Your CV is the Recruiter’s chance to see you, Make It Counts
Imagine you’re looking for a job, surfing the internet, and asking your network about any suitable opportunities you can apply to. You now have multiple opportunities and must allow the employer to recognize you. What could be a pass card for completing the process or disregarding it? Definitely, it’s your good CV!
Why Do You Need a Good CV?
Haven’t you asked before, “What does CV mean in texting?” A Curriculum Vitae or as we use its abbreviation CV, is a Latin expression referring to your “Course of Life
A good CV is like a brief of all your achievements, accomplishments, works, learning, and educational experiences you had. Based on the data in this document, you see yourself qualified enough for the job you’re applying for.
A good CV doesn’t represent you as a machine that only does tasks at high quality, it illustrates how you’re passionate about every task you’re assigned, whether you’re task-oriented or objective-oriented, you’re a value-oriented person by the end, which characterizes you as a human being.
What are the Types of CVs?
There are different types of CVs, each serving a different purpose. However, they display the same employee’s life course from different perspectives.
Chronological CV
The most popular type of CV is the chronological CV. It’s suitable for employees who have worked consistently with no gaps in their careers and without a shift in their path. This kind of CV helps the employer to have an overview of the applicant’s career as if it were a staircase ascending from one position to another and having bigger responsibilities over time.
So, the chronological CV form will be perfect for writing a good CV if you have:
- No gaps during the transfer from one job to another.
- Acquired years of experience in a certain job.
- Stayed working in the same business for many years.
Functional or Skills-Based CV
The functional or skills-based CV is considered the opposite type of the Chronological CV. It focuses on skills and functions you’ve performed rather than the industry. This CV turns the skills into the applicant’s main base; throughout the document, you explain how you acquired this skill, in what situations you’ve practised it, and the results of this practising.
Therefore, you should put a good CV using the functional form, if:
- You are a fresh graduate who hasn’t worked or been assigned any job.
- You have shifted your career, and you’re just starting that path with no experience.
Combined CV
According to its name, A combined CV is a combination of the two previous forms; chronological and functional. It focuses on the skills associated with the accomplishments of recent time jobs.
As a result, you can construct a good CV using the combined form, if:
- You’ve gained 1-3 years of experience in a certain field, being a junior.
- You’ve occupied the same job with different firms.
Academic CV
It’s a CV that is more related to a certain profession, like professors, assistant professors, associate professors, and lecturers. So, an academic CV concentrates more on the academic line showing the applicant’s publications, certificates, licenses, and research papers. The applicant uses this form to enrol in his master’s degree, Ph.D., or even apply for a job in a certain university.
Creative CV
A creative CV presents visual elements as the major content; whether they’re graphs, charts, graphic designs, or others. Like the academic CV, it suits certain professions whose employees should showcase their creative skills like marketing, content creation, UX/UI, and …etc.
What Information to Include in a CV?
A CV should include all the sections and information that make you a highly qualified candidate and help you introduce yourself properly to your employer, like:
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Name and Contact Details |
The Name and Contact details section is where you mention your name, address (If the job is on-site), mobile phone number, email address, and FAX if it’s available. |
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Your Qualifications and Education Degrees |
It’s the section where you present the school you graduated from, if it’s popular, and the university as well, indicating the degree you carry, whether it’s a bachelor’s, licentiate, PhD, …etc.) |
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Your Previous Work Experience |
In this section, you discuss the jobs and positions you’ve occupied, mentioning periods of employment, major tasks performed, and how they added value to the business. |
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Your Powerful Skills |
Here, you discuss the major skills that you’ve acquired from all previous jobs and education as well. You should focus on the skills that serve the industry and the job you’re applying for. E.g., If you’re applying for a customer service vacancy, focus on your problem-solving and communication skills. |
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Extracurricular activities |
Mention sports you’re good at if you’ve gained medals in certain sports, and if you have hobbies like chess, spoken word poetry, … etc, and you’ve won championships and competitions at them. |
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Social media accounts and portfolio platforms |
Tag your professional social media accounts like LinkedIn, and also mention your portfolio accounts like Behance, if you’re a graphic designer, Contently, if you’re a Content Creator, …etc. |
| A CV summary with a personal statement if found | It’s a brief about the skills you’ve acquired and tasks you’ve been assigned that shows a good overview of your background and accomplishments, if you have a certain achievement, you should mention it here as a personal statement, like “During my management to the sales department, sales increased X% compared to the previous year.” |
The information should be included in the CV
How to Write a Good CV
We deliver you 11 tips that will guide you on how to write a good CV, whatever your profession or experience is.
1- Use Your Space Wisely
If you’ve been a while in your industry, it’ll be a good idea to organise your good CV in a way that avoids the appearance of too much text density. Here you can use:
- Section headings: Dividing the CV into sections helps the recruiter to find what he’s looking for easily. Here, you should name every section (e.g., Experience, Education, Skills, …, etc.) Each section heading should be underlined, bolded, or italicized to attract attention within a part of the second. Note that: Your name must also be in Bold.
