How to -  Résumé Writing Tips

Most people know what a CV or résumé is, but have no clue how to write one effectively. If you are looking for your first job, you might not know what these documents are.

CV is short for curriculum vitae, which is the course of your life and the title given to a piece of paper which gives a potential employer the information he needs to know concerning your education, your qualifications, and the work experience and skills you have.

In the US, a CV is normally known as a résumé, unless the candidate is applying for an academic job, and then the term CV is used. In this article, the words résumé and CV are interchangeable,  as we are not discussing academic jobs.

CV writing isn’t often something you learn at school, and a lot of graduates get to the end of their degree courses  without learning how to create one. But this piece of paper is one of the most important documents you’ll ever possess and it has the power to change your life.

A well written, highly targeted résumé will get you an interview for some very good jobs. A poorly constucted CV will end up filed in the bin.

So, with your entire future at stake, it makes a lot of sense to learn how to write one properly.

As the recession starts to bite, there are more and more people chasing after fewer vacancies, and this means it is even more important than ever that your résumé or CV stands out.

Did you know that the first time they look at a batch of resumes, employers merely scan them for around 10 - 20 seconds. So there has got to be something in yours which makes him want to read it more closely if you are to get through to the next round.

It’s a good idea to start out with a generic CV, because it enables you to record all of your information in one place, but you absolutely have to customize your resume every time you send it out..This could sound like a lot of work, but it just involves a bit of attention to detail, without which you won’t have much hope of getting an interview.

Get started by getting all of your information together. You’ll need the dates of previous jobs (summer jobs too, if you have just left school or college. You should also make sure you have copies of all your certificates so that you can enter your qualifications and the dates you achieved them.

At the top of the page, put your contact details – name, address, email address and phone numbers, including mobile or cell phone if you have one.

Generally speaking, a résumé starts out with a profile, which is written in the third person and says who you are professionally and the sort of job you are aiming for.

You can choose from several formats. A chronological CV, lists your work experience and educational experience and achievements in reverse chronological order. So you start with the most recent job or school and go backwards to age 11.

A functional résumé uses your skills as a focus and lists these on the first page. Then you can put a brief work history, followed by your education.

Once you have all the releveant information typed up, you can tailor it every time you send out an application. You can decide which format is best for your circumstances and will make your résumé stand out in that first 10 seconds.