How to make a competitive Curriculum Vitae

Personal details and contact information

Most CVs start with contact information and personal data but take care to avoid irrelevant details (religious affiliation, children’s name etc.).

Education and qualifications

Include the names of institutions and dates attended starting with the most recent - Ph.D., Masters, Undergraduate.

Work experience/employment history

The most used style of employment record is the chronological CV. Your career history is presented in reverse date order starting with most recent. Achievements and responsibilities are listed for each role. More emphasis should be put on more recent jobs.

Skills

Include computer skills, foreign language skills, and any other recent training that is relevant to the role applied for.

What Not to Include

There is no need to include your photo, your salary history, the reason you left your previous position, or references in your CV. References should be listed in an appendix and provided to your employer upon request.

How Long Should a CV Be?

A good curriculum vitae should never cover more than three pages. Aim to ensure the content is clear, structured and relevant. Using bullet points rather than full sentences can help minimize amount of words.

A curriculum vitae, commonly referred to as CV should be clear, complete, and up-to-date with current employment and educational information. Following examples are information that can be included in your curriculum vitae. The elements you should include depend on the type of the position you are applying for. You should carefully consider all the options with regards to relevancy of the information, as your goal is to leave the best, yet reality-based impression of yourself.