HOW TO WRITE AN EFFECTIVE CURRICULUM VITAE ANWAR ALHENSHIRI

WHAT IS A CURRICULUM VITAE? An outline of a person's educational and professional history, usually prepared for job applications.

CV CONTENT educational and academic backgrounds teaching and research experience publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations, other details.

WHEN IS IT USED? In Europe, the Middle East, Africa, or Asia, Expected by employers. In the United States and Canada, it is used primarily when applying for academic, education, scientific, or research positions. It is also applicable when applying for fellowships or grants. A CV is used when: When an employer asks for the application to include a CV. When the employer asks you to “apply to …” without specifying the format. When applying to an employer who has not advertised a vacancy but you are hoping they will have one.

CV OR RESUME? Differences length, what is included, and what each is used for. A CV is longer than a resume. has more content. used for academia as well as jobs in different fields.

CV CONTENT Most “looked for” information in a CV: 45%Previous related work experience 35%Qualifications & skills 25%Easy to read 16%Accomplishments 14%Spelling & grammar 9% Education (these were not just graduate recruiters or this score would be much higher!) 9%Intangibles: individuality/desire to succeed 3%Clear objective 2%Keywords added 1%Contact information 1%Personal experiences 1%Computer skills

PERSONAL DETAILS Name, address, date of birth (not essential), telephone number and . A photo if you are an actor or in some European countries.

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS Your degree subject and university Plus A levels and GCSEs or equivalents. Mention grades unless poor!

WORK EXPERIENCE Use action words such as developed, planned and organised. Mention tasks that involve working in a team and providing quality services such as working in a shop or restaurant. Do not mention routine tasks such as cleaning the tables. Relate your skills to the job. For example, in marketing, focus of skills such as negotiating and persuading. “All of my work experiences have involved working within a team-based culture. This involved planning, organisation, coordination and commitment e.g., in retail, this ensured daily sales targets were met, a fair distribution of tasks and effective communication amongst all staff members”.

INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS Keep this section concise. Bullets must be used to separate interests. Do not put many passive hobbies such as watching TV, reading, … etc. Show a range of interests and avoid being narrow such as when you focus on sports only. Hobbies that are different from the ordinary can help you stand out (e.g. skydiving). Any interests relevant to the job. Any evidence of leadership.

SKILLS Languages are very usual. Computing comes in handy as well such as Excel, Access, Word, … etc. Driving skills with clean license.

REFERENCES Put referees only if asked for by the employer. Normally, two are enough. Usually referees are needed at a more advanced stage.

WHAT MAKES A GOOD CV It is meant for a specific job or career area. Makes relevant skills stand out for the specific career. “It is carefully and clearly laid out: logically ordered, easy to read and not cramped” It is short (concise) yet informative. It has the correct content, spelling and grammar. It should be no longer than FOUR A4 pages single-sided.

WHAT MISTAKES ARE USUALLY MADE ON CVS ProblemPercentage of employers who found it Spelling and grammar56% Not tailored to the job21% Length not right and poor work history16% Poor format and no use of bullets11% No accomplishments9% Contact and problems8% Objective/profile was too vague5% Lying2% Having a photo1% Others such as listing memberships.3%

THANK YOU! References