skills

• Critical thinking skills

• Analytical skills

• Decision-making skills

• Problem-solving skills

• Organizational skills

• Computer skills

6. Include Additional CV Sections to Impress the Recruiter

Include an additional section where you show off your unquestionable triumphs: things that prove your value as a candidate. Such as the following: Professional certifications, Relevant publications, Professional Affiliations, Conferences attended, Additional training

7. Organize Everything on a Professional CV Template

No one likes to mess around with formatting a CV in MS Word.

Luckily, there are hundreds of ready, fill-in-the-blanks CV templates available online. And we offer some genuinely cracking ones.  For Europe and Romania Europass Template is highly recommendable EUROPASS 

Conclusion:

Here's how to make a CV:

1. Start with a personal profile—a CV summary or objective.

2. Follow with your work experience—focus on achievements instead of duties.

3. Present your relevant skills.

4. Add a section with your top wins: certifications, awards, publications, etc.