This document provides guidance on designing an effective curriculum vitae or resume. It explains that a CV or resume should demonstrate why an applicant should be hired over other candidates by describing their education, competence, and relevant experience. The document offers tips for writing a CV or resume, including writing with the recruiter in mind, limiting the chance of not being selected by providing professional and credible information, and noting the importance of accuracy. It also discusses different resume formats like chronological, functional, and combination resumes and provides advice on choosing a resume type, font, formatting, focus, and other elements of an effective resume.
This document provides guidance on designing an effective curriculum vitae or resume. It explains that a CV or resume should demonstrate why an applicant should be hired over other candidates by describing their education, competence, and relevant experience. The document offers tips for writing a CV or resume, including writing with the recruiter in mind, limiting the chance of not being selected by providing professional and credible information, and noting the importance of accuracy. It also discusses different resume formats like chronological, functional, and combination resumes and provides advice on choosing a resume type, font, formatting, focus, and other elements of an effective resume.
This document provides guidance on designing an effective curriculum vitae or resume. It explains that a CV or resume should demonstrate why an applicant should be hired over other candidates by describing their education, competence, and relevant experience. The document offers tips for writing a CV or resume, including writing with the recruiter in mind, limiting the chance of not being selected by providing professional and credible information, and noting the importance of accuracy. It also discusses different resume formats like chronological, functional, and combination resumes and provides advice on choosing a resume type, font, formatting, focus, and other elements of an effective resume.
This document provides guidance on designing an effective curriculum vitae or resume. It explains that a CV or resume should demonstrate why an applicant should be hired over other candidates by describing their education, competence, and relevant experience. The document offers tips for writing a CV or resume, including writing with the recruiter in mind, limiting the chance of not being selected by providing professional and credible information, and noting the importance of accuracy. It also discusses different resume formats like chronological, functional, and combination resumes and provides advice on choosing a resume type, font, formatting, focus, and other elements of an effective resume.
Designing the Curriculum Vitae/Résumé Designing the Curriculum Vitae/Résumé
❑ CV or Résumé describes your education,
competence, and experience. ❑ It defines what kind of applicant you are for the job. ❑ It determines if you are the right person for the job. ❑ It should demonstrate to any prospective employer why they should hire you above any of the other skilled candidates who have presented themselves for employment. Basic Rules of CV Writing
✔ Write with the recruiter or human resource manager in mind. Assume
that you are the recruiter. Think about what he needs to know about you. Consider the job description. ✔ Present your CV or resumé to inform them well about what they need to know. Show it in a way that it reveals very professional and credible information. ✔ A well-written CV or resumé limits the chance of not selecting you. It easily puts you in the shortlist. ✔ CV or resumés are the most important documents needed in job screening. They provide the highlights of your qualifications, work experiences, competence, professional and educational history. ✔ In some academic institutions, the CV or resumé is the standard for job applications. The objective of both CV and resumé remain. However, the appearance of the document is noticeably different. Tips for Creating a Professional Resume 1 Select the Best Resume Type
A chronological resume is one of the most common resume formats and there's a good reason for it: Employers tend to prefer it because it's straightforward and easy to scan. CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME A chronological resume lists your work history in order of date, with the most recent position at the top. It might include a resume objective or career summary before the list of work experiences.
Education, certifications, and special skills follow work experience in this style of resume.
Note: It’s important to get the facts straight when you’re listing your work experience so that the employer won’t think that you’re lying on your resume should they decide to do a background check. Make sure that the dates, job titles, salary history (if included), etc. are accurate before you submit your resume and application. The Benefits of a Chronological Resume
The chronological resume is one of the most commonly
used styles, and its familiarity alone makes the information easier to absorb. Ideally, it shows the progression of a career clearly.
It can be easier to compile, too, since its orientation toward
dates helps you to nail down the details of your own job history. When to Use a Chronological Resume
As it emphasizes work history, the chronological
resume is most effective for candidates with solid experience in the field. By showcasing your work history front and center, you immediately show the employer that you have related experience and skills. When Not to Use a Chronological Resume
When you’re just beginning your career
When you’re changing careers When you have gaps in your work history When you’ve frequently changed jobs FUNCTIONAL RESUME
A functional resume focuses on skills and experience rather than on your chronological work history. It's typically used by job seekers who are changing careers or who have gaps in their employment history. FUNCTIONAL RESUME
A functional resume showcases an applicant's skills. It may start with a summary of
qualifications followed by a list of a candidate's skills and examples of using those skills.
For example, you might list "Leadership" as a skill, then follow that with examples of when you've shown leadership. For example, you might say, "Managed the sales department of five staff members. Increased sales by 25% in six months."
This is different from a traditional, chronological resume that displays a timeline of your work experience with brief explanations of each job. As a result, the focus is shifted from job titles and the amount of time that has passed to the actual skills you possess.
NOTE: Another resume option is a combination resume, which uses a chronological
format but highlights the skills you showed in each position. HOW FUNCTIONAL RESUME WORKS A functional resume draws attention away from items that a hiring manager might find problematic. It de-emphasizes gaps in your work history or the fact that you're making a significant career change.
