How to Write a Curriculum Vitae (CV) for a Job Application

How to Write a Curriculum Vitae (CV) for a Job Application So youre looking for a new job.Seems thrilling, innit? Such plenty of exciting opportunities to grasp and all it takes to seize one is to send a good CV.Picture this:Youve found this dream job. You know youd be a perfect fit. You send your CV and you breathlessly wait for the call-back. But it never happens.Sound familiar? Yeah, it does for most of us. But hows that possible?Why, I happen to know the answer to that:Your CV has never been read. It wasnt good enough.Take heart, this nightmare scenario isnt unfolding ever again. Thats cause youre about to learn a surefire way to transform your run-of-the-mill CV into a fab one.Read this guide and youll see:A CV sample better than 9 out of 10 other CVs.How to write a curriculum vitae even if you have no experience.Tips and examples of how to put skills and achievements on a perfect CV.How to describe your experience on a CV to get any job you want.Here's a free CV example made using our resume and CV creator.Want to save time and have yo ur resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. Its fast and easy to use. Plus, youll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.Sample resume made with our builderSee more templates and create your resume here.One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowHeres how to write a CV:Make sure you know when to use a CVPick the best CV formatAdd your contact information the right wayStart with a CV personal profile (CV summary or CV objective)List your relevant work experience key achievementsBuild your CV education section correctlyPut relevant skills that fit the job openingInclude additional CV sections to impress the recruiterOrganize this all on a professional CV templateComplement your CV with a cover letterWant to see a sample job-winning CV for your profession and a dedicated guide on how to write one? See: CV Examples and Writing Guides for 99+ JobsIf you're writing anacademic curriculum vitae, switch over to Academic CV Writing Guide Copy-Pastable TemplateTargeting a job in the US? Learn how to write an American resume that stands out from the crowd. Read our guide:How to Make a Resume: A Step-by-Step Guide (30+ Examples)If you're looking for a job in India, you might want a biodata format. We've got it: Biodata Format: Free Templates for a Job [Free Download]1Make Sure that You Know When to Use a CVLets start with the basics to make CV writing easy:What is a CV?In its full form, CV stands for curriculum vitae (latin for: course of life). In the US, Canada, and Australia, a CV is a document you use for academic purposes. The US academic CV outlines every detail of your scholarly career. In other countries, CV is an equivalent of an American resume. You use it when you apply for jobs.Because this document is named differently across different countries, a lot of folks keep asking:What is the difference between a CV and a resume?Lets get this straight, once and for all:In the hiring industry, nowadays theres almost no formal difference between a CV and a resume. Its the same thing that Brits call a CV and Americansa resume.Just like they do with chips and french fries, football and soccer, or Queen Elizabeth and Queen Bey.So, if you're applying to a European company, you should create a CV. But if you're applying to a US-based employer, you should make a resume.2Pick the Best CV FormatHeres a disturbing thought:Every time youre looking for a job, you compete against 250 other candidates on average.Yes, you read that right.Imagine you are the recruiter and you have to review 250 job applications. Do you thoroughly read all of them? Nah, of course you dont.Recruiters spend only 6 seconds scanning each CV. So the very first impression is key. If you submit a neat, properly organised document, youll convince the recruiters to spend more time on your CV.A p oorly formatted CV, on the other hand, will get you discarded in the first-round review.Heres how to format a CV the right way.Start with creating a CV outline divided into the following sections:Sample CV FormatCV Header with Contact InformationPersonal Profile: CV Objective or CV SummaryWork ExperienceEducationSkillsAdditional SectionsPro Tip: If youre fresh out of uni and need to write a student CV with no experience, or if you've graduated from a very 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:Choose clear, legible fontsGo 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 14 to 16 pt font size.Be consistent with your CV layoutSet one-inc h margins for all four sides.Make sure your CV headings are uniformmake them larger and in bold but go easy on italics and underlining.Stick to a single dates format on your CV: for example 11-2017, or November 2017.Dont cram your CV with gimmicky graphicsLess is more.White space is your friendrecruiters need some breathing room!Plus, most of the time, after you send out your CV, its going to be printed in black ink on white paper. Too many graphics might make it illegible.Get photos off of your CVUnless youre explicitly asked to include your photograph