Writing an Effective C.V.

Writing an Effective C.V.

A Curriculum Vitae (C.V.) is a summary of your training, experience and skills that is used by an employer to decide whether you would be a suitable candidate for a job. A curriculum vitae is your personal advertisement that highlights those characteristics about you that are the most interesting, the most impressive and unique. C.V.』s are also called résumés, especially outside of Quebec. C.V.』s can be on paper or electronic.

A good C.V. is one that allows employers to easily and quickly determine whether your skills and experience match their needs. The easier you make this for the employer, the better. Its purpose is to sufficiently impress a potential employer so that he or she invites you to an interview to learn more about you.

What follows are suggestions. It is difficult to always predict exactly what each employer wants or expects to see in a C.V., therefore generalizations are not always possible. In the end, you must emphasize and include what best reflects your skills and personality.

Step One
Make a complete list of all your education, work experience, volunteer experience, extra-curricular activities, and internships, with dates.
「One-Liners」
For each of your experiences, write a few short sentences explaining the tasks you performed. The tasks you describe will illustrate to an employer the skills you have to offer. The best sentences are those that emphasize your achievements, that is, activities that you undertook on your own initiative that resulted in positive change. Use strong 「action」 verbs and adjectives in your sentences, e.g. designated, oversaw, planned, examined, attained, improved, reduced, remarkable, renowned, influential, major, solid, etc.
These sentences are called your 「one-liners」 and they can change your C.V. from a 「dead」 one to one that can excite or interest an employer. You must put modesty aside. Be direct, assertive, professional, concise, and honest.
For example: