ERKS CLUB

P
GUIDE TO
Curriculum Vitae (CV) Writing
a N O B U L L S H * T g u i d e

GENERAL CV ADVICE
Before jumping into a detailed account of drafting a good CV, here is some general advice-
1. Don't put an objective section or summary. It'll be skipped, and it's space that can be
used better.
2. Unless you have 20+ years' experience, make the CV 1 page.
3. Don't put your complete address. "City, State" is enough.
4. Name your resume "​F irstName LastName Resume", and that's it.
5. If emailing your resume, always submit it as a PDF, never as a Word doc. The format of a
word doc can look wonky on the recruiters' laptop.
6. Try to read your CV in 10 seconds or less and see what you take away from it. This is the
estimated screen time before someone makes an initial decision.

STRUCTURING IS EVERYTHING!

You must focus on the formation of the sentences (bullet points) to portray your Work
Experience efficiently. Begin describing tasks completed using action verbs written in
past tense (active voice) and avoid using adjectives for, example-

Trained and mentored junior content writers

Instead of
I efficiently trained my junior content writers

Subsequent to explaining your tasks, highlight the key outcomes by providing numbers
wherever possible such as-

Supervised a 7-days training course, mentored 11 content writers

Instead of
I supervised a training course for one week and mentored my junior writers

Aim to restrict the explanation of each task to one sentence, highlighting only what your
duties and the outcomes were.

BREAK A LEG!
 ERKS CLUB
P
GUIDE TO
Curriculum Vitae (CV) Writing
S U B T I T L E

RECRUITERS’ FAVOURITE CV TEMPLATE:

CHRONOLOGICAL TEMPLATE

A chronologically written CV lists your jobs starting with the most recent or current role at
the top, followed by previous ones below. This format enables you to highlight your work
history and professional experience & achievements.

DRAFTING AN ATS FRIENDLY CV

It is estimated that over 75% of the recruiters use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS), and
over 95% of the Fortune 500 companies rely on the ATS. Therefore there is a high probability
that if your CV doesn’t play well the ATS, it will never reach a human recruiter.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when drafting an ATS friendly CV-
1. Choose simple, professional-looking fonts.
2. Use simple heads that enable easy navigation.
3. Use the right keywords reflecting the job description .
4. Choose the right skills for the role.
5. Use a template light on the graphical elements.

PRO TIP

While you can describe your skill level using terms like amateur or proficient, using simple
visual cues are easy to interpret and engage with the CV.

Microsoft Excel

BREAK A LEG!