Making Your Curriculum Vitae Shine

In a job search, you can be considered a product and you are often treated as one. In order to sell yourself to prospective employers, you are going to promote yourself. Basically, your resume is your explanatory brochure. This includes information that could explain to the reader your value. On the other hand, the cover letter is your presentation, the stand of your company. Since competition is unavoidable, you need to have a good marketing strategy or an effective guide on how to write your Curriculum Vitae.

A Curriculum Vitae, or CV resume is your basic marketing tools in a job hunt to help you get an interview and potentially be able to get you a job. It should not be written the same way as in autobiographies. However, it should be able to present your skills and experiences in a better tone. It should be accurate and compelling to attract potential employers’ interest.

What are the Differences between Curriculum Vitae and Resume?

CV and resumes differ in many ways. These terminologies are applied differently in different countries. They are also built with different content and objectives. In a CV, the academic data and experience are compiled in the document. It incorporates skills and experiences that are not even related to the position being applied to On the other hand, the resume emphasizes information that is relevant to the position that needs to be filled. Information includes experiences, studies and abilities.

Furthermore, CV targets types of company and position that are different from that of a basic resume. Resumes are more encouraged for commercial positions, media, audio-visual and directorial positions while the CV is more appropriate for doctors, research, scientists, and academe positions.

What is the Structure of a CV?

Generally, the CV structure is written in chronological order. It may include an objective, your personal data, academic history, work experience, languages, computer skills and so on. The objective section is typically optional but it is still highly recommended. In this section, you should include information such as type of position you wish to enter. You should also highlight your skills and experiences that you could offer to the company.

Education Section

In the CV under the education section, you are encouraged to include your major, minor, and area of concentration or specializations. If you are applying outside your state, it is recommended to list the city and state of your college location. On the other hand, do not incorporate institutions that you didn’t receive a degree from or you have GPAs under 3.0.

Experience Section

This section is necessary. You should list both your paid and unpaid experiences including your internships, volunteer activities, student consulting and so on. While writing each experience, you may need to include the position title, employer or company, location and date. The experience should start from the latest experience down to your first experience. It is best to emphasize your strong points in this section.

Reference Section

This is also recommended however may not be required if there is no more space available. This section closes the resume. Include the name, business title, address and contact number for each reference. It is recommended that you indicate the relationship you have with the said reference.

Making Your Curriculum Vitae Shine