■ What is Curriculum Vitae:
A curriculum vitae (CV) – the phrase literally means ‘the course of life’ – is an important document in one’s life today. For students graduating from college, it may seem the most important document in their lives.
In today’s competitive world, one has, unfortunately to ‘sell’ oneself in the job market and an important tool in the process is the CV or Curriculum Vitae.
■ Function of the Curriculum Vitae:
A well-written CV will not get you a job. A badly written CV may, however, result in the loss of an opportunity.
■ The Role of the CV:
The role of the CV is –
>>To get you to the stage where you are called for the interview.
>> To provide some basic information about yourself to your potential employers.
■ Impression of CV:
The CV is often seen by potential employers as a reflection of your personality. If you are applying for a job for which there are large number of applicants, then it is very likely that the employers will call only a small percentage of applicants for the second stage. They will of course check whether you have the minimum requirements, degrees, experience they have asked for. After going through the CVs of the applicants they will eliminate some applications. So, CV plays an important role in the selection process.
■ Impression of Bad CV:
An untidy and carelessly written CV reveals that the person is careless about his or her work. It is usually taken to signify the fact that the person is not serious about his job. If the CV is full of spelling mistakes and is visually unattractive, the employer will consider that the applicant has not taken greater care to prepare this important document and considers him or her careless.
The employers may get the impression of a bad CV –
>>That the person is lazy and does not wish to work hard at producing something good, but is satisfied with substandard results.
>>That the candidate is not really interested in this particular job and has therefore not bothered to write a good CV.
■ Choosing the right font and layout:
If your CV is neat, correctly written and conveys just the right amount of information, it could ensure that you are called for the next step in the process. Nowadays, most employers will expect at least a type written copy of your CV. Most will expect a computer generated CV. If you do not have access to any of these, then at least ensure that it is neatly written. If you are writing your CV on a computer, then you can easily choose a font that is slightly eye-catching and easy to read.
■ Important points to present in a good CV:
>> Choose the font you think best and is not difficult to read.
>> Keep a clear 1.5 inch margin on all sides.
>> Use good quality paper for your CV. Cheap or soiled paper will convey a negative impression.
>> The layout or organization of your CV should aim at presenting all the relevant facts in a way that makes it easy for your potential employers to find all the important information.
■ Content of CV:
Naturally, the content of your CV has to be appropriate for the job you are applying for. That means unnecessary information should be avoided. You should not have only one CV which you use for all applications. Rather you should create particular CV to address a particular employer or a particular job. For most students who are applying for their jobs, will have only the basic academic qualifications experience and extra-curricula activity to show.
■ What are the skills you should present in CV:
A good CV should be able to highlight your skills as well as your qualifications. Before you actually type your CV, think about yourself, your achievements and the skills that you have developed. Let see the skills that employers prefer in CV:
● Most employers prefer someone who has good communicative skills. If you have participated in debate competitions in school or college, you should mention this.
● Employers look for leadership abilities. If you were a student representative in college or captain or monitor in school, then you should mention those.
● Organizational ability is another characteristic that employers would like to see in candidates. If you have organized activities, such as college festival or literacy camp, blood donation camp you should mention this.
● Most employers will expect at least a minimum level of competency in computer skills. If you have taken computer courses, then you should mention this.
● Knowledge of languages is also considered important. So mention the languages that you know.
● Any hobbies or other interests that you have should be mentioned as well. This gives the impression that you a well-balanced person. While academic excellence is a good quality, employers also often prefer a person with interests in non-academic fields.
■ How to organize data and information in CV:
Once you have listed all facts and information that you wish to include, then you need to concentrate of making a presentable CV.Let us create a CV for John Paul who is a student and wish to apply for a job.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Name : John Paul
Father’s Name : Jatin Paul
Address : 7/12 West Patel Nagar,
Dobson Road
Pune – 200367
E-mail Address: [email protected]
Telephone Numbers : (0212) 2331 4356
Date of Birth : 02.10.1998
Nationally : Indian
Educational Qualification
Exam Passed Board/University YearDiv.
Madhyamik C.B.S.E 2014 I
H.S C.B.S.E 2016 I
B.B.A Delhi University 2019 I
M.B.A Delhi University 2021 I
Others Qualification : Computer Operating
Languages Known : English, Hindi, Bengali
Experience : Have been working as an accountant for 2 years
Interest : Sports
References : Prof S.N.Roy, City College
Signature
Date :
So, some careful corrections, better formatting, arrangement of facts and relevant details have improved CV and make it easier for the employers to scan the document and pick out the relevant facts.
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