Your Curriculum Vitae (CV) is essentially your selling tool. It outlines your skills and experience so that a potential employer can see at a glance how you might perform in a given role. In short, it’s an opportunity to present yourself in the best possible light.
Presenting CV
Once you have identified the key information to be included in your CV – and decided on the most important elements – you need to write and organise your points. Here are several rules of thumb:
Make your CV simple and as clear as possible. That means keeping descriptions brief, factual and to the point.
Your CV should be no longer than two sides in length.
State clearly the type of work you want and why you are qualified.
Use active verbs that describe your skills, abilities and achievements. For example, “I can contribute/have experience in organizing / am trained in…” Use such verbs at the beginning of each sentence (managed, developed, created, co-ordinated, etc.) to make them even more powerful.
Also, remember to use a clear and logical format. You could organise your CV by job titles, with the most recent position listed first; or arrange your employment history into sections that highlight key areas of skill and achievement. Since your personal career history, achievements and academic credentials are unique, the way you organise and express them may be equally unique. Whatever your choice, make sure that you highlight your strongest points. Also use clear headings, simple language and adequate margins and line spacing.