Does your CV reflect truly who you are?
Writing a proper CV is a difficult task to do, because we are talking about ourselves and what we have done previously and currently. The difficulty happens when we do not know where to start, nor what to write. During my 10 years of experience in training and consultations, I have noticed that writing a proper CV is one of the hardest tasks, for majority of people to do. For this, this blog is to explain how to do so in a good fashion.
To start with, I would classify CVs into two categories:
The first category, which I call “Vertical” CV.
For example, assuming you are looking to hire a training manager, and you received a CV with 15 years of experience, as follows:
Worked in 5 different HR - Training positions: starting from training supervisor, assistant officer, officer, assistant manager, to training manager. As for qualification, s/he has a business degree, and PHR certification, and work as a trainer, and training manager at the same time. Such career focus is what I call it vertical CV: s/he is has an HR – Training CV ONLY.
The second category is what I call “horizontal” CV.
For example, assuming that you are looking to hire a training manager and you received an applicant’s CV with 15 years of professional experience, as follows:
Worked in 4 different jobs: as training supervisor, sales admin, Office admin, and customer service officer. Has a bachelor of Arts, and has no professional certification. Such CV is an example that this person has unfocused career because of continuous change. That is why I call it horizontal CV.
Given the above two categories, read your CV, and decide which category it falls in? If you have a vertical CV, it gives you a higher selection probability, keeping in mind that the primary purpose of any CV is to:
o Leave a powerful first impression
o Open the door for a serious interview
o Convince the reader that you are the ideal choice
1. Objective statement:
a. What you want to achieve or accomplish.
b. Previous experience should be aligned with such objective.
2. Career Unique Selling Points (USPs): What distinguish you from other people in the same field.
3. Write your employment history chronologically, by providing the following details, for each organization you worked for (start with your current job):
a. Brief about the company / organization.
b. Your title
c. Service period (month & Year)
d. Reporting to whom
e. Add company’s logo
f. Write all your key responsibilities
g. Write all your key achievements (include figures, where applicable)
4. Academic credentials
a. Which university you graduated from. Indicate if such university has any kind of accreditation.
b. Specialization / Major
c. Time period (month & year)
5. Training attended
a. What training courses you have attended previously
b. Explain the purpose of the attended training:
i. General training
ii. Career training
iii.Certified training
6. Other professional details
a. Licenses
b. Certification
7. Languages
a. What languages you speak?
b. Proficiency in each.
8. Interests. Write what you like to do, in your spare time
9. Personal details
a. Names, and contacts
b. Date of birth and citizenship
When you finish the above, pls ensure to read your CV and check the spelling and grammar, to avoid reflecting negative image.
Hope the above was helpful to you, and until next blog, have a great day.
Nizar Baidoun
Writing a proper CV is a difficult task to do, because we are talking about ourselves and what we have done previously and currently. The difficulty happens when we do not know where to start, nor what to write. During my 10 years of experience in training and consultations, I have noticed that writing a proper CV is one of the hardest tasks, for majority of people to do. For this, this blog is to explain how to do so in a good fashion.
To start with, I would classify CVs into two categories:
The first category, which I call “Vertical” CV.
For example, assuming you are looking to hire a training manager, and you received a CV with 15 years of experience, as follows:
Worked in 5 different HR - Training positions: starting from training supervisor, assistant officer, officer, assistant manager, to training manager. As for qualification, s/he has a business degree, and PHR certification, and work as a trainer, and training manager at the same time. Such career focus is what I call it vertical CV: s/he is has an HR – Training CV ONLY.
The second category is what I call “horizontal” CV.
For example, assuming that you are looking to hire a training manager and you received an applicant’s CV with 15 years of professional experience, as follows:
Worked in 4 different jobs: as training supervisor, sales admin, Office admin, and customer service officer. Has a bachelor of Arts, and has no professional certification. Such CV is an example that this person has unfocused career because of continuous change. That is why I call it horizontal CV.
Given the above two categories, read your CV, and decide which category it falls in? If you have a vertical CV, it gives you a higher selection probability, keeping in mind that the primary purpose of any CV is to:
o Leave a powerful first impression
o Open the door for a serious interview
o Convince the reader that you are the ideal choice
1. Objective statement:
a. What you want to achieve or accomplish.
b. Previous experience should be aligned with such objective.
2. Career Unique Selling Points (USPs): What distinguish you from other people in the same field.
3. Write your employment history chronologically, by providing the following details, for each organization you worked for (start with your current job):
a. Brief about the company / organization.
b. Your title
c. Service period (month & Year)
d. Reporting to whom
e. Add company’s logo
f. Write all your key responsibilities
g. Write all your key achievements (include figures, where applicable)
4. Academic credentials
a. Which university you graduated from. Indicate if such university has any kind of accreditation.
b. Specialization / Major
c. Time period (month & year)
5. Training attended
a. What training courses you have attended previously
b. Explain the purpose of the attended training:
i. General training
ii. Career training
iii.Certified training
6. Other professional details
a. Licenses
b. Certification
7. Languages
a. What languages you speak?
b. Proficiency in each.
8. Interests. Write what you like to do, in your spare time
9. Personal details
a. Names, and contacts
b. Date of birth and citizenship
When you finish the above, pls ensure to read your CV and check the spelling and grammar, to avoid reflecting negative image.
Hope the above was helpful to you, and until next blog, have a great day.
Nizar Baidoun
Hi Nizar,
ReplyDeleteanother good one. However, there are some people for and against the objective statement. Some claim that it gives an idea about you goal. on the other hand, protesters say that usually do really care about what you want, they care about what they want and therefore it is better to start directly with your USPs. What do you think? I am not sure whether this is culturally related or not?
Nice pointers.
ReplyDeleteMarwan