in the job ad.If somake sure to use a professional looking picture, but not as stiff as an ID photo.Make your CV brief and relevantDont be one of those candidates stuck in the nineties who think they have to include every single detail about their lives on their CVs.Hiring, nowadays, is one hell of a hectic business. Nobodys got the time to care for what high school youve attended or to read 10+ bullet point descriptions of past jobs . Well get to that later on.Pro Tip: Once youve finished writing, save your CV in PDF to make sure your CV layout stays intact. But pay close attention to the job description. Some employers wont accept a PDF CV. If such is the case, send your CV in Word.Learn more about CV formatting from this quick dedicated guide I've written recently: CV FormattingThe Ideal Structure for a CVAlright, so youve got the best CV template ready for ya and you know the basic CV writing rules. Time to dive in!3Add Your Contact Information the Right WayYou want the recruiters to get back to you, so you need to let them know how they can reach you.In the contact information section, enter your:Full nameProfessional titleEmail addressTelephone numberLinkedIn profileHome addressThe contact information section seems fairly straightforward, but heres the one reason it might be tricky:Recruiters will use it to research you online. If your social media profiles are unprofessional, or if your LinkedIn profile i nformation doesnt match that on your CV, youre immediately out of the race.Want to avoid it? Read our guide: How to Check Your Online Presence Before Recruiters Look You Up.4Start with a CV Personal Profile (CV Summary or CV Objective)After listing their contact information on a CV, most candidates jump right into their work experience or education.But youll do better than that. You will actually get remembered by the employer.So, how to make a CV pop?All it takes is a CV personal profile statementa short, snappy paragraph of 100 words tops that tells the recruiters why you are just the candidate theyve been looking for.Your personal profile will either be a CV objective or a CV summary.Whats the difference?A CV objective shows what skills youve mastered and how youd fit in. Its a good choice if youve got little work experience relevant to the job youre trying to land, for example, if youre writing a student CV.A CV summary, in turn, highlights your career progress and achievements. Use it if youre a seasoned professional and have a lot of experience in your field.Now, have a look at some examples. Lets say theres a posting for a nursing job. Here are sample nursing CV objectives and summaries.Example of a CV ObjectivewrongNewly licensed Nurse looking for a challenging nursing role in a medical facility where I can put my skills to the test.Not awful, right? The problem is, in this CV objective, the bottom line is basically I want a job because I learnt for the job.Have a look at another CV objective sample.Objective for a CVExamplerightDependable licensed NMC Registered Nurse trained to work in high-stress environments and stay calm under pressure. Seeking to leverage meticulous record-keeping and analytical skills to help St Francis Hospital with your upcoming challenges.See the difference? The latter candidate focused solely on what she can offer her future employer. She also mentioned the name of the specific hospital to which shes applying.And yes, name-d ropping is something you, too, should definitely do in your CV objective.True, it means you wont be able to spam your CV out to every company thats currently hiring but, then again, when was the last time you replied to a Dear User email?As we said before, if youve got some relevant job experience under your belt, begin your CV with a CV summary instead of an objective.Check out these sample CV summaries.Sample CV SummaryrightBilingual (English and Dutch) Pediatric Nurse with 15+ years of experience in the intensive and neonatal care units of a community hospital. Seeking to leverage management experience as Chief Pediatric Nurse at General Hospital, helping to implement new staff training programmes.The General Hospital Director just picked up the phone to call this candidate.Whats so great about this CV summary?Above all, its super-specific. It gives a complete outline of the candidates background and shows how her experience will help her tackle particular problems the hospital i s facing.Heres another example of a CV summary.CV ExampleSummarywrongPediatric Nurse with years of experience supervising the medication and health records of newborns.This one, on the other hand, says little more than I am a nurse. It presents nothing but generic responsibilities all nurses have.In your CV summary, dont ever go for meaningless buzzwords.When making a resume in our builder, drag drop bullet points, skills, and auto-fill the boring stuff. Spell check? Check. Start building your resume here.Create my resume nowWhen youre done, Zetys resume builder will score your resume and tell you exactly how to make it better.Writing an objective or a summary for your professional CV is tricky and we know it. That's why we've put together a