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A CV, or curriculum vitae, is a job application document that outlines your job experience, education, and skills, along with any other additional information relevant to your professional goals.
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Outside the United States, a CV is generally synonymous with a resume. In these circumstances, when an employer asks for a CV, they expect a one to two-page document of relevant job qualifications. Just like a resume, the CV should be tailored to the job you are applying to.
However, in the United States, a CV refers to an academic CV, a comprehensive record of all your educational and professional experiences. This includes research projects, educational grants, certifications, and internships. These types of CVs are longer, up to ten pages, and are usually requested for academic and research positions.
Here is an easy breakdown of the differences between a CV and a resume:
CV | Resume |
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After picking the right format and template, a CV is broken down into five main sections:
If you have other relevant qualifications, such as volunteer experience or certifications, you can include them in additional sections as well.
The first step to writing a CV is to fill out your contact information. It is important that your CV contact heading:
The contact heading of a CV contains your:
Here is an example of a CV contact information header:
Alicia Smith
(+1) 555-555-5555 – alicia.smith@fakemail.com – New York, NY
The next step of your CV is to write your personal profile. This is a brief description, between one to three sentences long, that pitches you as the best candidate for the position.
There are two types of a CV personal profile:
Although both are acceptable, it is recommended that you write a CV summary if possible. This is because provides evidence to your qualifications, which is something many recruiters and hiring managers prefer to see.
However, if you are a recent graduate, changing careers, or simply lack experience, then a CV objective statement is a good way to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the job.
Here is a good example of a CV summary:
Certified registered nurse, with over 7 years of experience, including intensive care and emergency room services. I want to apply my skills in critical thinking, empathy, and time management to new opportunities within pediatric care.
And here is a good example of a CV objective statement:
Recent MBA graduate with honors from the Business Administration department at Stanford University. Seeking to expand my skills in data management and marketing analytics in the field of financial data services.
In the work experience section of your CV, you will detail your job history and use your past as proof of why you are the best candidate for the position.
The work experience section of your CV is normally written in reverse chronological order, which means you start with your most recent position and work backward from there.
Under each experience, you will list:
You must stand out with your work experience. Therefore, there are three key points you want to consider:
When writing your work experience, do your best to provide clear, concise detail. You need to find the right balance between giving the reader enough context to understand your qualifications without cluttering your CV. Accomplish this by ensuring every bullet point contains relevant information.
Here is a good example of the CV work experience section:
Branch manager
Worldwide Banking Corp.
Washington D.C.
2/2020 to present
Financial Services Consultant
Banktech Inc.
New York, NY
6/2015 to 2/2020
In the education section of your CV, you will want to write down your highest level of education. This could be a high school, undergraduate, or graduate degree.
Make sure to list the following:
The education section should be quite brief for most applicants with several years of job experience. However, if you are a recent graduate, you may want to include any academic information that helps solidify your qualifications, such as relevant coursework.
Here is an example of the education section of a CV:
B.A. History
Harvard University
Magna Cum Laude
9/2014 to 5/2019
Use this section of your CV to showcase your skills further. The job description of your application will likely include a combination of two types of skills:
When you choose which of your skills to list, focus on the ones that the job description asks for. List between six to ten skills that help you tailor your CV.
Here is a good example of a CV skills section:
Hard skills:
Soft skills:
Sometimes you may need to include additional sections to your CV to showcase your qualifications better. Such sections include:
Only add additional sections if you can justify their relevance. Otherwise, any information should be placed in the work experience section or skills section of your CV.
These steps are key to writing an effective CV. Make sure to take your time with each section to showcase your qualifications!
Writing a good CV means understanding proper formatting. Consider the following tips when you write your CV:
Keep your CV one to two pages long, unless otherwise requested.
Use one-inch margins and single to 1.15 spacings.
Use a professional font typeface such as Arial or Times New Roman.
Use 14 to 16-point font for headings, and 11 to 12-point font for normal text.
Be consistent with font and format throughout your CV.
Don’t use graphics or photos.
Be able to save as a PDF and DOC file.
These tips will help ensure that your CV is easy to read and professional, an important first step in the writing process.
Tailor your CV with keywords found in the job description. This will make your CV ATS-friendly and have a greater impact on the reader.
When writing a CV with no job experience, you will need to focus on three key aspects:
Education.
Extracurricular, volunteer, and unpaid experiences.
Skills.
Use each of these sections to make your CV stand out and give weight to your qualifications. Your education, extracurricular, volunteer, and unpaid work experiences all provide you the opportunities to demonstrate the skills you have learned and how you have already put them to use.
The sections of a CV are:
Personal contact information.
Personal profile (CV summary or objective statement).
Work experience.
Education.
Skills
You can add other additional sections if the information is relevant to your job application, such as:
Awards.
Certifications.
Trainings.
Conferences attended.
Volunteer experience.
Hobbies.
In any country other than the United States, an employer will likely treat a resume and a CV as the same thing. Only when an employer specifies a traditional academic CV, which is much longer and more detailed, will you know that they prefer a CV over a resume.
An example of a CV statement can either be for a CV summary or a CV objective statement.
If it’s a CV summary, then it will focus on how past experiences make you qualified for the job.
Here is an example of a CV summary:
“Certified registered nurse with over 7 years of experience, including intensive care and emergency room services. I want to apply my skills in critical thinking, empathy, and time management to new opportunities within pediatric care.”
If you are writing a CV objective statement, then you will focus on your goals and the reasons why you want your next job. Here is an example of a CV objective statement:
“Recent MBA graduate with honors in from the Business Administration department at Stanford University. Seeking to expand my skills in data management and marketing analytics into the field of financial data services.”
In either case, make sure you demonstrate the value you bring as a potential employee.
Most CVs are one to two pages long unless it is an academic CV for an academic or research position, in which case your CV can be up to ten pages long. This is because these types of CVs are a comprehensive record of your academic and professional experiences.
Yes, it is strongly recommended that you use a template or example to help you write your CV. A CV template or example will help ensure your CV is formatted and structured correctly. This will mean that hiring managers, recruiters and applicant tracking systems (ATS) can easily read your CV and not be turned away by any unprofessional errors.
Our amazing collection of free and premium CV templates and CV examples is a great place to help you get started!