How To write a CV

CV Writing Basics

Your CV is the first step for getting your foot in the door for a great job opportunity.

When you have a well written and professional CV, it can make all the difference between job searching and job finding!

The first part of your curriculum vitae will consist of basic information like your full name and contact details. Always try to provide your prospective employer more than one way of contacting you. A direct phone number or mobile and email address would be ideal.

In some cases depending on which industry you specialize in and also the country you reside in, you may also need to put down things like your age, gender and nationality. This is a practice that is swiftly falling out of favor, but it is still occasionally used.

When you write your CV, everything should be up to date and current.

Just below your contact details, write down something about your career ambitions and goals. It is recommended to keep this part of your CV down to three brief lines.

Next on your CV, write down your academic background, education and any qualifications. Start with your highest educational achievement first. Make sure that you write down the name of the institute where you graduated and also the year. In some cases, you might want to write down the subjects that you have taken as well.

After your academic background section, include your work experience starting with the role you are in or last position held. Remember to mention your job title, job description and length of time in each position. Your job descriptions should be straightforward and to the point, ideally using bullets to list all your main tasks.

Finally, remember to make sure that you have contact information for your previous employers.

When you are looking to register your CV on the leading job boards and CV databases, keep in mind that they often make use of in-house software to complete their searches, based on specific key words. It is therefore imperative that you also include any skills, training, software knowledge and achievements