Define Curriculum Vitae - CV Definition - Good CV Writing Tips - CV Writing Basics - Writing Better CVs - CV Help First of all we define curriculum vitae and provide a CV definition before looking at CV writing basics and good CV writing tips for writing better CVs.

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Define Curriculum Vitae and CV Definition - Understand what is a CV before highlighting good CV writing tips for writing better CVs... Starting with the basics, we define curriculum vitae and provide a CV definition to help understand what is a CV and why it plays an important role when seeking employment. We then seek to profile what we consider to be the main CV writing basics and offer some good CV writing tips. Our aim is to help people with useful CV advice for writing better CVs and avoiding CV mistakes. Benefit from Professional and Executive CV Writers: Professional CV Services

A Curriculum Vitae (commonly referred to as a CV or resume) is essentially a short document summarising an individual's education, career and achievements. Curriculum vitae's should be seen as important personal marketing documents when applying for jobs. It is up to the job seeker to decide on what to include and how to present this information to recruiters. Recruiters base initial recruitment decisions on what is contained within the CV (marketing document),
so it is vital component of the recruitment and candidate selection processes.

The main objective is to create the right impression using a well-presented and well-marketed curriculum vitae to obtain a job interview. From there, a discussion about the job role and candidate suitability will commence. This is to verify whether what is contained within the CV stands up to scrutiny and is a true reflection of what the candidate has mentioned on the CV.

The role of the recruiter is to verify the integrity of each CV and match candidates with employer requirements. There is no right or wrong answer on how to write a CV, yet there are some widely adopted principles for writing a CV. Such CV writing guidelines help candidates understand what is required to create the right impression and secure that all important job interview.

At Winning CV, we prefer not to use the generic terminology - CV, curriculum vitae or resume - we adopt a slightly different thought process and mentality. This is because we like to view such an important aspect of the job search as a personal marketing document. So, an effective personal marketing document will carefully match (target) specific job roles based on the following:

Strong career motivations - good rationale for choosing a career makes a stronger candidate.
Realistic career objectives - employers are 'turned off' by over-ambitious people (be realistic).
Proven business track record - a good track record indicates likely success in a new job role.
Relevant skills and personal qualities - core elements contained within the job description.
Specialisation - often candidates have highly desirable skills that employers proactively look for.
Achievements - identifying what candidates have excelled at (notable strengths and successes).
Education - employers look for structured learning ability and the potential to apply knowledge.
Training - if a previous company has invested in an individual through training it is a good sign.
Evidence of progression - showing career development, management and leadership potential.
Wider evidence of suitability - work experience (credible examples) reinforces 'employability'.

Best CV Writing Tips: Some useful CV writing principles and guide to resume writing; vital for making the right impression...

First Impressions Count!

A well-presented and targeted CVs tend to stand out more. Base a CV on established methods of CV presentation, CV format, CV layout, CV content and attention to detail. Take time to search for good CV examples or CV templates, as these can set a framework for producing a better CV. Experienced recruiters form an opinion and base their decisions on a CV within 30 seconds, so it is important to receive expert advice and see how your CV performs under scrutiny.

A good recruitment consultant should be able to offer simple advice on how to improve a CV. Alternatively, there is scope to get a professional CV writer like Winning CV to take the lead
and write an effective personal marketing document for you. Taking expert advice removes any confusion or uncertainty about writing a CV, whilst saving time. Regardless of whether writing
a CV yourself or getting a CV expert to help, a high level of time and attention to detail is required to get the most out of any CV. Think everything through, plan and then review the final product.

Create The Right Impression

One of the most important aspects of a writing a resume is CV Presentation. Often recruiters spend no more than 30 seconds scanning a CV. A well-trained eye can pick out key aspects of a CV and recruiters can get a good initial impression of the candidate. This is before deciding on whether to review a CV in more detail when recruitment and interview pre-selection decisions have to be made. A well-presented CV makes it so much easier for a recruiter to find the information they are looking for. If it takes time to search for the information, a recruiter is likely to get board, reject the CV and move on to the next candidate for consideration.

A good CV will be pleasing to the eye and easy to read. Clear headings and plenty of white space makes a CV look more balanced and professional than something with poor headings and crammed to the brink with information. It is important to get a second opinion regarding initial impressions, readability, layout, content and mistakes. A friend or perhaps more importantly a recruiter or CV expert can help with reviewing a CV.

CV Writing Content

It is important to be selective about what to include in a CV. Review the relevance of each piece of information, whether it makes a constructive point and adds value to a CV. We see candidates over-loading a CV with anything they perceive as being relevant. A short concise and well-targeted CV is more effective than a long CV with weak relevance to the job application or specification.

To often candidates dwell on and try to justify negative aspects relating to their CV. As previously mentioned, a CV should be an effective personal marketing document. Use positive language to sell credentials and customise the CV to the job description. Employers like positive, proactive people and will tend to ignore CVs with a negative approach. If there has been a real negative experience, sell it as a positive by saying how you overcame this weakness to improve.

Work experience is best presented in reverse chronological order so that the most recent roles appear first. Employers are only interested in what candidates have done recently in terms of job roles, projects, skills, training and achievements. As a general rule, cover the last 10 years work experience or last 3 or 4 roles in some level of detail depending on what candidates have done. Anything beyond this requires only a summary. Education becomes less prominent over time, especially with a growing track record in business. Make sure skills, training, projects and achievements are up to date and relate to recent experiences - include separate sections by grouping together similar attributes if necessary.

One common theme is all about keeping a CV simple. CVs must be easy to read and confined to two pages. Only goto a third page if there are requirements to detail useful training or an IT skills profile. It a good CV is merely an insightful introduction about a candidate and what they have done rather than becoming a monologue or life story. Simple headings, layout and presentation often works best. Unless targeting a specific recruitment community where there is a high degree of specialisation, please avoid jargon. Jargon is very off-putting and can be confusing. Instead, use specific and relevant terminology that matches the job description or target roles.

Part of presenting a well-contructed and carefully targeted CV revolves around sentence construction. Sentences must be well-articulated, concise, straight-forward and to the point. A well-written and articulated CV comes across as more professional, whilst also demonstrating good written communication skills and a good level of education. This helps to create the right impression, as opposed to a CV that is heavily worded and is not so easy to read. Avoid waffle!

Being factual and honest is a key requirement. Recruiters will check the integrity of a CV at interview and through gaining references. Having experienced so many CVs and candidates, recruiters are able to seek out inconsistencies. Recruiters also get a feel for when candidates are over-exaggerating their experience and achievements. So, any uncertainty regarding the credibility of a candidate is likely to mean instant rejection. Candidates do lie and very often they are found out. So, it is up to the individual on how they want to play this - be it on their conscience!

Massive Attention To Detail

As previously mentioned, recruiters can spot inconsistencies. Part of testing the integrity of a CV is making sure details are accurate. Dates and specific details must be verifiable, especially as they are likely to be checked when seeking references. It is important to check for the accuracy of dates and details. We recommend documenting all achievements or evidence of recognition in a portfolio as people progress through their careers. This helps document specific details and it could be something to take into an interview setting as it provides tangible evidence of success.

Spelling and grammar is one area of concern for many recruiters. Not only does it exemplify a lack of attention to detail, it can show poor professionalism and inadequate written communication skills. CVs should always be checked carefully for errors - there is no second chance!