By Michelle Howe
Creating a 'curriculum vitae', otherwise referred to as a CV or a resume, is one of the essential skills which anyone who wants to successfully find a new job must have. This document helps to sell you as an individual to potential employers, so has to have a real impact. Resume creation is not simply about listing your work-related achievements though, it must be formatted, styled and spelled correctly.
The main purpose of a CV is not actually to get you a job, it is to secure you an interview which can lead to a job. Many people fail to grasp this fundamental point, and as a result their CVS are long-winded, verbose and bloated, and therefore not fit for purpose. Never make a huge list of everything at work that you have ever done, as this simply shows a lack of ability to see what is important and to be organised.
It is a good idea to use bullet points when you are detailing your achievements and past employment details. Not many human resources departments will either want or be able to devote masses of time to reading paragraph upon paragraph of text. It is therefore wise to break up the text into more easily legible chunks, which will also have the effect of making you look like someone who is capable of basic organisation of information too.
Handing over a document which is pages and pages long is also unlikely to impress any potential employers. A good CV should aim at being two pages long, as anything longer can lead to pages becoming detached and important sections being lost. Put personal details like your date of birth and address on the front page of the document, so that it is easy to see who it relates to.
Proofreading the completed document is also very important, especially looking for spelling mistakes. Punctuation is also important, as no one wants to employ someone who cannot tell the difference between its and it's, or spell basic words. Even if your punctuation and spelling is usually excellent, mistakes on a CV make it look like it is not.
The CV also needs to be formatted in such a way that it is straightforward for the potential employer to read. Use bold text and headings to help clearly delineate which sections of the CV refer to which events and skills in your career. Avoid fancy fonts; the aim of a CV is to get you a job interview, not look nice.
It is also a very bad idea to include pictures in the document. While you may think that it makes things look nicer, or offers some intriguing insight into what you look like when doing certain things, the potential employer is unlikely to agree. Instead, they are more likely to think that you have the mind of a child, as well as being somewhat self-obsessed.
The secret of good resume creation is to write with clarity, dividing the text up into clearly legible sections. Never use pictures or fancy fonts, as these will not help with gaining the chance of an interview. Proofread carefully, and brush up on your grammar and punctuation before you write a CV.
The main purpose of a CV is not actually to get you a job, it is to secure you an interview which can lead to a job. Many people fail to grasp this fundamental point, and as a result their CVS are long-winded, verbose and bloated, and therefore not fit for purpose. Never make a huge list of everything at work that you have ever done, as this simply shows a lack of ability to see what is important and to be organised.
It is a good idea to use bullet points when you are detailing your achievements and past employment details. Not many human resources departments will either want or be able to devote masses of time to reading paragraph upon paragraph of text. It is therefore wise to break up the text into more easily legible chunks, which will also have the effect of making you look like someone who is capable of basic organisation of information too.
Handing over a document which is pages and pages long is also unlikely to impress any potential employers. A good CV should aim at being two pages long, as anything longer can lead to pages becoming detached and important sections being lost. Put personal details like your date of birth and address on the front page of the document, so that it is easy to see who it relates to.
Proofreading the completed document is also very important, especially looking for spelling mistakes. Punctuation is also important, as no one wants to employ someone who cannot tell the difference between its and it's, or spell basic words. Even if your punctuation and spelling is usually excellent, mistakes on a CV make it look like it is not.
The CV also needs to be formatted in such a way that it is straightforward for the potential employer to read. Use bold text and headings to help clearly delineate which sections of the CV refer to which events and skills in your career. Avoid fancy fonts; the aim of a CV is to get you a job interview, not look nice.
It is also a very bad idea to include pictures in the document. While you may think that it makes things look nicer, or offers some intriguing insight into what you look like when doing certain things, the potential employer is unlikely to agree. Instead, they are more likely to think that you have the mind of a child, as well as being somewhat self-obsessed.
The secret of good resume creation is to write with clarity, dividing the text up into clearly legible sections. Never use pictures or fancy fonts, as these will not help with gaining the chance of an interview. Proofread carefully, and brush up on your grammar and punctuation before you write a CV.
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