How to write a good CV?

First impressions count, especially when applying for jobs. Find out how to write a
CV and discover useful tips to help make your CV stand out from the crowd

What is a CV?
A CV, which stands for curriculum vitae, is a document used when applying for
jobs. It allows you to summarise your education, skills and experience enabling you
to successfully sell your abilities to potential employers.

In the USA and Canada, CVs are known as résumés. These documents tend to be
more concise and follow no particular formatting rules.

How long should a CV be?

A standard CV in the UK should be no longer than two sides of A4. You can take a
look at many examples for CV inspirations in the web.

To save space only include the main points of your education and experience. Stick
to relevant information and don't repeat what you've said in your cover letter.
*You can google and see what the cover letter is.

* As a recent graduate your CV may only take up one page and that's ok. Some
academic CVs may be longer depending on your experience.

What to include in a CV?

Contact details - Include your full name, home address, mobile number, and email
address.
Profile - A CV profile is a concise statement that highlights your key attributes and
helps you stand out from the crowd. Usually placed at the beginning of the CV and
it picks out a few relevant achievements and skills, while expressing your career
aims. A good CV profile focuses on the sector you're applying to, as your cover
letter will be job-specific. Keep CV personal statements short and snappy - 100
words is the perfect length.
You can discover how to write a personal statement for your CV from the website.
Education - List and date all previous education, including professional
qualifications. Place the most recent first. Include specific modules only where
relevant.
Work experience - List your work experience in reverse date order, making sure that
anything you mention is relevant to the job you're applying for.
* If you have plenty of relevant work experience, this section should come before
education.
Skills and achievements - This is where you talk about the foreign languages you
speak, and the IT packages you can competently use. The key skills that you list
should be relevant to the job. Don't exaggerate your abilities, as you'll need to back
up your claims at interview.
*If you've got lots of job-specific skills you should do a skills-based CV.
Interests - 'Socialising', 'going to the cinema' and 'reading' aren't going to catch a
recruiter’s attention. However, relevant interests can provide a more complete
picture of who you are, as well as giving you something to talk about at interview.
Examples include writing your own blog if you want to be a journalist or being part
of a drama group if you're looking to get into sales.
References - You don't need to provide the names of referees at this stage. You also
don't need to say 'references available upon request' as most employers would
assume this to be the case.
For more help and advice on how to write a CV and to find CV templates, see
example CVs in the website.

CV format
Avoid fonts such as Comic Sans. Choose something professional, clear, and easy to
read such Arial or Times New Roman. Use a font size between 10 and 12 to make
sure that potential employers can read your CV. Ensure all fonts and font sizes are
consistent throughout.
Section headings are a good way to break up your CV. Ensure they stand out by
making them larger (font size 14 or 16) and bold.
List everything in reverse chronological order so the recruiter sees your work history
and most recent achievements first.
Keep it concise by using clear spacing and bullet points. This type of CV layout
allows potential employers to skim your CV and quickly pick out important
information first.
If you're posting your CV, print it on white A4 paper. Only print on one side and
don't fold your CV - you don't want it to arrive creased.

How to write the CV?

Use active verbs when possible. For example, include words like 'created', 'analysed'
and 'devised' to present yourself as a person who shows initiative.
A good CV doesn't have any spelling or grammar mistakes. Use a spell checker and
enlist a second pair of eyes to check over the document.
Avoid generic, over-used phrases such as 'team player', 'hardworking' and
'multitasker'. Instead, provide real-life examples that demonstrate all of these skills.
Tailor your CV. Look at the company's website and social media accounts, look to
see if they've recently been mentioned in the local press and use the job advert to
make sure your CV is targeted to the role and employer.
Create the right type of CV for your circumstances. Decide whether the
chronological, skills-based or academic CV is right for you.
Don't put the term 'curriculum vitae' at the top of the page.
Make sure your email address sounds professional. If your personal address is
inappropriate create a new account for professional use.
Don't lie or exaggerate on your CV or job application. Not only will you demonstrate
your dishonesty to a potential employer, but there can be serious consequences too.
For example, altering your degree grade from a BSc to an MSc is classed as degree
fraud and can result in a prison sentence. Take a look at this advice and guidance on
degree fraud for students.
If posting your CV online don't include your home address, as you could be targeted
by fraudsters.
You should always include a cover letter unless the employer states otherwise. It
will enable you to personalise your application. You can draw attention to a
particular part of your CV, disclose a disability or clarify gaps in your work history.
Find out how to write a persuasive cover letter.
How to write an email?
Casual Versus Formal Email: What’s the Difference?
A formal email differs from a casual email. A casual email usually goes to a person
you know well—often it’s someone you’re on good terms with such as a friend or
family member. When sending a casual email, you don’t need to worry as much
about structure and tone.

