CV (Curriculum Vitae)

Prepared by:

Irum Saeed (Lecturer CECOS University,

Hayatabad, Peshawar.)
Learning Objectives
• What is a CV?
• Difference between CV and Resume.
• Contents of a good CV
• Steps to make a CV
• Common errors in making a CV
• Tips for making an effective CV
What is a CV?
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) is Latin for "course of life”.

• The CV presents a full history of your academic credentials.

• The length of a CV is variable, it may be short, it may be long.

• CVs are used by individuals seeking fellowships, grants,

postdoctoral positions, and teaching/research positions in
postsecondary institutions or high-level research positions
 Difference Between CV And Resume
CV
Emphasizes academic accomplishments
Used when applying for positions in
academia, fellowships and grants
Length depends upon experience and
includes a complete list of publications,
posters, and presentations
Always begins with education and can
include name of advisor and dissertation title
or summary. Also used for merit/tenure
review and sabbatical leave
Resume
Emphasize skills
Used when applying for a position in industry,
non-profit, and public sector
Is no longer than 2 pages, with an additional
page for publications and/or poster
presentations if highly relevant to the job
After 1 year of industry experience, lead with
work experience and place education section
at the or near the end, depending upon
qualifications
Contents Of A Good CV
• Your name and contact details
• Technical and personal skills
• Work, and community and volunteer experience
• Qualifications and education
• Referees (you can include referees or note that referees are
available on request).
• Achievements
• Interests
• Job-specific information (for example, a teacher would put
their teaching philosophy in their CV).
What Not To Put In A CV
• A photo or images
• Coloured or fancy fonts or design
• Your date of birth or age
• Your marital status, religion or bank account details
• Too much text and bad spelling
• A funny or rude email address
• Work experience or interests that are not relevant to the job
• Lies about your experience and skills.
 Steps To Make A CV

Name and contact details Placed at the top so nobody misses them

Profile / Personal statement Hook readers with a quick sales pitch

Core skills section Create a snapshot of your abilities

Work experience Prove the impact you make in the workplace

Education and qualifications Prove the impact you make in the workplace

Hobbies and interests

Steps To Make A CV
1. Proper Order of Sections:
a) CV Header with Contact Information
b) Personal Profile: CV Objective or CV Summary
c) Work Experience
d) Education
e) Skills
f) Additional Sections
a) CV Header with Contact Information:
• In the contact information section, enter your:
• Full name
• Professional title
• Email address
• Telephone number
• LinkedIn profile
• Home address
b) Personal Profile: CV Objective or CV Summary:

• Your personal profile will either be a CV objective or a CV

summary.

• A CV objective shows what skills you’ve mastered and how

you’d fit in. It’s a good choice if you’ve got little work
experience relevant to the job you’re trying to land.

• A CV summary, in turn, highlights your career progress and

achievements. Use it if you’re a seasoned professional and
have a lot of experience in your field.
 • Examples of CV Objectives:

Wrong Right

Newly liscenced engineering graduate Dependable engineering graduate trained to

looking for a challenging role in construction work in high-stress environment and stay
facility/company where I can put my skills to calm under pressure.
the test.
• Example of CV Summary:
Wrong
Civil engineer with years of experience
supervising construction work.
Right
Bilingual (Urdu and Pushto) civil engineer
with 15+ years of experience in planning,
maintaining and overseeing various
structural plans in all four provinces.
Seeking to leverage management
experience as Chief Technical Officer and
improving staff training programmes.
c) Work Experience:

• Focus on your measurable, relevant achievements, not just

your duties.

• Use action verbs: “created,” “analysed,” “implemented,” not

“responsible for creating, analysis and implementation.”

• Tailor your CV to the job posting—read the job description

carefully and check what tasks will be expected of you. If
you’ve done them before—put them on your CV, even if
those weren’t your primary responsibilities.
d) Education:
• If you’ve got any post-secondary education, include only it on
your CV. Don’t mention your high school, unless it’s your
highest degree of education. List:

• Graduation year (if you’re still studying, enter your expected

graduation date)
• Your degree
• Institution name
• Honors (if applicable)
• Secondly, elaborate a bit more on your academic
experience. Include, for instance:

• Your dissertation title

• Favourite fields of study
• Relevant coursework
• Your best achievements
• Extracurricular academic activities
e) Skills:
• When it comes to skills for a CV, one issue is more important
than any other: relevance. The skills you decide to include on
your CV have to be relevant to the job you’re trying to land.

• Start with a spreadsheet. In it, list all your professional skills.

Then check the job description for the skills desired by your
prospective employer.

• Do they match some of the skills from your spreadsheet?

Presto! These are the ones to put in your CV skills section
• f) Additional Sections:

On your CV, include an additional section in which you show off

your unquestionable triumphs: things that prove your value as a
candidate. Such as:

• Industry awards
• Professional certifications
• Publications
• Professional affiliations
• Conferences attended
• Additional training
• Examples of additional section for students:

• Volunteer experience
• Hobbies and interests
• Projects
• Freelance work
• Academic achievements
• Personal blog
Common Errors In Making A CV
• Poor formatting.
• Failing to tailor your application.
• Spelling errors.
• Lying.
• Lack of evidence.
• Not explaining 'why'
• Ignoring gaps in your work history.
Tips For Making An Effective CV
• Start strong. Start with a summary of your skills and key
accomplishments.
• Emphasize results rather than responsibilities.
• Customize for the job you want.
• Highlight changes and growth.
• Demonstrate that you are connected.
• Show industry insight.
• Use power words.
Tips For Making An Effective CV
• Start with a summary of your skills and key accomplishments.
This will attract the recruiter and grab their attention from the
outset. Personal profile is an important part of your CV and tells
the recruiter exactly who you are.
• Instead of just listing your past responsibilities, make your CV
stand out by emphasizing your results, using quantifiable data to
show your accomplishments.
• For example, instead of saying “I helped to increase social
media engagement for Company X”, write “I increased social
media engagement by 38% for Company X”.
• Respond directly to the job description and explain exactly
why you are the candidate for the role. You can do this by
relating your accomplishments to the elements of the job
role.
• Respond directly to the job description and explain exactly
why you are the candidate for the role. You can do this by
relating your accomplishments to the elements of the job
role.
• Whether it be at university or in past job roles, you will have
met an array of different people. Make sure this comes
through. Networking displays that you have strong
communication skills.
• An awareness of the industry you are applying for will show
the recruiter that you have the ability to stay on top of
trends. You will be a lot more attractive to employers if you
are able to demonstrate knowledge of the industry, so make
sure you are up to date with any news and industry changes.

• Using power words will emphasize your accomplishments and

will give your CV additional impact. Include words such
as adaptable, innovative, implemented and achieved for
each of your roles, and follow up with impressive results or
outcomes which demonstrate what you have delivered.
THANK YOU