22/4/10

How to write a CV




The first thing you must remember is that a Curriculum Vitae is a serious document and not an experiment in surealist art. Would-be employers expect to find a CV written in a specific manner. They expect it to follow certain predetermined guideline, to be easy to read and organised logically. Following the advice and suggestions contained below will enable you to produce a professional CV simply and effectively.

Always produce a rough draft of your CV. Always use a typewriter or computer for the final draft.

Your CV should not exceed 2 pages in length and ideally it should be only one page.

Including a passport size photo is not obligatory but is advisable.

It should be presented in a clear, organised manner.

The character size (font size) you choose is important. It should not be so big that it forces you to use more than 2 pages but it should not be so small that you need a magnifying glass to read it.

It is good practice to highlight the section headers in bold type and to leave extra spaces between paragraphs.

Keep the left and right margin equal.

Always spellcheck your CV. A CV that contains spelling errors is destined for the wastepaper basket!

Always use clear unambiguious words. Highly technical words may look impressive but are apt to confuse the reader.

Avoid complicated phrases. Simple phrases are always the best.

Never take things for granted. Explain everything in a clear and concise manner.

Never use abbrieviation unless is it absolutely unavoidable. It you have to use them always explain what they stand for .

Never sign your CV, it´s not required.

Always include a letter of introduction with your CV, especially if you are not delivering by hand.

There are certain phrases and expressions that, when used correctly, will increase the impact of your CV or letter of introduction.



Extremely useful expressions in your CV:

Your description:

- Autodisciplinado (Self-disciplined)
- Persuasivo (Persuasive)
- Autoconfianza (Self-confident)
- Hábito de trabajo (Hard-worker)
- Iniciativa propia (Can work from own iniciative)
- Discreto (Discrete)
- Eficiente (Efficent)
- Receptivo (Receptive)
- Metódico y organizado (Methodical and organised)
- Preciso y cuidadoso (Careful and precise)
- Ojo para los detalles (An eye for detail)
- Con gran sentido de la lógica (Logical)
- Capacidad para conectar con la gente (Teamworker)
- Creativo (Creative)
- Capacidad de dirección
- Integridad (Integrity)
- Forma analítica de pensar (Analitical in thought)
- Gusto por la planificación (Good at planning)
- Inspirar confianza (Inspires confidence)
- Entusiasta (Enthusiastic)
- Sentido común (Common sense)

Professional Area:
- Aceleración de proyectos
- Capacidad de liderazgo (Leadership qualities)
- Reducción de costes (Cost reducer)
- Orientación hacia resultados (Results orientated)
- Programar (Programmed)
- Simplificar (Simplify)
- Incrementar (Increase)
- Establecer prioridades (Prioritiser)
- Adaptar (Adaptable)
- Responsabilidad en el gasto (Cost oriented)
- Habilidad en la gestión (Coordinator)
- Supervisar directamente (
- Respeto (Respectful)
- Capacidad para tomar decisiones (Prepared to take decisions)
- Eliminar situaciones problemáticas (Problem-solver)
- Generar resultados a corto plazo (Capable of genrating short-term results)

What information should you include in your CV


There are hundreds of different types of Curriculum Vitae (all of them are variations on a theme) and all of them contain more or less the same information. Below is an example of a simple but correctly structured CV.

PERSONAL DETAILS

- First and last names
- Place and date of birth
- Nationality
- Home address including postcode
- Passport number
- Telephone number
- E-Mail address

ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
(In chonological order beginning with the most recent)
- Name of course and titles awarded e.g. BA Hons in Business Studies
- Name of the academic institution where you studied e.g. Oxford University
- Dates of the course

COMPLEMENTARY COURSES
(In chronological order beginning with the most recent)
- Name of course and tiltes awarded
- Name of the academic institution where you studied
- Dates of the course

LANGUAGES
(Beginning with your mother tongue, if necessary)
- Language
- Spoken and written level (normally: Elementary, intermediate or advanced)

COMPUTING KNOWLEDGE

- Programming languages known or software used
- Level of knowledge (Professional or user)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
(In chronological order beginning with the most recent)
- Dates
- Name of the company or organisation
- Address of the company or organisation
- Job title
- Brief description of your responsibilites

OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION
Here you should include any other information that might interest a potential employer e.g. the fact that you have a clean driving licence, that you own a car and are prepared to use it for work purposes or that you are prepared to travel if required, etc.


Example of CV


source: http://www.donquijote.org/

2 comentarios:

  1. Very practical post! Would you like to collaborate? I have an ESL blog too, called WordSpark.

    ResponderEliminar
  2. Hi , I'm Valme, an English teacher too. This message is to tell you that you've been mentioned on my blog as one of the blogs which is worth visiting.
    This is part of an initiative called "Vale a pena ficar de olho nesse blog". The chosen blog has to embed the prize picture with a link to the blog she/he has received the prize from and write ten more links to the blogs which are well worth a visit. (as you prefer). Congratulations and thank you for your excellent work. Another teacher from "The English You Need Blog" gave me this prize. My blog: "Valme's English Corner".

    ResponderEliminar