HOW TO WRITE A CV FOR FRESHER?

How to write a CV that matters is the buzzing issue for many final year students. Many students just manage a format or collect some headings & fill it up with their own information but end of the day is not satisfied.

There is a lack of knowledge in this area for many. The Internet offers plenty of samples of CV but I strongly believe the CV should be written with personal care & thoughts & expression.

So, how to write a CV, let’s get into this:

WHAT IS CV?

A CV is a document that contains all the credentials of a person. It holds the educational background, experiences of jobs, skills & hobbies, etc. it is prepared with a lot of care & attention because, in absence of a person, it is that document which represents a person.

WHY A CV?

CV encapsulates a person’s qualification & achievements in the form of a formal document. A CV is used for job purposes mainly. The uses include –

• To list all the credentials of a person
• To update & include all the required information with time.
• To apply for a job position in a company
• To submit to a job portal
• To refer someone for a job position through reference
• To select a business partner etc.

ELEMENTS OF A CV

A CV generally has the following parts:

• A short bio
• Recent & formal photo
• Career objective
• Educational background
• Job experience
• Major research papers completed
• Extracurricular activities
• Hobbies
• Training or workshops attended
• Skills or strengths
• References
• Declaration
• Signature

HOW TO WRITE A CV?

In this section, there will be discussion on how to write a CV for each of the parts or contents pointed above. So here it is:-

Writing Style of the Short Bio

A CV has to start with the name, contact details that must include contact number & email ID along with mailing address. It is better to make the email id ‘hyperlinked’ because it becomes easier for the recruiters to communicate right away. The top of the CV should contain this with center alignment as it looks good.

Pasting a Photograph

There should be a colored, recent, clear & formal passport size picture attached at the right corner of a CV.

Writing a Career Objective

The career objective is a key part of the CV, a lot of success depends on the way it is written. The career objective should be written in a simple way with solid words that will connect to the requirement of the organization directly or indirectly. It is advised to avoid technical words unless essential. A career objective should be within three lines at best. The basic point is to make things clear without sounding preachy & artificial.

Tips to Write Educational Background

The prime part of a person’s CV is the educational qualifications. While writing it, the basic things to consider are:

• The higher degree should be written first.
• Name of the degree, major area, passing year & result must be clear.
• A table should be used with sufficient columns & rows as it makes things structured.

Putting Job Experience

The job experience is the most important area to focus for the recruiters when experience is required & so it is crucial to write this portion systematically. The basic things to follow are:

• A table should be used to present things in unified ways for multiple experiences.
• There should be the following columns:
  • Name of the organization worked
  • Position held
  • Major responsibilities
  • Achievements
  • Duration of working

Inclusion of Major Research Paper

Students have to complete assignments or research papers during their graduation or post graduation period.

Sometimes when the subject matter clicks with the likings of the student, the assigned term paper is being generated with full honesty & passion that contains many inputs from real life scenarios. It can be added to a CV which will indicate the expertise of the student or the job seeker.

Listing Extracurricular Activities

The basic rules to write this portion are:

• Using a table would look good
• Significant works should be written
• Variety of tasks or duties can be written to prove diversity

Hobbies to Mention

The hobby or interest of a student or job seeker also impacts as it helps understand the person better. It is wise to write it using bullet points. The hobbies related to the development of personality are the best options to include instead of those that do not actually carry weight. For example – gossiping or chatting could be a hobby but it is better to avoid it & put another in a place like – experimenting with new ideas or places.

Putting Training & Workshops

Training & workshops or seminars are some important activities in student life that are engaging, educative & eye opener at the same time. These things too must be included in the CV maintaining some order like:

• A table with required number of columns
• Inclusion of relevant events
• Title of the program should be in focus
• Date of the program should be there
• There should be mention of the organization that arranged the program
• Receiving of certificate should also be there (if any)

Enlisting Skills or Strengths

This part should be written with bullet points. There should be one line for a skill or strength. Four to five skills essential & relevant to the job market & the job post are to be enlisted in this section. Skills can be categorized as:

• IT skill
• Analytical skill &
• Cognitive skill

An example of putting skill can be – “adept at understanding human psychology” or “collecting required information within a short period of time” or “convincing people to the desired direction.” Etc.

Writing Reference

References should be there at the later part of a CV. by reference, a designated person is meant who can endorse the job seeker.

So, while you are preparing your CV, it is advised to make someone your reference who knows you better & can share your qualifications to the recruiters when they call to be confirmed.  Some rules to follow would be:

• Two references are sufficient for most of the cases
• One reference has to be academic & another has to be non-academic
• The details of each reference should be the same & must be written in similar fashion.
• The post holding with contact details & relationship with the candidate must be mentioned in a similar way for both the references.

Declaration & Signature

There has to be a line from the candidate that the information put in the CV is all authentic & no manipulation has been there. A CV has to hold the signature of the candidate. In case of a soft version of CV to mail someone, a scanned signature has to be used after the declaration of facts’ authenticity.

SOME PRO-TIPS FOR WRITING A CV

• A CV has to be concise & within two pages for a fresher.
• Focus has to be the comfort of the reader with presentation of key facts.
• The information that makes a person qualified for a post must be there.
• Irrelevant information to the job post has to be filtered out.
• A CV needs to be updated with each new qualification added.

How to write a CV will get easy if these steps can be practiced. If you need any help or tips, you are most welcome to contact the author.