The CV Writing Toolkit: 50 Tips For Writing A Good CV

Presenting a good CV can truly make or break your chances at getting a job. The CV is your voice telling the perspective employer what makes you stand apart from your competition. It also highlights your experience and unique qualifications. It is essentially a marketing tool that is selling you instead of a product.

In essence, your CV is the gateway to a job interview so it had better be good. Listen up!

Getting Organised

1. Organise your information: Organise your information before getting started. Have all of your dates and documents prepared and close by for easy reference.
2. Plan your CV layout: Set up a template or background for your CV. Design a heading at the top of the page and create any other formatting you will be using.
3. Examine the field: Look at the field in which you are looking to get a job. Read some job ads for that field and use the information you find to determine what you need to be include in your resume.
4. Include relevant personal contact details: Fill in your contact information. Name, address, e-mail and phone number should all be neatly placed at the top of the page.
5. Verify your information: Make sure that you verify all of your information and fact check all of your dates, phone numbers and addresses.
6. Know the job requirements: Know the requirements of the job for which you are applying. Make sure that when you list your responsibilities you include tasks and skills that are relevant to what the requirements of your desired job are.
7. Decide on objectives: Decide on what you want your professional, vocational or research objective to be. Formulate your wording and fill it in.

Academia & Achievements

1. Outline your academic qualifications: Pick your stand out qualifications and bullet point them under your objective.
2. Include professional licenses: List any professional licenses. List any licenses you have achieved that pertain to the job in which you are applying.
3. List certifications: Make a list of any certifications that you have obtained that relate to the job you are applying for.
4. Give a synopsis of education: List your previous education including your post graduate, graduate and undergraduate degrees and studies.
5. Note relevant coursework: Make note of special relevant course work that matches your objective. That study into modern financial practices would look great on a CV for a finance job.
6. Discuss scientific research: List any scientific research that you have done that relates to your job application. Even if you have non-relevant research it is worth including as it is indicative of your overall suitability.
7. Detail academic research: Academic research, laboratory experience and related skills from your days as a student should be included in this section of your CV as well.
8. Describe your thesis or dissertation: Include a brief description of your thesis or dissertation. Include any other publications, paper or writings that have referenced your work.
9. Don’t forget academic presentations: List any academic presentations, along with any professional presentations that you have done. Your ability to present is especially important in corporate environments where speaking at meetings and conferences is a regular occurrence.
10. Talk about foreign language capabilities: Include a list of any foreign languages that you speak and what your level of proficiency with them is. This is of increasing importance in our global economy.
11. Be conclusive: Add any information and qualifications you have that you feel directly pertain to your objective and helps support your CV.

Extracurricular Activities

1. List your main extracurricular activities: Discerningly include any extracurricular activities that you feel are relevant to your objective. Activities, associations and memberships can be included. This is a further sign of your ability to interact in teams.
2. Show community work: Include a brief description of any community involvement that you have been a part of in the past or present, for example at church or with a youth association.
3. Show your previous paid & volunteer work: List your work experience both paid and volunteer. Include what you did and what your responsibilities included.
4. Cultural awareness: Make note of any travel you have done and any cultural experiences that you have taken part in.

Showing Your Skills

1. Skills make your CV memorable: Know what skills make you stand out as a candidate. List those skills and highlight relevant qualifications.
2. Give detail on your skills: List your technical and specialised skills including training and related information to these skills.
3. Be specific: When you list your skills don’t be general, be specific. Anybody can say they are good at something, but saying that you are experienced or have an extensive knowledge conveys that you have done what you are saying and it is actually a skill, not just CV filler.
4. Outline interests & ambitions: Briefly describe your interests, include the your future academic and professional goals that you wish to accomplish.
5. Highlight skills gained through experience: Highlight jobs and experience that makes you stand out. Pick things that are relevant to what you are applying for and make them stand out.
6. Skills you offer: When you are describing yourself make mention of the things you have brought to the table at previous jobs. List what made you valuable to your current and previous employers.
7. Utilise skill headers: Use skill headings rather than job titles to list your experience. Often job titles can sound like they are unrelated to the job in which you are applying.
8. Focus on your strengths: Highlight your strengths and minimise or leave out your weaknesses. Do this through formatting.
9. Tell the truth: Don’t embellish your assets, experience or qualifications. Be truthful and honest about all of your accomplishments.

Writing & Formatting Your CV

1. Make a clear statement: Make a statement about yourself. Decide ahead of time what you want your CV to say about you and infuse that into your CV’s content.
2. Be descriptive: Don’t make blank statements. List the who, what, when and where of your experiences and information.
3. Strip out the fluff: Consider what is relevant information and what is not. Make a loose outline of what you feel needs to be included. Make a back up list for things that you will fit in if you have space.
4. Keep it simple stupid: Keep your resume simple, yet sharp so it catches your perspective employers attention. Avoid busy fonts, logos and formatting, they may be distracting and unprofessional.
5. Make it easy to read: It is extremely important that your CV is easy to read. Make sure you choose a large enough font size so your reader isn’t squinting. Use proper spacing and bullets where acceptable.
6. Break up large blocks of text: Add specific headings for things that will be of interest to your target audiences. Things like languages, associations, skills etc. are perfect items to give their own unique heading.
7. Stick to a consistent theme: Keep a consistent theme going throughout your CV. Don’t include irrelevant information and experience.
8. Don’t take too long: Be concise and to the point. Make sure your resume is clear and understandable. Make sure you have a good idea of the message you are trying to convey before you begin writing your CV.
9. Follow conventional writing rules: Not everyone who writes a a CV is a writer, but that is no excuse for sloppy work. Make sure that you follow all writing rules and that you are grammatically correct. Don’t forget the periods at the end of your sentences, this is a common CV mistake.
10. Sound interesting & proactive: Use plenty of action verbs, so that you sound proactive. Using action verbs also helps create the illusion that you will be making a contribution to your place of work.
11. Check your punctuation and grammar: Make sure that you use proper punctuation and number your pages if you have more than one page.
12. Use present tense when referring to current employment: If you are still employed at your current job make sure you use the present tense when describing your tasks and responsibilities.

Spit & Polish

1. Make your CV presentable: Show that you want the job that you are applying for by making it known that your interested. Make your CV as presentable as you can and let them know that they need you.
2. Place your name top & center: Make sure you use your name in the heading of your resume and that it is listed at the top of all your CV pages.
3. Consider your email address: If you list your e-mail on your CV make sure that it is a professional email and not a silly email used for casual conversation. Open a new account using a free web based service if you have to.
4. Proofread to perfection: Proofread your CV multiple times. Look for typos, incorrect grammar, inaccuracies, misplaced information and any improper or out-of-line formatting.
5. Get third party editing: Have someone you trust read over your CV with fresh eyes. Ask them to check it for typos, punctuation, formatting, clarity, relevance and ask them if it looks professional and relevant to what you are applying for.
6. Consider hiring a CV specialist: Lastly, if you are having trouble coming up with a fresh, exciting and relevant CV then consider hiring a specialist to help you. Alternatively contact a friend or family member who has had experience writing a CV.
7. Keep your CV under review: We all know that life is one long chain of change, which should be reflected in your CV. Keep your CV up to date as you gain more extracurricular and professional experience, qualifications and licenses.

Writing a good CV takes time and dedication to the task. It is essential that your CV is prepared properly and includes all information relevant to the job for which you’re applying. A CV differs from a resume because they are often more than on page because of the fact they are meant to highlight more of your academic information. You should still try to keep your CV as brief as possible and relevant, but it is acceptable for a CV to be lengthier than a resume.