dedicated guide to crafting this section: 20+ CV Personal Statement/Personal Profile Examples (Writing Guide)For more detailed examples of summaries or objectives, check out:How To Write A CV Summary: 21 Best Examples You Will See and 20+ CV Ob jective ExamplesUse Them On Your CV (Tips)5List Your Relevant Work Experience Key AchievementsMore often than not, your work experience section is the most important part of your whole CVthe one that gets the most eyetime.If youre thinking Easy, I just need to list my previous positions, the dates worked, and my responsibilities, think again.All of the above are must-haves in a basic CV. But basic wont get you that dream job.The thing is: recruiters know what you did. They want to know how well you did it and what you can offer your prospective employer.Heres how to make your work experience section illustrate that:Focus on your measurable, relevant achievements, not just your duties.Use action verbs: created, analysed, implemented, not responsible for creating, analysis and implementation.Tailor your CV to the job postingread the job description carefully and check what tasks will be expected of you. If youve done them beforeput them on your CV, even if those werent your primary r esponsibilities.Lets see a real-life CV example.Heres a sample job description for a position of a junior product marketing specialist.Responsibilities:Filling product placement requests from the mediaCreating and maintaining media lists as needed (1)Writing product pitches (2)Researching new media opportunities (3)Support creating media materials and press kits (4)Lead a small project (5) from start to finishHelp in the organization of events (6)Respond to media inquiries (7)Now, have a look at this example of a CV work experience entry.CV ExampleWork Experience SectionProduct MarketerNike, 10-2015presentLondonCreated and maintained lists of media contacts (1)Researched opportunities (3) across online media channelsProduced product pitches (2) and press kits (4)Supported event organization (6)Responded to media inquiries (7)Key achievement: Lead a project team (5) in designing and implementing a comprehensive social media relations strategy for a new line of lifestyle products, gre w Facebook fan base from 0 to 12,000 in 4 months [LINK to the Facebook fanpage], gained 35,000 Instagram followers [LINK to the Instagram account] in 3 months.Wow, we need this one to work with us!This entry is sure to bring that sort of response from the hiring manager.What makes it so great?First, its perfectly tailored to the job ad (have another look at the numbered phrases in bold). The candidate showed shell be able to manage her most important future tasks because shes done them before.Secondly, its action-verbs-packed. Created and maintained instead of responsible for creating and maintaining, produced product pitches, not product pitches production.Last but not least, its central focus is the candidates achievements. Like the candidate above, if you want your CV to impress, add a key achievement sub-section. Then, include hard numbers. Dont say you significantly increased sales. Say how much exactly. Numbers pop!To make sure your achievements on a CV shine as theyre suppose d to, follow the PAR (Problem Action Result) formula to describe them.Like in the CV example discussed:Key achievement: Lead a project team in designing and implementing a comprehensive social media relations strategy for a new line of lifestyle products, grew Facebook fanbase from 0 to 12,000 in 4 months, gained 35,000 Instagram followers in 3 months.Problem: Lack of sufficient social media promotion for a new line of lifestyle productsAction: New social media strategyResult: 12,000 Facebook fans in 4 months, and 35,000 Instagram followers in 3 months.If you learn how to list your achievements on a CV the right way, youll outperform 9 out of 10 other candidates. Have a read of our dedicated guide: Achievements to Put on a CV: Complete Guide (30+ Examples)6Build Your CV Education Section CorrectlyGood news is, putting your education on a CV is usually simple.If youve got any post-secondary education, include only it on your CV. Dont mention your high school, unless its your highest degree of education. List:Graduation year (if youre still studying, enter your expected graduation date)Your degreeInstitution nameSub-hons (if applicable)Pro Tip: Including your honours is optional. If you dont want them to do you more harm than good, add them only if theyre 2:1 or higher for the undergrad degrees, and merit or distinction for postgrads.Like this:CV ExampleEducation Section2014 B.A. in FrenchUniversity of Southampton2:1Easy, right?But what if youre writing a CV with little or no work experience? What if youve just graduated and are looking for your first full-blown job?If such is the case, you should do two things:First of all, place your education section above your work experience.Secondly, elaborate a bit more on your academic experience. Include, for instance:Your dissertation titleFavourite fields of studyRelevant courseworkYour best achievementsExtracurricular academic activities.A lot of fresh graduates dont