- Numbered lists and Bullets: It’s a fine way to arrange the major tasks you’ve done in previous experiences. This makes it easier for the recruiter to get focused on what you’re used to.
2- Care About Font and Size in Your Good CV
A good CV contains fonts that are appropriate for professional applications. It should be in a size that makes the human eye comfortable. You can use this list of fonts:
- Arial
- Times New Roman
- Cambria
- Calibri
- Garamond
- Georgia
- Helvetica
- Veranda
And considering the used size, it differs from one section to another, and from one font to another as well. In this list, we mention the range of font sizes:
- Your Name: Undoubtedly, your name should be the clearest sentence in your CV; therefore, it takes 20-24 pt.
- Headings and Subheadings: Use 11-14 pt with your job titles, companies you worked at, dates, and locations.
- Body Text + Contact info: Mentioning your tasks, skills, and any other text comes after a heading/subheading, they all take 10-12 pt.
3- Set up a Good Margin
Try to form a wise space for margins, avoiding either too much space or too narrow, where the first sends emptiness to the receiver, and the latter makes the recruiter feel uncomfortable with too much stuffed and crowded text. A good margin ranges between 0.5 inch and 1 inch, nearly a thumb width.
By following these instructions, you’ll have the best layout for your CV that impresses the hiring manager.
4- Construct an ATS-Friendly Good CV
An Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is a crucial software that HR specialists use to easily identify the candidates’ input. You can take into account this tool in building your good CV, as it could help you to rank and beat other candidates.
- Use ATS Keywords: They’re keywords the recruiters use to find a suitable candidate. Help them find you by using the keywords that represent your skills, knowledge, and experience that are concise with the vacancy and industry you’re applying for.
- Don’t Over Format: Using tables, headers, and footers could be a good idea for formatting your good CV. However, ATS can view them as a complex format. Therefore; keep it simple as much as possible.
- Use the right file extension: To make sure that all your data and format you’ve input into the CV is scannable by the ATS, save your CV Document in a docx. extension.
5- Be Direct and Concise
The employer will look for certain keywords to decide if you’re worthy of an interview or not. You should present these keywords in a way that makes them easy to notice during the 5-10 seconds of his scanning. You should avoid repetition as it uselessly consumes the employer’s time. You should be clear about every task you’ve been assigned, its responsibilities, and results.
6- Double Check Before Submitting
A good CV can’t include any contradiction, it can’t lead to misunderstanding. It should be well punctuated, well-toned, with no grammatical mistakes or typos. It’s a must to proofread your CV.
7- Use Numbers in the CV
Quantify your achievements related to every position you’ve held. If you’re a salesman, you could state the average number of cold calls you’ve made daily with a percentage of the conversion that happened.
8- Include References if It’s Possible
Mentioning managers and coordinators you’ve dealt with would be a big plus. It adds more confidence to the info you’re delivering. Add a couple of emails for individuals who have been your direct bosses.
9- Don’t Use Skill Graphs
Showing that you’re 4 out of 5 at Adobe Photoshop doesn’t say much about the level of your skill. Illustrate the toughest projects you’ve worked on and problems you faced and succeeded in passing through using your skill.
10- Activate Your Good CV
Using active words, like earned, achieved, gained, accomplished …etc always makes a good CV. It gives some spirit to the document, breathing into it the needed power and energy to show how dynamic your career was.
11- Don’t Forget to Keep Your Good CV Updated
A good CV is an updated one. Delivering a CV with missing info could lower your chances. Mention every achievement you had, every experience that moulded a skill and every lesson you’ve learned related to your career and the job you’re applying for.
Frequently Asked Questions About CV
This is a group of the most frequently asked questions about CVs. It will provide you with a quick overview of questions that confuse the candidates.
Do I Need References on a CV?
Including references in a CV is not a fixed characteristic. You can add references for managers and bosses if you are sure of their feedback about your work. If you had a bad employment experience under a certain boss, don’t mention their contact info.
Some job applications make adding references an obligatory action to allow employers to check previous experiences and impressions. One last tip: Try to leave a distinctive impression at every workplace and end every contract on good terms.
Can I Pay Someone to Write My CV?
Sure, it’s a perfect opportunity to express your qualifications, experiences, skills, and competencies through the vision of a professional HR. Professional HR has to be part of the industry you’re applying for. He knows what the recruiters look for, using the right keywords that represent you.
Through multiple sessions or interviews, you will be able to represent yourself. Get ready to invest your time. Whitecollars deliver this service at the quality and time that make your career shine.
How Do I Write a Good Personal Statement for My CV?
Mention the values you deliver to the new employer, determine how your profession represents you and what message you can achieve through, and find a compelling way to express your career objectives and how applying to this job will help you to achieve them.
If you need any help with your career, choose the best package we’re offering through the career counselling service. Whitecollars is always ready to help.
