A CV that Stands Out

By: Mansa Daby

YES

ELECTRONIC PAPER

PDF HTML

7. Clea

r3.

Accurat

e

6.

Concis

e1. Well

-presen

ted

2. Con

sisten

t

4. Rele

vant

5. Fo

cuse

d

1. Format & Presentation

CVv/s

Résumé?

RESUME CURRICULUM

VITAE• No longer than 2

pages

• Corporate/ Functional

• Does not include references

• Highlights: - Contact

Information- Career Objectives- Professional

Experience- Education

• As lengthy as necessary

• Academic/ Chronological

(uninterrupted work history)

• May include references

1. Format & Presentation

What to

include?

• Font type & size

• Avoid all caps

• Line spacing

• Headings

Professional Photo

Contact Details

Career Objectives

Skills/ Abilities/ Competencies *

Personal Profile * v/s

Key Achievements

Past Professional Experiences (Reverse chronological order;

descriptions of duties)

Academic Qualifications (starting with highest/

most relevant; full titles; summary of subjects/ grades); Professional training (seminars,

conferences, workshops)

Extra-curricular Activities, Membership, Volunteerism, Hobbies

& InterestsReferences

Research/ Publications/

Projects Developed

2. Consistency

Do It Yourself

• Be truthful

• Declare breaks in service; acknowledge gaps in employment

• Avoid contradictions

3. Accuracy

Correct &

Precise

• Dates & Grades

• Compelling facts

• Job descriptions (evidence)

• Grey areas?

4. Relevance• Avoid clichés

• Use keywords

• Skills & experience

• Irrelevant? - high school

details- side jobs

BeSpecific

5. Focus• Perspective of

the organisation

• Avoid being over specific

• Avoid exaggerations/ superlatives

6. Conciseness

No fancy

language

• Avoid complicated sentence structures

• Avoid over-describing

• Use bullet points

7. Clarity• Achieve clarity

in language

• Use third-person

• Mind those tenses

• Run spell-check

• Have it proofread

Legible &

Coherent

Thank you