How to Write a Curriculum Vitae (CV)

How to Write a Curriculum Vitae (CV)

1. What is a CV?

In its full form, CV stands for curriculum vitae (Latin for the course of life). In South Africa, it is equivalent to a resume and used when applying for a job. It is not a cover letter but a detailed list of specifications.

2 Pick the Best CV Format

A poorly formatted CV will get you discarded in the first-round review. Ensure your CV is properly formatted.  Start with creating a CV outline divided into the following sections:

  • CV Personal Profile
  • Work Experience
  • Education
  • Skills
  • Additional Sections

Always keep formatting in mind:

  • Choose clear, legible fonts
  • Go for one of the standard CV typefaces: Arial, Tahoma, or Helvetica if you prefer sans-serif fonts, and Times New Roman or Bookman Old Style if serif fonts are your usual pick.
  • Use 11 to 12 pt font size and single spacing. For your name and section titles, pick 14 to 16 pt font size.
  • Be consistent with your CV layout
  • Set one-inch margins for all four sides.
  • Make sure your CV headings are uniform—make them larger and in bold but go easy on italics and underlining.
  • Stick to a single date format on your CV: for example 11-2017, or November 2017.
  • Don’t cram your CV with gimmicky graphics
  • Less is more.
  • White space is your friend—recruiters need some breathing room!
  • If you add a photo make sure it is a professional-looking picture.
  • Make your CV brief and relevant

Remember: 

Don’t include every single detail about your life on their CVs.

Once you’ve finished writing, save your CV in PDF to make sure your CV layout stays intact. Some employers won’t accept a PDF CV. If such is the case, send your CV in Word.

3. Add Your Contact Information

In the contact information section, add the following:

  • Full name
  • Professional title
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • LinkedIn profile
  • Home address

Remember: 

Recruiters will use your contact information to research you online. Make sure your social media profiles are professional, and your LinkedIn profile information matches your CV.

4. Start with a CV Personal Profile

Don’t jump straight into your work experience or education. Start with a personal profile statement, a short, snappy paragraph of 100 words that tells the recruiters why you are the right candidate for the position. The statement can either be a CV objective that focuses on the skills you’ve mastered and why you are a good choice, even if you’ve got little work experience relevant to the job. Or a CV summary that highlights your career progress and achievements as a seasoned professional with a lot of experience in your field.

5. The rest of the CV 

  • List your relevant work experience and key achievements
    • Focus on your measurable, relevant achievements, not just your duties.
    • Use action verbs: “created,” “analysed,” “implemented,” not “responsible for creating, analysis and implementation.”
    • Tailor your CV to the job posting—read the job description carefully and check what tasks will be expected of you. If you’ve done them before—put them on your CV, even if those weren’t your primary responsibilities.
  • Build your CV education section correctly
    • Graduation year (if you’re still studying, enter your expected graduation date)
    • Your degree
    • Institution name
    • Honors (if applicable)
  • Put relevant skills that fit the job opportunity
    • When it comes to skills for a CV, one issue is more important than any other: relevance. The skills you decide to include on your CV have to be relevant to the job you’re trying to land.
  • Include additional CV sections to impress the recruiter
    • Industry awards
    • Professional certifications
    • Publications
    • Professional affiliations
    • Conferences attended
    • Additional training

6. Complement your CV with a cover letter

Many recruiters won’t even review your CV if there’s no cover letter attached. Writing a cover letters is much easier than it seems.

The letter header should include the following:

  • Your name
  • Your phone number
  • Your email address
  • The date
  • The name of the hiring manager and their professional title
  • The name and address of the company to which you’re applying

The greeting is the first thing the hiring manager sees. Where possible address the person by name or surname.

This is followed by the following three paragraphs:

  • A first paragraph to grab the hiring manager’s attention
  • The second to show what you’ve got to offer
  • The third to prove that you’ll fit in

End the letter with:

  • Thank you,
  • Best regards,
  • Kind regards,
  • Sincerely,
  • With best regards.