Saturday, October 15, 2011

WRITING YOUR CV AND COVER LETTER

The Curriculum Vitae or commonly known as a CV is a personal advertisement which promotes your suitability for a job application ahead of other applicants. A CV's primary focus should be on positive information and exclude all and anything negative. A cover letter is an important support document for a good CV. Your CV should be concise and short, and have a formal structure containing all the information an employer wants to have a look at. Finally, your CV should be checked carefully to make sure it is free of error.

CV writing tips for your CV and cover letter.

The Cover Letter: Write a short on one page attractive cover letter that makes your prospective employer want to read your CV. You can repeat the information in your CV for emphasis but not too much.
In the cover letter, the first paragraph should be your introduction, tell them why you are the right person for the job, the middle paragraphs should describe what you have to offer, and the final paragraph may inform them how you will follow up your application.

Keep your CV short: In general, your CV should not be longer than two pages. Always keep in mind that jobs typically attract many applicants whose CV is short and employers want to see CVs that are short and to the point. Make every word count to have the finest chance of attracting the reader's interest.


The right structure: A CV should be divided into various sections.
  • Heading - defines your contact information
  • Objective Statement - emphasizing your main qualifications. One or two specific sentences about the job you want always make sure it is tailored as per the job.
  • Job Experience - should list your last three jobs and should include short sentences that begin with action verbs, describing what you did.
  • Education - educational achievements Skills & Qualifications Other Awards
  • Achievements - what have you achieved so far?

CV templates: Consider using a CV a fully targeted and contented CV template to develop your CV. Templates can draw on the wide experience of skilled CV-writers and can be tailored to match the requirements of your job application

Quality Check: A clean and error-free looking CV tells your prospective employer that you are professional and pay attention to details and can create quality work.