15 Tips for Developing a Great Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A Curriculum vitae (CV) is a short, written summary of your skills, achievements and experience which relate to a role you want. You use it in the first stage of applying for jobs. Employers often ask for a Curriculum vitae (CV) instead of an application form but sometimes you’ll need both. It’s your first chance to promote yourself to an employer.

Here are 15 tips for developing a great Curriculum vitae (CV):

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1. Tailor your CV for each position. Customize your Curriculum vitae (CV) for every job you apply to focus on the relevant skills and experience.
2. Focus on accomplishments and quantifiable results. Use power words and emphasize your key achievements and the impact you made.
3. Lead with a strong Curriculum vitae (CV) summary statement. Your summary should be 2 or 3 sentences to hook the hiring manager’s interest quickly.
4. Optimize your Curriculum vitae (CV)for applicant tracking systems. Include relevant keywords from the job listing in your Curriculum vitae (CV)to increase the chances of ranking higher in the searches.
5. Include relevant work experience in reverse chronological order. List your work experience with your most recent job first.
6. Include relevant education along with any relevant coursework, projects, or awards. Add a separate education section or include courses and awards within each role.
7. Include relevant skills such as languages, computer programs, machinery, etc. Add a separate skills section or include key skills in your experience descriptions.
8. Include links to your online portfolio or profiles. Links to your LinkedIn, website, blog, or other professional profiles help bring your CV to life.
9. Include optional sections for honors & awards, publications, interests, etc. as needed. But only add these if relevant for your particular situation.
10. Use a simple but professional Curriculum vitae (CV) format and template. Choose a clean format with clear section headings and adequate white space.
11. Check carefully for any errors or typos before applying. Double check for any mistakes in spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.
12. Ask a friend or family member to review your CV. A fresh set of eyes can provide helpful feedback and spot things you may have missed.
13. Keep your CV to 1 page if possible or 2 pages if needed. Only include relevant information and be concise in your descriptions.
14. Update your CV regularly with any new skills, experience, accomplishments, or other relevant changes.
15. Follow the CV tips and examples for the types of positions you are pursuing. The formats and content will vary depending on roles, industries, location, etc.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when developing a Curriculum vitae (CV):

• Spelling and grammar errors. Carefully proofread your entire CV for any spelling, grammar or punctuation mistakes. These errors can undermine a professional document.

• Too much personal information. Avoid including personal details like marital status, age, ethnicity, religion, etc. Focus on your professional qualifications.

• Lack of focus. Make sure your CV has a clear focus and highlights experience and skills relevant for the target position. Avoid being too broad.

• Irrelevant experience. Only include experience and skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. Leave out any irrelevant work history.

• Weak accomplishments. Highlight quantifiable achievements and the impact you made in each role. Vague statements like “responsibility for marketing projects” are weak.

• Gaps or unclear chronology. Present your work experience in reverse chronological order with dates, titles and organizations clearly showing the progression of your career. Any gaps or unclear moves can raise questions.

• Lack of keywords. Ensure your CV includes relevant keywords from the job listing to maximize your chances of passing applicant tracking system screens. But don’t overstuff your CV with keywords.

• Too many fonts or colors. Use a simple, clean font and minimal formatting. Avoid using too many different fonts, colors, or other distracting layout elements.

• No section headings. Section headings help quickly convey your experience, skills and qualifications at a glance. Make sure you have headings for Experience, Education, Skills, Honors, etc. as needed.

• Long paragraphs. Use concise bullet points and emphasize key phrases in your experience descriptions. Avoid long, dense paragraphs that are hard to read quickly.

• No references. Mention that references are available upon request. Don’t actually include full contact details for your references on your CV.

• Poor formatting. Ensure a consistent and logical formatting style, clear section headings, adequate white space, etc. Messy formatting reflects poorly on your application.

Here are some tips for tailoring your CV to a specific job posting:

• Read the job listing carefully and identify the key requirements, skills, and experience they are looking for. Make note of any tools, technologies, keywords, etc. explicitly mentioned.

• Emphasize relevant experience and skills at the top of your CV. Re-arrange your experience section to highlight the most relevant roles and responsibilities first, especially as they relate to the key requirements listed in the job posting.

• Target your CV summary statement to the specific opportunity. Customize your summary for each role to convey why you’re interested in and suited for that particular position. Mention the job title and company by name.

• Include relevant skills keywords prominently. Include keywords from the job listing in your CV skills section and experience descriptions to ensure your CV is selected by applicant tracking systems. But don’t overcrowd your CV with keywords.

• Highlight relevant projects, achievements and impacts. Call out key accomplishments from your relevant experience that match what the employer is seeking. Use powerful and compelling language to bring your relevant work to life.

• Include links to additional evidence. Add links to published work, videos, news coverage, tutorials, or other content that highlights your capabilities related to that specific opportunity.

• Research the company and role thoroughly. The more you know about the hiring company, key requirements, challenges of the role, department, team, etc. the more you can tailor your CV and career story to address how you are the ideal candidate for that position.

• Focus on transferable strengths. While tailoring your experience, also emphasize any strengths, skills, and qualifications that would be valuable for that role regardless of direct experience, e.g. analytical, communication, leadership, problem-solving abilities.

• Ask others to review your tailored CV. Once you have customized your CV, ask a friend or family member to review it for any feedback or suggestions to make it as compelling as possible for that particular opportunity. Fresh eyes can help.

• Be ready to provide specific examples. If you leverage tailored work experiences and accomplishments for a role, be ready to give concrete examples and stories to illustrate your key relevant experience during the interview. Real-world examples will strengthen your case.

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