A functional resume is less commonly used than a chronological
resume, which recruiters and interviewers generally prefer. If you don't have a reason for using a functional resume, opt for a chronological one.1 Additionally, some applicant tracking software programs reject resumes without a chronological work history. Writing a Functional Resume
1. Start with a resume summary
2. Organize by theme 3. Use keywords 4. Mention relevant projects 5. Include your employment history 6. Write a strong cover letter COMBINATION RESUME
When you use a
Combination Resume, you can showcase the skills you have that are relevant to the job for which you’re applying, while also providing the work history that employers have requested. WHEN TO USE A COMBINATION RESUME
This format often offers the best of both worlds for job seekers who might prefer to present their resume in a functional format, emphasizing their skills and qualifications, but who have been instructed by the employer to include a work history. For those who wish to avoid a traditional chronological resume—either because of unrelated jobs or employment gaps— this format is a good compromise. What to Include in a Combination Resume The combination resume is typically sectioned into two parts: The first part is similar to a functional resume in that it highlights skills, achievements, and qualifications. The second part depicts the timeline of one’s work experience. The layout first captures the attention of the employer or recruiter by highlighting the key skills and capabilities of the applicant in a “qualifications summary,” and then supports this introductory section with an account of prior work experience. The qualifications summary is also a good place to include resume keywords that will help your resume get past its initial review by an automated applicant tracking system and in front of the human eye of a hiring manager. It can be especially effective, in this format, to divide the descriptions of your work experience into “Related Work Experience” and “Additional Professional Experience” sections. This allows you to focus your reader’s attention on your most relevant experience while at the same time providing a complete work history. TARGETED RESUME
A Targeted Resume focuses
on a specific job opening. The targeted resume is written to highlight the skills and experiences relevant to a particular position. When sending targeted resumes, the resume will be edited or rewritten for each job to which the candidate applies. Tips for Targeting Your Resume
Edit the Summary or Profile: You don't necessarily need to rewrite your entire resume to make it targeted for a particular position. Sometimes a few small updates in key sections of your resume can have a powerful impact on defining your strengths. The first step is to review the job description carefully so that you can be sure the position is a good match for you, and know which qualities and skills to emphasize on your resume. The easiest way to target your resume (without rewriting the whole resume) is to include a Resume Summary of Qualifications, a Profile, or Career Highlights section at the top of your resume. Review the job description and then review your resume. Take the experience, credentials, and education that best match the job posting and include them in the Summary of Qualifications section at the top of your resume. Then list your experience in reverse chronological order, just like you would on a traditional resume.
Write a Custom Resume: Another option for customizing your resume is to
edit your resume, so your skills and experience are as close a match as possible to the job description or job ad requirements. Take the keywords used in the job posting and work them into your resume. 2 Choose a Simple Font Your resume should be easy to read. You want the hiring manager to easily read and absorb your work history and accomplishments. Therefore, use a legible font (such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri). Make sure the font is not too big or too small (choose a size between 10 and 12).
Avoid dense blocks of text and use standard margins. Use white- or cream-colored paper if you are sending a physical resume; colored paper can be very distracting. 3 Keep Your Formatting Consistent Professional resumes need to have consistent formatting. For instance, if you use bullet points to describe your responsibilities and achievements at one position, be sure to use bullet points in all other positions as well.
Also, make certain that the bullet points are formatted the same way throughout. For example, don't use circle bullet points in one section, and diamond bullet points in another section. Be consistent with font, font size, and style (such as the use of bold and italics). 4 Keep it Focused t's important not to include extraneous information. More isn’t necessarily better. Your resume should focus on the skills and attributes that qualify you for the job. It will be helpful to leave out anything that won’t help you get the job you want.
A resume shouldn’t be several pages long for the average job seeker, a one-page resume is probably enough, or two pages at most. 5 Give It a Makeover
It's always a good idea to periodically refresh your
resume. Be sure you have included all your latest achievements, and your employment and educational history are current. Updating your resume will increase your chances of getting it noticed by the hiring manager. 6 Use Resume Examples and Templates
Use a resume example or template to help you write
your resume. An example can help you decide what information to include. Templates can help you format your resume. However, whenever you use a resume example or template, be sure to customize your resume, so it reflects your skills and abilities, and the jobs you are applying for. A simple copy/paste isn’t enough. 7 Carefully Edit Your Resume
Spelling and grammar errors can make an applicant
seem inattentive to details. Review proofing guidelines to ensure that your resume is consistent and error-free. Then check it again. And, if you can, find someone else to look at it too, because it’s so easy to miss your own typos. 8 Get Resume Help
Writing a resume is hard work and it's important to get
help, or at least have your resume reviewed before you send it to employers. Consider using a career counselor or other professional resume service to help you make sure your resume is professional and polished. Having a friend or family member check for typos and formatting errors is another option to make sure it's perfect. Sources:
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-create-a-professional-resume-2 063237 TASK: Curriculum Vitae should be limited to your area of specialization. The content could either be for experienced managers or for those who newly-graduated from an engineering course. Pages: Minimum: 2 pages Maximum : 3 pages Paper size: Letter size bond paper (8.5 × 11in.) Parts of Curriculum Vitae 1. Career Objective 2. Work Experience 3. Educational Program 4. Skills 5. Awards & Recognition 6. Seminars & Trainings attended 7. Affiliation & Membership 8. Personal Information 9. Character references Rubric for Grading:
