The Curriculum Vitae (CV)

 It is called a Resume in American English.

 It is a brief summary of your educational
background, work experience and achievement
and relevant personal activities that you send
when you are applying for a job.
 A Resume contains key information about
yourself, carefully assembled & presented, to
impress prospective employers not only by your
qualifications but also by your ability to present
yourself effectively.
Purpose of the CV
 The purpose of the CV is to introduce yourself
to potential employer with the aim of making
a good impression of yourself for a specific job
offer.
NB: A CV is designed for a particular job. It (not
the application letter) is the main component
of the job application package.
 Format of the CV
 There are many formats you can use for a CV. Develop a
format you are comfortable with and that best shows your
background and experience.
 There are no specific rules about the ‘right’ way to prepare a
resume. It is a personal document and should show your
personality.
 However, there are accepted guidelines of what employers
expect to see and the type of information they require when
evaluating you as a prospective employee.
 It is not wise to copy a standard CV format from a book to
which countless others have access. Instead, make your CV
as individual as a signature, tailored to suit your individual
aspirations and strengths. It should be designed to suit
individual needs.
CV preparation
 Make your CV as detailed as possible but not
too detailed to the extent of including trivia
stuff. Employers just want to get brief
information that can make a good impression
therefore, make it your primary objective to
catch the reader’s eye by including the
information s/he needs.
 The CV should be typed perfectly. The resulting
good first impression is worth the effort.
A CV’s Contents
 A CV must include the following information:
 Your personal particulars- details such as name,
address, etc.
 Your educational background
 Your work experience and achievements- person’s
employment history is sequenced by date starting
with the most current job and working background
using chronological approach.
 Relevant personal activities
 Referees
Order of presentation of Contents
Heading (Curriculum Vitae)
 Position it at the top of the first page, centre
it or position it at the left -hand margin.
Personal Particulars
 Surname; Other names; Date of birth; Marital
status; Nationality; Home District; Traditional
Authority; Village; Present Position;
Professional (Contact) Address; Permanent
Address; Phone; Fax; E-mail
 Education (A summary of your educational
background)
 Use the heading EDUCATION for this section.
You may also use Professional Qualification
and Education Qualification here.
 List first the institution you attended most
recently and go down the list in reverse
chronological order
• For each institution listed, state:
 The years attended
 The institution’s full name
 Your major (and minor, if applicable)
 Major relevant courses you took
 The paper you received (Degree, Diploma, Certificate). State
the grade you achieved; First Class, Upper First Class etc
 List any additional COURSES, SEMINARS or WORKSHOPS
ATTENDED that are relevant to the job you are applying for.
NB: An indiscriminate listing of all the courses, seminars and
workshops attended will work against you, i.e. will show
that you are not intelligent enough to know what is relevant
and what is not relevant.
Work experience
• Here you present a summary of your work
experience and achievements.
 Use the heading WORK EXPERIENCE for this
section.
 List your most recent job first.
 For each job include:
 Period of employment (from which year) e.g.
2012- Present, if currently employed.
 Job title (position)
 Name and address of the employing organization
 Brief job description
 Major responsibilities and accomplishments in
the position. Try to focus on achievements
instead of just listing down your responsibilities.
These should be specifically your
accomplishments, not general accomplishments
by the employing organization.
 Leave out “I” in listing responsibilities and
accomplishments, e.g. Was Patron of the
School’s Science Club (2010-2013); Received
Employer of the Year Award for Excellence in
2012
Relevant Personal Activities
 These include school, civic and personal
activities that may interest a prospective
employer because they demonstrate leadership,
civic or fiscal (ability to handle money)
responsibility in the applicant.
 List involvement in extracurricular or extramural
(activities that take place outside the walls of a
university or school) activities if it shows
qualities or experience relevant to the job
sought.
 List hobbies that show qualities relevant to the
job sought- it’s important to list those activities
or hobbies that will enhance your suitability for
the job in question.
 List the activities under the following headings:
RESPONSIBILITIES
ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
HOBBIES
Referees
 These are people who can vouch (say that they
believe you will behave well, you are
competent and that you will be responsible for
your actions) for your intelligence and good
character.
 They include bosses or supervisors (if you have
worked before) and lecturers/professors,
members of the clergy (pastors, bishops,
priests), teachers (head teachers) if you haven’t
worked before.
 List these people under the heading
REFEREES.
 They should be traceable (easy to contact).
 Provide their full names, including titles and
positions.
 Provide their full addresses, including business
phones, faxes, e-mails.
 Always ask people if you may list them as
referees.
 Points to ponder when preparing a CV
 When preparing a CV keep the following in mind:
 The purpose of the CV is not to get you a job but to
get you an interview for the job therefore write it in
a manner that shows that you are employable.
 Your purpose of a CV is not to tell a prospective
employer about your long goals and aspirations but
indicate what you can do for the employer with the
experience you have acquired and the skills you
have developed.
 Emphasize things that you have achieved,
capabilities that you have acquired, decision-
making skills you have put to good use,
activities you have initiated- e.g. Sales and
profits have increased because of your efforts.
 Describe your achievements and skills in a way
that indicates that they are readily applicable
to other types of jobs and fields.
 Prepare a custom-tailored CV for each
situation (generally each job situation requires
a particular CV) instead of preparing an all-
purpose CV designed to fit a variety of job
opportunities and a range of employment
needs.
 Do not refer to your age, marital status, your
height and weight, your hobbies or other
personal details unless they clearly enhance
your suitability for a job in question.
 JOB APPLICATION LETTER
 An application letter is a letter you write in
reply to employment adverts.
 This goes together with your resume (CV). It’s
purpose is to introduce yourself briefly and to
try to make an employer interested in you,
 Being your introduction to your potential
employer, make sure you impress him or her.
 Lay out is that of the business letter.
 Purpose of the Application Letter
 An application letter should be regarded as a
cover letter to accompany a CV hence it’s
called Cover Letter.
 Its purpose is to help convince a prospective
employer that you should be short-listed for
an interview. Because employers receive
many letters, it is important for you to ensure
that your letter stands out from the others.
 Points to note about Application
Letter
• Your application letter should do the following:
 In the first paragraph, state that you are an
applicant for a job and identify the source
through which you learned about the job- begin
by referring to the advert you are replying to.
Name the paper (and date) in which you saw
the advert.
 In the second paragraph state briefly your age,
marital status and qualifications for the job and
refer the reader to your CV. Highlight your specific
qualifications and skills/experience for the
employer’s specific needs. Clearly indicate how
your skills and experience relate to each of the
qualifications listed. Address the qualifications
asked for in the advert point by point matching
your skills/experience to the list of job
requirements but be brief because the CV has the
details.
 In the last paragraph, state your willingness to
come for interviews. If you can be available for
an interview only at certain times, indicate this.
Generally indicate that you will be willing to
attend interviews at the convenience of your
potential employer.
 Avoid clichés
 Mention that you have included a detailed CV.
 Remember to include end-of-letter notation for
enclosure.