Writing your CV

What is a CV?

A CV (curriculum vitae) or résumé in the USA is a summary of your education, skills and

What to include in a CV

• Contact details - Include your full name, home address, mobile number and email address. .
• Profile - It is a concise statement that highlights your key attributes or reasons why you would like to work in a particular field. I should be no longer than 100 words.
• Education - List and date all previous education, including professional qualifications, placing the most recent first.
• Work experience - List your experience in reverse chronological order, making sure that anything you mention is relevant to the job you're applying for.
• Skills and achievements - Talk about the foreign languages you speak and the IT packages you can competently use.
• Interests - Include hobbies that may be relevant to the job.
• References - You don't need to provide the names of references at this stage. You also don't need to say 'references available upon request' as most employers would assume this to be the case.

You can take a look at these example CVs.

CV format

• Avoid fonts such as Comic Sans. Choose something more professional such as size-10 Arial.
• Keep it concise and easy to read by using clear spacing and bullet points.
• Use white A4 paper. Only print on one side and don't fold your CV. 
• Don't use more than two sides of A4.

How to write a good CV

1. Use a spell checker to avoid spelling mistakes.
2. Don't write the word 'curriculum vitae' at the top of the page.
3. Provide a professional-sounding email address.
4. Never lie or exaggerate.
5. Include a cover letter.