Tips on How To Prepare a Winning Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Tips on How To Prepare a Winning Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Curriculum Vitae which is abbreviated as CV is simply a brief description of someone’s previous career and personal profile.

The director at a Human Resource firm as well as the Head of Human Resource Department of a top Assurance Plc company revealed that most competent and qualified job seekers lose their interview opportunity and the job because of ill-prepares CV.

First impression counts in a prize. So, your CV is the first chance you have to impress a potential employer. And again, it is the only part of the job selection process over which you have 100% control. Yes, and that is true.

You cannot control who gets interviewed and the interview but you can control how you look on your well-prepared CV. Therefore, CV is primarily a tool intended to help you secure an interview opportunity. Once your names is on the interview shortlist, your CV has done its intended job for you.

Your CV should outline your personal data, objectives, education, skills, inter-personal profile, experience and accomplishments. It highlights your key selling points and indicates how you can solve and improve a potential employer’s needs or problems. It reviews your background in detail and identifying your primary tasks and responsibilities, the skills you used, the knowledge you acquired and the result you achieved.

What to Know Before Writing a CV.

1. Write your own CV by yourself. Please be careful here. Do not copy or re-write someone else CV because you may not be able to defend it. The process of creating a CV will help you prepare for the overall job search process. Completing a document that you have worked hard on and are proud of, will significantly boost your confidence about getting a job. It is an important step in the intellectual and emotional job-search process. Note it does not forbid you seeking feedback as many other professionals as you would like.

2. Have a single CV. Having a single CV for yourself gets you focused. But, if you determine that you need multiple versions of your CV targeted at specific areas, that’s fine be sure that each and every version of your CV is unique and carefully tailored for its area of focus.

3. Keep your CV simple and straight forward: including the following and generally in this suggestive and not prescriptive order.

Example:
Your Name
Nationality
State of origin,
Date of birth
Home address
Residence address
e-mail
phone number
sex
marital Status
Discipline
Job objectives
Your former education,
Professional training
And other qualification
Working experience
Seminar attended
Personal profile and qualities
Interest
And referees.

4. Provide only enough information to interest the reviewer to invite you for interview.

5. Limit your CV to two pages for fresh graduates and three pages for experienced applicants.

6. Don’t make it too dense.

7. Write it in terms of employing organization’s needs and make sure it meets the requirements set out in the job advertisement.

8. Avoid common grammatical mistakes and spelling errors, which attracts negative attention. Choose positive words and keep it impeccably neat and legible.

9. Do not print on both sides of the sheet because companies often photocopy or fax your CV. When printed on both sides of the sheet it makes it awkward.

10. Omit any negative aspect of your work history, education, skills and personal profile

11. Be honest in your CV, present yourself accurately, but focus on the positive in your history.

12. Remember that anything you put in your CV might pose a question or be a topic for conversation in an interview.

13. Never date you CV.  It makes it look outdate after the time must have passed.
Example Of A Well-Prepared Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Curriculum Vitae

1. PERSONAL DATA:

NAME: Eze Arthur Chijoke
NATIONALITY: Nigerian
STATE OF ORIGIN: Enugu State
DATE OF BIRTH: 5th January, 1988
HOME ADDRESS: 12, New Heaven
Enugu State, Nigeria
RESIDENCES ADDRESS:
E-MAIL: eze_arthur23@yahoo.com
PHONE: 0806000001
SEX: Male
MARITAL STATUS: Single
DISCIPLINE: Telecommunication Engineering

2. OBJECTIVES: To invest work with enduring legacy, working accurately under pressure when need be and seeking self development, advancement and improvement while enjoying job satisfaction.

3. EDUCATION:



4. ÒTHER QUALIFICATION: if any

5. COMPUTERS SKILLS:
Microsoft word (2010)
Corel Draw
Matlab
Dreamweaver 8
Micro Media Fireworks 8
Microsoft Excel
Final Draft

6. WORKING EXPERIENCE:
7. SEMINAR ATTENDED:
8. PERSONAL PROFILE:
i. Ability to learn, pay attention to detail and work under pressure and tight reporting schedule.
ii. Good interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively in a team.
iii. Integrity and tact
iv. Good oral and written communication

this much like a tutorial. Great post.....

As long as I am concern, everything doesn't depend on cv in naija ooo or abi i dey lie

Nice tips

Thanks for the idea you share. Can you pm me with sample of CV template.

beautiful