A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is an important tool when it comes to matters employment.
It tells who you are, the skills you have, the qualifications and your aspirations that you harbour.
A good CV is a ticket to employment and opportunities in the job market.
Many job seekers, however, fail to observe the importance of writing a good CV by having simple mistakes that cost them the chance of getting their dream jobs.
Academic writing expert, Purity Muchiri, says that CV writing is slowly becoming a profession.
She says that a good CV must be able to attract the attention of employer and guarantee employment to the job seeker.
Here are 5 tips on how to write a good CV that will attract your potential employer and hand you your dream job.
1. Presentation
A successful CV must be well presented. When writing your CV, ensure you use the acceptable font type. The recommended font type for CVs is Arial or New Times Roman size 12.
Avoid fancy font types as well.
2. Structure
You should ensure that the CV is structured and arranged well from personal information all the way to stating your references.
You should not crumble your CV with many words. Your CV should be precise and to the point.
Avoid telling stories in your CV, state the points as they are.
Muchiri says that employers don’t have the luxury to read long CV’s and often go for those that are straightforward.
She also notes that CV’s are not judged on the number of pages but the content they have.
You should, therefore, ensure that your CV does not exceed four A4 pages.
3. Language
Avoid using long passive phrases. Write your CV in the present tense and use a lot of action words.
You should also avoid using fancy words and jargon or exaggeration.
Use words that portray action rather dull words that will keep your possible employer off.
4. Tailor your CV to the job description
You should be able to match your CV with the job description you are applying for.
Relate your work experience and what the employer is looking for especially in stating your work experience.
5. Proofread your CV After writing it and make sure that you proofread to check for spelling mistakes and grammatical phrase errors.
There is nothing bad and embarrassing than sending a CV to your prospective employer with full of spelling errors.