know how to make their CVs education section stand out. If you want to have an edge over them, read our comprehensive guide: How to Put Your Education on a CV [Tips Examples]7Put Relevant Skills that Fit the Job OpeningNow, for your skills. Youve probably got plenty of these. But would a list of a dozen and a half skills look good on a CV?Anything but.When it comes to skills for a CV, one issue is more important than any other: relevance. The skills you decide to include on your CV have to be relevant to the job youre trying to land.Remember when I mentioned tailoring your CV to the job description? Here it comes again.How to do it?Start with a spreadsheet. In it, list all your professional skills (thats right, it means eyebrow dancing doesnt count). Then check the job description for the skills desired by your prospective employer.Do they match some of the skills from your spreadsheet? Presto! These are the ones to put in your CV skills section.Pro Tip: When you list your skills, add a short description of each to indicate your l evel of proficiency. For example Excellent, Advanced, or Basic.Want to find out which skills on a CV are most valued by employers in 2018? Check out this piece and impress every recruiter: 30+ Best Examples of What Skills to Put on a CV (Proven Tips)8Include Additional CV Sections to Impress the RecruiterLet us all confess to something.We constantly lie about ourselves. We just cant help itthose little white lies that help put us in a slightly better light.Care to venture a guess what group of people excels in lying?Job seekers.They all lie on their CVs in frail hopes that recruiters wont be bothered to verify, say, full bilingual proficiency in French.Heres the thing: recruiters are trained to spot liars, so dont even entertain the thought of embellishing your past achievements or skills.But what if you could help the recruiters avoid interviewing CV fabulists altogether? Theres a surefire way to do it:On your CV, include an additional section in which you show off your unquestiona ble triumphs: things that prove your value as a candidate.Such as?The following:Sample CV Additional SectionsIndustry awardsProfessional certificationsPublicationsProfessional affiliationsConferences attendedAdditional trainingA well crafted additional section can be the decisive factor in choosing you over another candidate with a seemingly similar background. Dont ignore this chance to stand out from the crowd. Learn more from our handy guide: How to List Certifications on a CV: Guide (20+ Examples)Dont worry if youre still studying and can yet showcase none of the above.A good student CV will still benefit from an additional section. Here are some ideas:Sample Student CV Additional SectionsVolunteer experienceHobbies and interestsAcademic achievementsPersonal blogFor more, see: What to Include in a Curriculum Vitae Section by SectionRight, if you apply all the strategies we discussed, youll make a perfect CV. But heyWant to do it the easy way?9Organize this All on a Professional CV TemplateLets face itNo 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 happen to offer some truly cracking ones.Check out some of the CV templates available in our CV maker:CV Templates UKSee 20+ CV templates and create your CV hereAnd for the final word, heres what every job seeker ought to know:10Complement Your CV with a Cover LetterStalk your prospective boss to show commitment.Sound like the worst career advice one can get?Well And probably is so. But guess whatYou dont need to write a cover letter comes in a close second.Why?Because as many as 45 out of 100 recruiters wont even get around to reviewing your CV if theres no cover letter attached, according to our HR statistics report. True, the other 55 might think a cover letter for a CV is redundant. But heres who does read cover letters:Hiring managers. And, at the end of the day, its their decision whether or not youre getting the job.Most people hate writing cover letters for CVs because they are clueless about how to write them properly. And writing great cover letters is much easier than it seems.Want to learn how to do it? Heres the only guide youll need: How To Write A Cover Letter in 8 Simple StepsKey TakeawayHiring has changed drastically. Its fast and furious. To get your foot in the door, youll need to go an extra mile with your CV. Here's how to make a CV:Begin your CV with a personal profileeither a summary or a CV objective. Write a short and sweet paragraph telling why youre just the candidate the employers been looking for.When describing your work experience, focus on your achievements and accomplishments. No recruiter wants to read a dull list of bullet points describing past duties.Validate your worth as a candidate by adding a section with your top wins: certifications, awards, publications, or even extracurricular training or attended conferences.Finally, attach a cover letter t o your job application and double your chances of getting hired.All check? Get ready for all those interview call-ins!Do you have any more questions on how to write a job-winning CV? Give us a shout in the comments and well answer your queries!