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Bon Journal
Doing your CV
This week I received three CV's to comment. They are from three different countries, from three different professions, and written with three different objectives in mind.
Having spent ages doing my curriculum vitae at different periods in my life, I have some thoughts to share. I am not an expert at this - but I have given it some thought.
It takes time to do a CV. It's a time of self scrutiny and critique. Can you put your life into a page? Clearly not. But it should be enough to get someone to want to talk to you. A CV is only an indicator. A good CV doesn't get thrown away. So the objective should not be to tell your life story, but to get an interview.
- There is a standard format for the country in which the CV is being sent. So if you're sending it to the US, it should be familiar to people in the US - where it's called a "resume"
- Less is more. Don't put insignificant detail that don't relate to what you're seeking.
- Spelling or grammar errors are not allowed. That's a sign of - carelessness, a lack of respect for the person receiving the CV.
- Continuity is good. every gap (in time) must have a reason
- Name dropping is good. It's good to have famous people or well-known
companies if you've worked for or studied under them.
- Be specific, wherever possible.
- Be consistent otherwise you will raise suspicion and risk losing your credibility.
- Make sure you're using the right word: a degree refers to university-level education, such as Bachelor, Master, Doctorate. A diploma is not the same as a degree.
- Try to limit it to one page.
19 August 2001
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