I am writing this blog to provide some tips to my students on preparing their CVs. This is by no means a complete reference on preparing a CV. It just includes some tips that I have found useful while applying for jobs over the years.
A 'response' document The first thing that we need to know is that a CV is a document which is prepared in 'response' to an open position. Therefore, you cannot have one fixed CV which you can attach with all your job applications. Each open position will be different with different requirements of skills/experience. You can mostly find them in the job description. Therefore, while you may keep one generic copy of CV, you will have to tune/modify it for each job application. You CV should ideally two types of information: 1. information that is directly relevant to the position you are applying to, 2. information that sets you apart from other candidates (e.g. awards, achievements etc.) The first page - your most precious real-estate The first page is the most important part of your CV. When the recruiter has finished going through the first page, he/she will most probably have made a decision of whether to shortlist you or not. The rest of the pages will most probably be looked at only if your first page has generated sufficient interest. Your goal should be to stand out from the rest of the candidates. Therefore, on the first page, include information that is either directly relevant to the position (e.g., relevant previous experience, qualifications, trainings etc.) or something that is impressive about you (e.g., awards, distinctions, medals etc.) Since your first page is very important and you can only put limited amount of information on it, try to get rid of the information that is not going to help in your selection e.g. your picture, address, date of birth etc. The recruiter only needs to enough information to contact you. This will most probably be via email. So for most applications, your name and email address should provide sufficient information about you. Phone number can also be helpful (sometimes). The idea is to use your first page wisely. You don't care about them, they don't care about you Formatting and spelling/grammar are very important. They show how carefully/responsibly you work on your tasks. If you cannot prepare a 2-page CV without errors, the company/organization may not have the confidence to assign its important tasks to you. So take care of your formatting (alignment, consistent headings, styles, font type/color/size etc.) Similarly, take the time to read about the job/role and prepare your CV to highlight your suitability for that particular role. Sending one CV to dozens of recruiters will not be helpful.
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