Resume and Curriculum Vitae Writting

What is a resume?

A resume is a brief summary of an individuals skills, relevant qualifications, work history, credentials and other accomplishments required for the specific job. It is normally between one to two pages.

What is a Curriculum vitae?

A Curriculum Vitae is a document which contains details about a persons past education, experience, knowledge, skills, competencies, accomplishments, awards and honors, etc. It also includes details about a persons area of interest, hobbies and extracurricular activities.

What are their Objectives?

A resume/CVs aim is to get an applicant a job interview. However, it must allow potential employers to swiftly and correctly perceive who you are, your strengths, future aspirations, and how you can drive their agenda.

How to Write a CV

The following are some of the areas considered important when writing a Curriculum Vitae:-

1. Contact Information

Start with your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address.

2. Academic and Professional Qualifications

Briefly list your school qualifications, college certificate/diploma and university degree giving dates, location and grade attained. Start with your highest level or most recent training.

3. Job Experience

Outline your previous employments, the position(s) held and main duties performed.

4. Additional Skills

List any other skills other than academic such as foreign languages, proficiency in computer applications, etc

5. Hobbies and Interests (Optional)

Hobbies may describe your personality, whether you are physically, intellectually and socially, active or solitary Employers are usually more interested in activities which require you to show team commitment or personal initiative and drive.

6. References

Your CV should list at least two people who can recommend you as an employee. Provide their name s, titles, organizations, phone numbers, post and email addresses. Cover Letter
Lastly after you have created a good resume, it is important to have quality cover letter to convince the prospective employer to look closely at your resume/CV.

Tips on writing a good CV and or Resume

• Use the same font and style throughout for consistency
• Bold the major headings
• Use bullets to call attention to important points
• Highlight specific achievements that present a comprehensive picture of your marketability
• Avoid errors in your writing, be grammatically correct and clean
• Be specific
• Use double space between sections and single space between lines
• Quantify your achievements without exaggerating your experience and skills
• Print your resume/CV using a laser printer on good quality paper

DO NOT:

• Include your health status
• Date your Resume/CV; keep it current
• Use acronyms and jargon
• submit your political organization membership
• use a funny or controversial email address
• Include salary history of your past job(s)
• exceed three to five bullets per section

Chronological
This is the traditional approach and the easiest to prepare. It outlines your career history in order of dates, normally beginning with the most recent. It is decent, comprehensive and biographical and ideal for those who have stayed in the same career for most of their working life

Functional

Functional resume/CV puts emphasis on skills and experience rather than the chronology of your employment history. This type of resume/CV is ideal for people who intend to change careers or who have gaps in their employment history.

Combination

Combination resume/CV allows you to detail both your skills and experience, while also chronologically listing your work history. It gives details of your work experience and hence could be lengthy as compared to functional or chronological CVs.