Prepping a CV

Knowing how to write a good CV can help you go further in your career. You can review the points given below for writing a CV:

1. Introduce yourself with a header
Begin your CV by including your full name and other details like your job or professional title, phone numbers, home address, email address and links to your social media profile at the header. This allows recruiters to know who you are and how to contact you in one look. You can also choose to add a link to your website or your portfolio. Doing so gives them an idea of the quality of the work you have done so far.

2. Include a professional profile (optional)
Consider adding a professional summary to your CV, which is a brief yet informative statement that emphasises your essential skills and separates you from the competition. It highlights a few key accomplishments and expresses your career goals. This typically enables hiring managers to give your CV a quick glance and understand your candidature.

3. List your employment history
Next, list your work experience in reverse chronological order. Include your job title, the name of the company, how long you have worked there and the tasks and responsibilities you handled on a day-to-day basis. This lets your prospective employers get an idea of your professional journey and determine whether your work experience is relevant to the post you have applied for and if you are a suitable candidate for the position.

4. Detail your educational qualifications
Provide an ordered list of your education details with the highest degree on top. Include the names of the institution, the degree you obtained and the marks you scored. If you are currently pursuing or havepursued a diploma or a certificate course, you can add that too here.

5. Add relevant skills and achievements
List any skills that can be helpful for the intended role, such as photography and editing skills, foreign languages or coding. To make yourself a more appealing candidate, try to include talents that apply to the job description. Consider adding both hard and soft skills, as it can make you look like a well- rounded, desirable candidate.

6. Include additional details
Next, you can include relevant sections and organise the details with the help of bulleted lists. This could be anything like awards and honours or grants and scholarships that you may have received. You can also include your licences and certifications and add details of any volunteer work that you do. This can make your CV look impressive and also be a good topic of discussion during the interview.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you draft a CV:

• Use professional fonts. Consider using uniformly sized, professional-looking fonts like Calibri or Arial in dark colours.
• Choose the best format. See if using a chronological or a functional format is the right option for you.
• Include relevant skills. Look at the most critical details and skills that apply to your desired job and try focusing on them.
• Use active language. Try using active verbs when presenting your skills and achievements.
• Make it easy to scan. Consider using bullet points and short sentences to list information. You may also choose to add icons to the section headers.
• Use a professional email address. Consider creating a new email address if your email id is inappropriate for professional use.
• Proofread. Consider using a grammar and spell checker or having a friend read through your CV to catch any errors.
• Keep it brief and to the point. Ideal length should be 2 to 3 pages.
• Where possible try to put quantifiable data.

If you plan to apply for jobs, you can prepare by creating a quality curriculum vitae (CV) that shows employers the qualifications that make you a suitable candidate. There are different formats you can use for a CV depending on your work experience, educational background and career path. Learning about these formats can help you choose one that fits the job you want and may help you get the attention of hiring managers. In this article, we define five types of CV and share tips for writing an effective CV.

5 Types Of CV
Here are five types of CV you can consider when you are preparing for your job search:

1. Chronological
A chronological CV is a versatile format that emphasizes your professional objectives and experience. It is suitable for many roles, as it allows you to highlight your most relevant qualifications for a job. You can list your skills and certifications to supplement your primary qualifications. You might choose a chronological format if you are new to your career or if you have a history of consistent employment without lengthy gaps.

A chronological CV typically starts with a professional summary, which outlines the knowledge, skills and goals you have that apply to the job you want. The next section highlights your educational credentials or your work history, depending on where you are in your career. If you are an entry-level candidate, you may include your education first by listing your diplomas or degrees, starting with your most recent. If you have experience, you can list your work history after your professional summary, beginning with your current or most recent role.

2. Functional
A functional CV, also called a skills-based CV, focuses on your skills and accomplishments instead of your degrees or job duties. You might consider writing a functional CV if you have extended gaps in employment or you are changing careers and have limited experience in the field you want to enter. By starting your CV with your accomplishments and skills that may benefit you in a new role, you can show employers your relevant strengths. You can then add your work experience and education sections. The first section of a functional CV is a detailed list of your skills. You can group your skills by category, such as customer service or communication, which allows you to provide specific information about your proficiencies in these areas. Then, you can provide a list of examples under each skill to show how you used them effectively in the workplace. For instance, you might add increased customer satisfaction by 30% within three months as a customer service example.

3. Combined
A combined CV is one that incorporates elements of the chronological and functional CV formats. It allows candidates to highlight both their skills and their experience by emphasising both sections equally. This type of CV may suit you if you have an extensive professional history with notable skills and accomplishments. It may also be helpful if you have experience in your industry but want to move to a different role within the field.

Combined CV usually start with a skills section. You can use the same skill format as a functional CV, but try to include fewer skill categories and examples so you can transition to the work experience section. This allows hiring managers to review some of your strongest skills quickly and continue reviewing your CV without becoming distracted by extensive details about your proficiencies. In your work history section, use the chronological CV format by adding your current or most recent job first. You can then include your educational credentials, such as diplomas or degrees.

4. Creative
A creative CV is one that enables you to summarize your professional credentials while providing employers with an idea of your artistic style. This type of CV is suitable for jobs in creative fields in which design skills are beneficial, such as graphic design or photography. You can use any format for a creative CV based on your experience and career goals. For example, if you are an entry-level candidate, you may choose a chronological layout for your creative CV.

What makes a creative CV different from other types is that it includes graphic elements that appeal to the reader. Common ways to add these elements include using different colours of text, creating visual aids like charts that showcase your skills and adding examples of your work, such as a photograph or logo. This can help you get the attention of hiring managers and show them your ability to create aesthetically appealing designs.

5. Academic
Academic CV have a specialized format that allows candidates to highlight their academic credentials extensively. This type is ideal for candidates who have graduate degrees and are pursuing a high-level career in academics, science or medicine. While other types of CV briefly summarize a candidate’s educational background, academic CV focus primarily on qualifications they earned while completing degree programmes.

The format of an academic CV may vary by role, as certain educational elements may suit the role you want more than others. For example, if you are seeking a job as a university instructor, you may begin your CV by listing your lecturing experience. If you are applying for a job as a scientist, you may include your research at the top of your CV. Other credentials you may add to an academic CV include awards, publications, reports and relevant skills.