Some may wonder what a CV is and maybe what it stands for. A curriculum vitae or a CV is something like a resume but it includes more academic achievements and it goes more in depth than a resume does. It is mainly used to show off your studies and experience in the field you are trying to go into. For example, on a regular resume, you would probably put every job you’ve had to show how worthy of hire you are, whereas on a CV you’ll only put job experience that pertains to the job you are trying to go into. Knowing that difference between the two may have you wondering what exactly goes on a CV and how you should set it up.
Back to the Basics: For basics, as aforementioned, you should only put work experience that coincides with the line of work you are going into. In addition to that, only use jobs that are more recent. You don’t want to have the first job you got at sixteen to be on your CV, unless it has to do with the job you are trying to get. Another note to take is to make sure you’re name is the header and that it is in bold so the employer can know who he or she is looking at. If there is more than one page your name should at least be on the second and/or third page in case your CV gets misplaced or mixed up. Continuing with setup, you should make sure everything is easy to find and easy to read. Having a little extra white space can be much easier on the eyes of the person looking at it. You also want to conserve as much space as possible and that is important because you don’t want your CV to be too long, no more than three pages to be exact.
Important Details: When it comes to font, you want it to be a font that is easy to read but isn’t too small so a font such as Calibri would work just fine. Have bullet points instead of paragraphs or no bullet points at all makes it easier to get to the point and also creates that white space that you want to have. Something to avoid when putting your CV together are active words ending in ‘ing’ because it may imply that you have not finished something. A factor to keep in mind is to list your experiences from oldest too newest. This shows growth and improvement and it will make a great difference.
The Past is the Future: When mentioning your career history, you want to make sure you include any achievements that came while having these jobs and internships, the to and from dates, and any major responsibilities held while working these jobs. Something you don’t want to include are hobbies or extracurricular activities that don’t have to do with the job you are applying for. While it is nice to see that you may have done sports or coached a team, it may be irrelevant to an entry-level job.
The Key to Success!
Having a CV and having a resume are similar but when it comes to the point of getting a job after college the curriculum vitae is much more relevant because it gives more information and can really give an employer an inside look on who will be working for them. This is something to keep in mind as mentioned before it is good to separate the two because this can keep you from putting irrelevant information on your CV. Using these tips can aid in your success in starting your career.