October, 2004

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How to write a Curriculum Vitae
 
The Curriculum Vitae (CV) or Resume in American English is a serious document and not an experiment in surrealist art. It is meant to introduce you and your background to somebody who does not know you and barely has time to get to know you. It should follow a certain predetermined guideline, to be easy to read and organized logically and present you in the best possible light, in a concise and well-structured manner.
A well-written CV shows first what is most important, but contains all relevant information. The CV should be printed on plain-white A4 paper. You should never, send a CV without a cover letter in matching A4 envelopes. If the announcement does not say anything about a cover letter, you still should send one. It introduces your CV to the reader, attracts attention to certain parts of it that you want to bring to light, or mentions aspects that for some reason could not be listed in your CV. I suggest you use one of the MS Word pre-made formats, unless you feel confident that you can produce an even better-structured and easier-to-read format.
  •  Headers most-often used in a CV:
    •  Name - you should write your name with a bigger font than the rest of the text, so that the reader knows easily whose CV is s/he reading.
    •  Personal details - you should include your birth date and birth place, contact address (including post code), email, telephone number, nationality and civil status. In case you have both a permanent and study address, include both, with the dates when you can be contacted at each of them.
    •  Objective - this is a concise statement of what you actually want to do. It's not bad if it matches the thing you are applying for. Don't restrict it too much.... If you apply for a job, you can be even more specific - “to obtain a position in... , where I can use my skills in…". You can use a few lines to describe that specifically, but keep in mind that you should show what you can do for the company more than what the company can do for you. Writing a good objective can be tough, but it's very important. Take some time to think about what exactly you are going to write there.
    •  Education - If you are a young student, or a person who has just graduated, you should start your CV with your education. Probably, at this age it is your most important asset. I suggest the reverse chronological order, since it is more important what master’s degree you have. No matter for which order you decide - chronological or reverse - you should keep it the same throughout the rest of your CV.
    •  Awards received - you should introduce this header right after the education, in order to outline all the scholarly or distinctions you have received. Here is the place to mention scholarships, stages abroad you had to compete for, prizes in contests, any kind of distinction. Here, same as everywhere in your CV, write a detailed account of what happened: do not just mention the year and "Prize in Physics", but rather give the exact date (month), place, name and organizer of the competition, etc.
    •  Experience - here you should include internships as well. Don't feel ashamed with what you did, don't try to diminish your accomplishments! Accountability is an important criterion for what you write in this section. The account should show what you improved, where, by how much, what your responsibilities were. The idea is that when you apply for a job you have to show growth-potential. The overall result should portray you as a leader, a person with initiative and creativity.
    •  Extracurricular activities - if you're writing a professional and not an academic CV, this is the place to mention conferences or any other activities outside the school that for some reason did not fit in the CV so far. A good section here can help a lot towards that goal of portraying you as a leader, a person with initiative and enthusiasm, not just a nerd with good grades.
    •  Languages - list here all the languages you speak, with a one-word description of your knowledge of that language. I'm suggesting the following scale: conversational, intermediate, advanced and fluent. List any certificates and/or results like TOEFL, DELF, scores, with date.
    •  Computer skills - write everything you know, including Internet browsers and text editing skills. List certificates and specialty studies as well.
    •  Hobbies - list them if space is left on the page. They look fine in a CV, showing you are not a no-life workaholic. You can mention reading or mountain tracking as well.
  •  Phrases and expressions
    •  The use of certain words and phrases can radically improve your chances of impressing an employer. With this in mind, included below is a series of key words and phrases that, when used correctly, will help your CV stand out from the crowd.
      For your description:
      •  Self-disciplined, persuasive, self-confident, hard-worker, initiative, discrete, efficient, receptive, team worker, methodical and well organized, careful and precise, an eye for detail, logical, creative, integrity, analytical thinking, good planner, inspires confidence, enthusiastic etc.
       Professional Area:
      •  Leadership qualities, cost reducer, results orientated, programmed, simplify, increase, prioritized, adaptable, cost oriented, coordinator, respectful, prepared to take decisions, problem solver, capable of generating short-term results
The trick is to use phrases that make the truth attractive rather than phrases that change the truth.
Remember: concise and precise is always the best option.
  •  You should:
    •  Always use clear unambiguous 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)
    •  Avoid abbreviations unless is it absolutely necessary (If you have to use them always explain what they stand for)
    •  Never sign your CV (It is assumed that you wrote it)
You can introduce other headers that suit your needs. Including a passport size photo is not obligatory, but is advisable. Some CV's, for example, have a summary heading, which brings in front what the author considers to be the most important stuff in his/her CV, others have a references section, where you can list with contact details, persons ready to recommend you. If it misses, the recruiters will assume they are available on request.
Don' t expand to much your CV (ideal 2, max. 5 pages is advisable).
 
If you are looking for a job, try one of these websites: www.ejobs.ro or www.job.ro

Good luck!


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