HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE CV

KHANSA HAYAT
Assistant Professor
Head of Department
Lahore Business School-UOL-Islamabad
 Objectives
• To understand what different types of employers want from a
CV

• To learn some strategies to make a good impression

• To look at examples of successful CVs and to understand

what makes them effective

• To enable participants to critically view their own CV

• To know the importance of Cover Letter in CV

 The Purpose of a CV
• To inform the employer about your past experiences
• To persuade the employer to offer you an interview
 The simple key to make a CV
• Evidence

• Evidence

• Evidence
 Match the Job
• Find out what the job involves
• Find out what skills, qualifications and experiences are required
• Link your own skills, experiences and qualifications to the job
 Experience from which the skills should be drawn

• Training courses
• Conferences
• Departmental committees
• Teaching Assistance
• Joining a professional body
• Work placements or shadowing
• Voluntary work
• Part-time work
• Employment
 A CV for an Academic post

• Whilst some academics have strong views on the correct

format for academic CVs, these can differ. However,
virtually all academic CVs are built around these three
pillars:

• Research
• Teaching
• Administration
 A CV for a Non-Academic post
• Personal Details
• Career Aims/Objective?
• Qualifications/Education
• Work (or other) experience
• Skills
• Interests
• Referees

• Focus on relevant skills and qualities - backed up by evidence

• Don't use specialist terminology - emphasise your ability to write
and present information suitable for different audiences
• 2 pages
COVERING LETTER
 Covering Letters

• In response to advertisement
• Usually one page typed A4

• Purpose is to:
• highlight your key selling points
• show why you are interested in that job
• show why you are interested in that employer
Structure of letter
• Address to named individual if possible
• Why you are sending the CV
• Why you are the right person
• Job match

• What attracts you to the employer

• Show your research, any other skills you find matching with
organizational values
• Contact Details
Tips for Professional Presentation
• For non-academic CVs, 2 sides of A4 maximum, new sheet for each side,
laser printed.
• For academic CVs, get most of your good stuff on the first two pages
• Use new, good quality paper; white or “professional” in colour. Avoid folders or
fancy slippery covers
• Graphics – use only if relevant and only if they add something
• Use bold, italics or underlining but not all at once or you will lose impact
• Avoid background shading – when photocopied it can be blotchy or
obscure text
• Use distinctive headings and clearly separate the different areas of your
experience
• Indenting sections and using bullets add visual interest and signposts key
information
CNTD….
• Rambling prose and endless lists are boring to read –
the recruiter may not bother. Make it punchy and to the
point
• Use strong active words such as demonstrated,
initiated, reorganised, co-ordinated – there’s a useful list
in the Careers & Employability Service CV guide.
• Be specific and quantify achievements for credibility
and impact – eg. “negotiated £100 sponsorship from local
companies to promote department charity fun run, raising
£760”
Take Away…..

• There is no single right way to do a CV

or letter as long as it shows:
• What you have done
• What you have gained from this
• Tailor each CV and letter to
job/employer
• Avoid CV templates on the web
• Undertake research into job/company
and identify the type of person sought
• Show good knowledge of yourself and good evidence
for your skills
• Demonstrate your necessary technical/subject
specific knowledge
• Present yourself positively by using “action verbs”
• Seek advice before sending 

• SAMPLE CV
Useful websites
• www.rozee.pk

• www.bayt.com

• www.mustakbil.com

• www.rightjobs.pk