In fact, part of what makes a formal email different from a casual email is the
structure. A formal email has a very defined structure, with a definite salutation (the
opening part of the email), signature section, opening sentence, and body.

You also use language differently in a formal email than in a casual email. Avoid
using abbreviations, contractions, slang, emoticons, and other informal terminology.
The tone of a formal email is different as well. An informal email may not even use
complete sentences or proper grammar, but a formal email always does.

Here’s an example of formal email language:

The meeting is scheduled for December 5th at 9:30 a.m. All students must attend.
Your project updates are needed.

Compare the formal language with the informal email language in this email:
Required meeting—Dec 5, 9:30 a.m. Updates needed. See ya there. :)
Both statements share the same information. But the tone of the first is much more
formal. Notice the incomplete sentence, slang, and emoticon in the informal
example.
Writing a Formal Email

While an informal email can often be sent quickly, writing a formal email typically
takes a bit more thought and a bit more time. Careful consideration needs to be
given to each email element.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some common elements of a formal
email:

Subject Line

The subject line is what the reader sees in their inbox. If the subject line is
misleading or missing information, your email may not get read. The message may
even be sent to spam. The more formal your email is, the more detailed your
subject line should be. But beware of making your subject line too long.

Here’s an example of a formal email subject line:

Required Student Meeting: December 5th, 9:30 a.m.

Compare that subject line with this informal email subject line:

Upcoming Meeting

Notice that the first subject line is more informative and complete. The informal
subject line, sent to someone you know well, just barely touches on the topic.
Salutation

The salutation directly addresses the person you’re sending the email to. It’s
always used in formal email messages, but sometimes skipped in informal
messages. Here are some examples of formal and informal salutations:

If you’re sending the email to a group, address the entire group. Here’s an
example:

Dear Students,

If you’ve got the person’s name you want to send the email too, it’s proper to use
their name along with any title the person has. Here’s a sample formal salutation
for an individual:

Dear Professor Smith,

If you don’t know the name of the person you’re trying to reach, you should make
every effort to discover that information. As a last resort, it’s okay (but less
effective) to address the email to the title of the person you hope to reach. Here’s
an example of a formal salutation without a name:

Dear Human Resources Director,

In rare instances where you don’t know a person’s name or title, it’s okay to use
this salutation:

To whom it may concern,

Contrast the formal salutation examples with the following informal salutations:
Informal Salutation for a Group

Hey Class!

Informal Salutation for an Individual

Hello Taylor,

As you can see, the formal and informal salutations are very different.

Introduction

The opening of a formal email often requires the sender to introduce themselves. In
contrast, informal emails are sent to someone you know and the introduction isn’t
needed.

Here’s an example of an opening in a formal email:

My name is Jordan Smith. I am the professor of Statistics for XYZ University.

This message is for all current students.

In this article, you’ll find even more examples of email openings:

Body

The body of a formal email typically elaborates on the purpose of the email.
Elaboration may not be needed in an informal email. Although the body contains
detailed information, it’s important to write clearly and concisely in a formal
email. Remember your reader isn’t familiar with you and may not be familiar with
your topic. You don’t want your email recipient to misunderstand an important
point.
Closing

How you end a formal email is equally important. Since the email closing is the
last thing your recipient looks at, your email closing can leave a lasting impression.

A good formal email closing also reminds the reader who you are since it should
include your full name, contact information, and title (if appropriate). If you can,
use a professional signature template for added impact. (Learn more about
signature templates in the next section.)

In contrast, an email closing may be extremely casual for an informal email. In

some instances where the recipient is well known to you, you may even omit the
email closing.

The most common way to start a formal email closing is with the word
"Sincerely." It may be a common closing, but it’s also a safe closing.

Here’s an example of a formal email closing:

Sincerely,

Jordan Smith

Professor of Statistics, XYZ College

[Email address goes here]

[Phone number goes here]

Formatting and Structuring a Formal Email

While many informal emails are unstructured, how you format and structure your
formal email is important. At a minimum, a formal email should contain all of the
following elements:

Subject line. Be specific, but concise. Many experts agree that the ideal subject
line is six to ten words long.

Salutation. Address the recipient by name, if possible. Use honorifics, as

appropriate. For example, write Dear Professor Smith, not Hey.

Body text. This section explains the main message of the email. For a formal email,
use proper grammar and complete sentences.

Signature. Your email closing should be formal, not informal. Use your first and
last name. If you’re writing on behalf of an organization and you know the title of
the person you’re sending the email to, use it.

Sending a Formal Email

Once you’ve written and formatted your formal email, you’re almost ready to send
your message. But before you press that Send button, review your email carefully.
Look for:

- Spelling errors
- Mistakes in a name
- Typos
- Grammatical errors

Remember, a sloppy email full of mistakes makes a bad impression.