Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Definition and Nature: A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is a written record of a person’s educational and professional achievements.
It is a longer and detailed document. Curriculum Vitae means course of life in Latin. CV includes everything that a person
has done to date i.e. education as well as any other accomplishments like publications, experiences, awards, honors etc. It
is applicant’s ‘snapshot’. It is static and does not change for different jobs. It highlights why applicant is the best person for
the job. CV is a chance to make a good first impression and succeed to get an interview. It is a sales advertisement which
pinpoints the interesting USPs (unique selling points) that make the applicant prominent from the crowd. A clear and simple layout
of CV is vital for catching attention of receiver. CV should be of 1 or 2 pages of A4 size. Busy officers in offices generally spend
almost 20 seconds for reviewing each CV. So, it's important to prepare it rightly.

Purpose of CV: It is often used to apply for a job or internship. The purpose of CV is not to get the job, but to select applicant
for an interview. It should always be remembered that applicant is not writing a CV for himself, he is writing it for his reader.
As he writes his CV, he should put himself in his place. He should keep it short, to the point and interesting.

Basic Elements of a CV OR What to Include in CV: Some employers want to see some particular sections in a CV. So, following
sections must be included in CV. There is no universally accepted format, but CV should cover these elements:
1. Name and Contact Details: CV should contain name, address, phone number, email address at the top of the page so
that any interested employers can contact sender easily. CV shouldn’t be given a title of ‘curriculum vitae’ or ‘CV’
because it is a waste of valuable space. Sender’s name should be used as the title instead. Information like nationality,
age, marital status and driving license etc. are optional.
2. Objective: One statement/paragraph that immediately captures the attention of reader and forces him to find out more
about sender is very important. Sender should take his main skill and relate it to his job. He must persuade employers
why he meets and fulfils their needs.
3. Education and Qualifications: He should give brief details of his academic and professional qualifications. It should also
be listed in reverse chronological order. In this section, the name of institutions, dates (from-to), qualifications (name
of degrees) and marks/grades/GPA/% should be included.
4. Experience and Employment History: This section is about previous jobs and work experience. It should also be written
in reverse chronological order because our recent role/job is the most relevant to the employer. Different experiences
that a person has, can be written in this section.
5. Key Skills: If he has some abilities which he wants to show off to the employer, he should mention them too. Like,
computer programming, networking, planning & management and controlling etc.
6. Achievements, Awards or Publication: They should also be included in CV, if any.
7. Hobbies and Interests: These are optional and often used to fill up space at the end of the document. Listing hobbies
that don’t add value to sender’s CV should be avoided. Similarly, only those interests that are relevant to the job should
be mentioned.
8. References: Applicant can include a line that ‘references available on request’. But if he doesn’t have space, it should
be ignored.

Formatting and Spacing Guidelines: Formatting and spacing CV is equally as important as the content. Here are some
formatting and spacing tips to keep in mind:
1. Length: The standard length of a CV is two pages. However, one size of CV is not always fit for all. Length of a CV depends
upon the applicant’s experience.
2. Headings: Each section must be introduced by a big, bold and catchy heading for ensuring easy reading.
3. Font Type: Most employers will receive CV in a digital format, so a clear font like Calibri or Arial should be chosen.
Writer can use different font type for his headings, but he should keep it professional and easy-to-read too.
4. Font Size and Page Margins: The body of CV should be between 10 and 12 point font, and headings between 14 and
16 points. Page margins should be kept around 2.5cm. One line space ensures clarity in CV.
5. Proofreading and Consistency: Formatting must be consistent throughout CV to keep it attractive. CV should be
proofread to capture every mistake or use spell-checkers.

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Composed by M. Khalid (Lecturer in English) Govt. Postgraduate College, Haripur