If the candidates are looking for job opportunities in academia or any other field, it is important to create a CV. The CV will provide the candidates with a detailed account of their professional as well as educational history. If the recruiters are asking for a CV then they would want to know why you are the ideal candidate and why the recruiters are willing to spend their money and invest their time. This will help decide the next step in the hiring process. The CV also tells the recruiter about the experiences, work history, etc,. To make the CV clear and easy to read, formatting is necessary.
There are three types of CV formats a candidate can choose from:
- Chronological:
This is one of the best types of CV format a candidate can choose. This formats a list of information which focuses on the candidate’s academic and professional experience.
- Contact information
- Personal statement and summary
- Academic history and achievements
- Work experience
- Qualifications and skills
- Awards and honours
- Publications and presentations
- Grants and scholarships
- Licences and certifications
- Professional associations
- Functional:
This CV format focuses mainly on the skills, awards and honours of the candidate. The following format should be followed if the candidate is choosing to write the CV in a functional format.
- Contact information
- Qualifications and skills
- Awards and honours
- Academic history and achievements
- Professional experience
- Publications and presentations
- Grants and scholarships
- Licences and certifications
- Professional associations
This CV format is ideal for those candidates who want to change their career or are new to the job market.
- Combination:
This CV format is the combination of both chronological and functional formats. This format will allow the candidates to write in details about their both professional and educational history as well as both skills and accomplishments.
How to write a CV:
Below are four factors which should be considered while writing a CV:
- Choose the right font type and size:
The candidates should choose the right font and size to improve readability. There are two categories of font, serif and sans-serif. Serif category consists of Times New Roman, Courier, Georgia which are small and decorative whereas the sans-serif category consists of Helvetica, Arial, Geneva which are easy to read. The candidates should keep in mind that the size of the font should be between 10 and 12 and not more than that.
- Check margins:
The candidate should also check the margin size. If the size of the margin is very large then it would leave too much space and if the margin is very small then the CV page would look cluttered. It is advisable to keep the margin in between 1 and 1.5 inches.
- Utilise the space effectively:
If the candidate has been in the job market for long then the CV can be lengthy due to the gain of experience. To make sure that the candidate is utilising the space effectively, they need to follow the following steps:
Bulleted lists: The skills and awards section in the CV should be in a bullet list for an easy read.
Section headers: The section headers should be distinguished from the rest of the CV.
Bolded words: It is important to bold the important words such as the candidate’s name and job title to set them apart from the rest of the CV.
- Proofread:
It is advisable for the candidate to proofread the CV before sending it to the recruiters of various companies. An error free and clear formatted CV will increase the chances of getting hired from the desirable company.
Key components and essential sections in a successful CV:
A good readable CV should consist of the following key components and essential sections:
The candidate’s details:
This section should include the candidate’s name, address, phone number, etc,. so that if any recruiters are interested they will be able to contact the candidate easily.
Personal statement:
It is important for the candidate to write a paragraph on themselves which might immediately catch the attention of the recruiter. The candidates are advised not to include everything about themselves but focus on the skill related to the job.
Work experience:
The candidate must include the most recent position and then proceed to add any other work experience in reverse chronological order. The candidate needs to mention the name, location, website and dates of the employment for each company they have worked for. It is advisable to use any bullet points wherever necessary so that the recruiters will be able to quickly match the candidate’s experience with that of the job position.
Education:
The education should also be mentioned as the work experience in reverse chronological order including the details of the candidate’s academic and professional qualifications and achievements.
Skills:
The candidate may or may not realise this but they definitely have picked some skills over the years. Be it if they are well-versed in any foreign language or they are well-versed in any computer skills, all should be mentioned in the CV.
Hobbies and interests:
This section is optional but the candidates can mention their hobbies and interests for a more rounded picture and something personal to discuss in the interview.
References:
It is not necessary for the candidates to mention any referees in their CV but they can list the referees in their CV for any emergency. If the candidate is applying for his/her first job then they should mention their tutors or mentors for positive remarks. The candidates should make sure that the referees are easily contacted if the recruiters would want to contact them at any time.
Things to not use in CV:
Below are some of the things which should not be included in the CV:
- Do not use any image or colours.
- Do not write long paragraphs.
- Do not overdo the use of bold type in every section.
- Do not use font sizes which are less than 10.
- Do not use abbreviations if they are not universally known.
The candidates should follow the above instructions for writing a professional CV. If the candidates still face any difficulties they can avail help from the best CV writing services in the UK. The professional expert writers will guide the candidate through the right direction and the chance of getting hired in the desired company will increase.
