A FEW CRITICAL TIPS
FOR WRITING YOUR
FIRST CURRICULUM
VITAE
BY YASEMIN ALTAS
ADAPTED BY LAURA MCNABB
WHAT
FOR?
IS THE
CV ( CURRICULUM VITAE)
Your identity
2. To obtain a personal interview
1.
A CURRICULUM VITAE
SHOULD GIVE A
CLEAR PICTURE OF THE FOLLOWING
What
:
do I want to convey (my
career objectives)?
What are my core
skills/competencies?
What are my major achievements?
THE
BASIC COMPONENTS OF A
CV
A. Cover letter
B. CV
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Contact information
Objectives
Personal profile
Education background (starting from most recent)
Employment experience
Professional affiliations and honors
Publications, presentations, skills and other activities
References
OTHER
CRITICAL THINGS YOU
SHOULD HAVE:
CV
Hobbies and extra-curricular interests only
when these match or complement the job
 Clear formatting - recruiters will give each
Curriculum Vitae a maximum 10 seconds
 Neat typing & font
 Correct English, simple and short sentences
(preferably in bullet points)
 Correct spelling and punctuation
 Correct contact information

LET’S GET STARTED
Step 1: Contact information
(5 min.)
In
groups, discuss WHAT to
include and HOW to format this
part
STEP 1: CONTACT INFORMATION
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1.
Name
Address
Depending on demand:
Nationality
Date of Birth
Marital status
Contact Information
Telephone & E-mail (make sure it’s business-like!)

princess123@hotmail.com
sweetalyabkr@yahoo.com
noname1984@hotmail.com

VERY Significant: NO ERRORS!!!


STEP 4: EDUCATIONAL
BACKGROUND
Look at the sample CV.
 Maintain
reverse chronological order
(most recent on top)
 Be
consistent in your formatting
Date received
Degree
Institution
Location
 No
abbreviations
 No gaps in the timeline- if there are, be
prepared to explain these.
STEP 5: EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE
Look at the sample CV. How is the information organized?
•
•
•
•
•
Reverse chronological order
Subheadings: full time/ part time/
duties
Avoid gaps in timelines/ or explain
Format:
Date/ Period of employment
Job Title
Name of the
organization/company
duties
EG: Find the 5 mistakes.
2010 Sales manager
Entrepreneur Showcase, Dubai Women’s college.
Duties:
- I Dealt with product demand.
- Dealt with customer relations
- Negotiated sales prize with product suppliers.
- Training two year-one students as sales assistants
STEP 6: PROFESSIONAL
HONORS

This part can make the
difference!

Memberships

Elected positions

Certificates received from
organizations

Try to stay modest!
AFFILIATIONS
&
WHAT ARE YOUR MAJOR
ACHIEVEMENTS?
 Student
= no real professional
experience yet so your major
achievements would be mostly in the
field of academics.
 Make sure you highlight the best of
such achievements in your CV.(Special
projects/ tasks you completed
successfully, relevant certificates)
 Include IELTS/ ICDL/ British Council
certificates
EG:
IELTS ( International English Language Testing System)
BAND 6
Cambridge University, UK.
2010
STEP 7: PUBLICATIONS, PRESENTATIONS,
SKILLS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
-
IT SKILLS
LANGUAGE/ LINGUISTIC SKILLS
MANAGEMENT/ ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
PERSONAL SKILLS
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
CATEGORIZE:
COMPETENT/ INTERMEDIATE/ BEGINNER
LEISURE ACTIVITIES:
WATCHING TV/ CHATTING ON THE INTERNET DOES
NOT QUALIFY!
STEP 8:

REFERENCES
Available upon request
STEP 2: OBJECTIVES

Focuses on the TYPE
of work you apply for
- SHOW
THAT YOU KNOW WHAT YOU
WANT FROM THE JOB/ INSTITUTION
-
MATCH YOUR OBJECTIVE TO THE
POSITION YOU ARE APPLYING FOR.
YOUR CAREER OBJECTIVE:
- What job are you applying for?
- In which industry are you interested? (e.g.
Marketing)
- Qualities that support your goal (e.g.
qualifications, high-profile projects)
);
WRITING
Sample Career Objectives—Contrast and Compare
A poorly-constructed career objective statement is often worse than none
at all. Consider these examples:
CAREER OBJECTIVE EXAMPLE #1
I would prefer a job in retail sales that will give me the opportunity to further
my already-extensive understanding as regards the creation and
monitoring of in-store promotions of cosmetics to customers, with a view to
later advancement to a more senior-level position.
CAREER OBJECTIVE EXAMPLE #2
Seeking a retail sales position that demands proficiency in the creation and
monitoring of in-store promotions of cosmetics to customers.
What is the difference between these two career objective examples?
SAMPLE CV OBJECTIVE STATEMENTS:
. To secure a position with a well
established organization with a stable
environment that will lead to a lasting
relationship.
2
(BAD! WHY?)
3. TO OBTAIN A POSITION THAT WILL
ENABLE ME TO USE MY STRONG
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS,
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, AND
ABILITY TO WORK WELL WITH PEOPLE.
(BAD! WHY?)
4. TO
OBTAIN A POSITION AS A
DESIGNER IN THE
MARKETING
DEPARTMENT THAT UTILIZES MY
WRITING SKILLS AND ENABLES ME TO
MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO
THE ORGANIZATION.
STEP 3 PERSONAL
PROFILE

Without a profile, your
chances of your CV being
read are greatly reduced.

Tells the employer who you
are and what YOU can do
for THEM

Focuses on your skills &
achievements

Specify your skills- EG. Time
management, planning,
leadership
(2-3
LINES)
- A PERSONAL
PROFILE IS USUALLY THE FIRST THING AN
EMPLOYER LOOKS AT- SO CAPTURE THEIR ATTENTION!
- PROMOTE
YOUR SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND ACHIEVEMENTS
KEYWORDS
 Professional
 Dynamic
 Multinational
 Able to multitask
 Enthusiastic
 Eager
 Knowledgeable
 Team leader
 Efficient
 Experienced
 Well-organized
 Conscientious
 Hardworking
 Adaptable
 Ambitious







Knowledge
Skills
(Have) Expertise
Negotiator
Good
communicator
(Have) keen
interest
Challenging
environment
MORE EXAMPLES
For those with little/ no work experience:
A hardworking person who is keen and conscientious
with an excellent attendance record at school. I am
interested in an office based career where I can use the
qualifications I gained at school.
 I am keen to follow a career in Tourism or Hotel
Management. I am well-organized, highly motivated and
have excellent communication skills. In addition I am
reliable, flexible, and quick to learn.
 A reliable and conscientious employee with good
customer service skills and a proven record of achieving
targets and goals, looking to train towards recognised
qualifications in the work place.

FOR UNDERGRADUATES/GRADUATES:
 Adaptable
and ambitious business studies
undergraduate with proven customer service
skills and an excellent understanding of
business finance, keen to take on the daily
challenges and rewards of working.
A
business graduate with a keen interest in
practical applications and information systems,
seeking a career where a background in
problem-solving would be an advantage.
• Excellent verbal and written communication
skills and an ability to relate to a wide range of
people. Particularly interested in economic
processes, financial systems and globalization
and am keen to develop a career in this field
with an organization that will provide me with
early responsibility.
• Science graduate with experience in health
service management studying management
information systems, seeking to combine work
and academic experience in management
consultancy in the health care industry.
FINAL
CHECKLIST
PRINT OUT YOUR CV AND JOB
ADVERTISEMENT AND GIVE IT TO YOUR
FRIEND FOR PROOF READING.