CVs are divided into two categories.
A CV can be classified into two types.
1. For career changes, school dropouts, or individuals with gaps in their employment history, a skills-focused CV is perfect.
2. Job-specific CV — useful for displaying work experience and for people who are looking to advance in their careers.
Make your CV as easy to read as possible.
It takes roughly 15-20 seconds for a recruiter to scan your CV for the first time. If you make a good initial impression, they’ll examine your CV more carefully.
To make your CV look good:
- Use a black, easy-to-read font in one size,
- brief sentences to break up blocks of text,
- and bullet points to list information to make your CV look amazing.
- Maintain a serious tone,
- avoid acronyms, slang, or jargon,
- and avoid using photographs or graphics.
Make a Word and PDF document out of your CV.
Save your CV as both a Word and a PDF document. An employer may demand one or both of these file types.
On your CV files, your name, the application date, and the position you’re seeking for should all be written.
If you make changes to your Word document, remember to create a new PDF.
What should you include in your curriculum vitae (CV)?
The following information must be included in a CV:
- technical and personal abilities
- work, community,
- and volunteer experience
- qualifications and education (you can include referees or note that referees are available on request).
A CV could also include:
- a personal statement and an objective
- accomplishments
- interests
- job-specific information
- A CV could also include the following information: (for example, a teacher would put their teaching philosophy in their CV).
In your curriculum vitae, don’t include the following items.
Exclude the following:
- a photograph or photographs
- ornate or colorful typefaces or designs
- too much text and poor writing
- a funny or unpleasant email address
- unrelated work experience or interests
- lies about your experience and talents
Name and contact details
Include your:
- first and surname names,
- as well as your postal address (with area code),
- phone number,
- and email address (all in large, bold text).
It’s optional to include:
- a link to a job-searching profile, such as LinkedIn or Behance.
- a hyperlink to your company’s website or YouTube channel
Make sure that:
- Check that your email address is suitable for work, such as jameswork@email.com.
- Your voicemail message consists of little more than your name and a request that you leave a message.
Objective and personal statement
The type of work you want to do, the role you want to play, and the industry you want to work in are all described in an aim.
A personal statement tells the firm who you are in three or four sentences.
- what you’re doing currently for work or school
- what led you to the position you’re applying for
- why you’re applying for this job
- your career objectives
Both a personal statement and an objective are optional and display below your contact information.
Skills
The skills provided in the job advertisement should match those listed in your CV.
Technical abilities
In the technical skills section of your CV, include talents like:
- driver’s licenses,
- languages,
- and computer applications.
Here are some examples of how to write about personal skills in your CV.
In a skills-focused CV, provide the skills listed in the job posting, along with instances of how you’ve applied them. The first item on your CV should be this.
Strong communication skills
- As a member of the Southwest High School debating team,
- I chaired the Mount Gibson Neighbourhood Support Committee for two years.
In a work-focused CV, describe your skills in your work history.
2015-2017 Customer Service Representative at Beluga Rental Cars
- He displayed outstanding communication skills when counseling customers on vehicle insurance.
Work history and job experience (paid or unpaid)
The most recent jobs, volunteer activity, and internships should be listed first. Your job history should include the following information:
- the employer’s name;
- the work title/role;
- the job’s location; and
- the job’s start and end dates.
Below here, make a list of the jobs you completed. Make a list of any achievements you’ve made.
If you change jobs within the same firm, include both titles and roles.
Don’t put all of your past positions on your CV to keep it short.
Examples of previous work experience
If you choose a skills-based CV, include the following information:
Counter assistant Sione’s Bakery, Auckland, July 2017-August 2018
- great customer service
- A 10% increase in the sale of large coffees.
If you prefer a CV that focuses on your work, be more explicit about your abilities:
I worked as a counter assistant at Sione’s Bakery in Auckland from July 2017 to August 2018.
I’m in charge of food and beverage as well as customer service at the bakery.
- By exhibiting great customer service abilities when accepting customer orders,
- they improved sales of large coffees by 10%.
Use action verbs to describe your work history.
Use action verbs to explain your work history and skills. Demonstrated, managed, led, developed, and structured are some of the words that spring to mind.
Are there any gaps in your employment history?
If you’ve gone without a job for a while, you should:
- utilize a skills-focused CV
- emphasize skills you learned during your sabbatical, such as planning, budgeting, and caring for family members
- incorporate work experience and volunteer work in your employment history
- In your cover letter, explain why you have huge gaps in your CV.
Qualifications
List your qualifications or education in the qualifications section of your CV.
- NCEA (National Certificate in Education and Assessment) or other school qualifications
- work-based training
- professional development courses, conferences, and seminars
- online courses
- grades for school topics
- certificates, diplomas, or degrees
- micro-credentials and brief work-related courses
Format of qualifications section
Begin with the latest or most relevant qualification. Include the following details:
- the name of the course or certification you received
- the course provider’s name
- the place where you studied
- the start and end dates of your training or study, or the year you graduated
Achievements
Include an achievements section if you have important accomplishments that aren’t addressed in the skills or work history sections of your CV.
You can include things like:
- accolades and commendations
- completed projects
- examples of how you assisted a former employer in achieving their objectives
- noteworthy community endeavors.
In each example, write down what you completed, as well as when and where you did it.
Interests
You can put your interests on your CV if you want to. If you do, make sure to include interests that reflect attributes that employers value, such as:
- leadership skills,
- and stay away from ordinary pastimes like watching TV or
- going out with friends.
Referees
Provide employers with information about your qualifications, work history, and personality.
A minimum of two referees is necessary. One of your referees should be your current manager, team leader, or work experience supervisor.
- A past boss,
- a sports coach,
- a teacher or a principal, or
- a well-known community figure could all be referees.
The referee’s contact information should include the following information:
- their first and last names,
- job title, employer,
- phone number,
- and email address
