Applying for a job: Writing a curriculum vitae

Level: Pre-intermediate and above

Brief description:

This unit is designed to present information about writing a CV and a covering letter for applying for a job.

KEY CONCEPTS:

• The purpose of a CV is to convince a potential employer to give you an interview.

• Most employers spend little time looking at CVs, therefore it must be clear, concise and easy to read.

• The CV represents your professionalism. Accuracy and a clear organized appearance are essential.

What is a CV?

The term curriculum vitae is Latin for life course, hence it presents one’s course of life. In job hunting, a curriculum vitae (CV) (or résumé in American English) is essential to convince potential employers that you are the right applicant for the job. Remember that these recruiters generally do not spend more than 15 seconds looking at your CV to know if you deserve to be interviewed for the position, so it is well worth spending time to get it right.

How can I make my CV effective?

Here are some helpful guidelines for writing an effective CV or résumé:

1. Make it clear, concise and to the point.

2. Include only important information and not trivia.

3. Write the sections in education and work experience in reverse chronological order.

4. Use action words to describe your achievements and adjectives to describe your personality.

5. Be honest about the details you include in your CV – the interviewer might ask you to explain these to them.

6. Check spelling, grammar, punctuation and format.

7. Try not to make your CV fancy or use inappropriate paper. Keep it simple, clear and professional
 
What are the sections or parts of a CV? Match the section titles with the descriptions and details of a CV.

Look at this sample CV. Write the section titles of a CV in the blanks provided.

Finally, what can you do to make your CV appealing to a potential employer? Practice. Practice. Practice. Writing an effective CV and covering letter takes time and several drafts before you could confidently say that you are ready to send them out to recruiters. So, scroll down and begin your writing practice!

Glossary:

Pay attention to how the word is combined with other words in context. Do not learn the meaning of the word without sentences. Vietnamese should be the last resort after you have tried all the learning strategies.

• To convince = to change or direct the mind / thinking of another person in favor of another person (Thuyết phục)

• A potential employer = a company or person from a company that may hire one as an employee (Công ty tương lai, công ty mà bạn nộp đơn xin việc)

• To highlight achievements = to focus on the things a person has accomplished (Nhấn mạnh những thành tựu đã đạt được)

• Reverse chronological order = the sequence of things happening from the most recent (now) to the oldest (in the past) (Trình tự ngược lại)

• Duties and responsibilities = the activities that an employee does for a company because of his / her position in that company (Nghĩa vụ và trách nhiệm)

Writing Practice:

Go to the following websites and search samples of CVs and covering letters in their database:

http://www.cv-resume.org/

http://www.jobsearch.co.uk/

http://www.monster.co.uk

Draft your first CV using the sections and details of each mentioned above. Don’t forget to spell check and proofread for grammar and punctuation errors.

Compare your CV to some of the examples at the websites above. Can you improve it?

Let a friend see your CV. Do they have any suggestions to improve it?

Next week we will look at how to write a covering letter for your application. Join us then!

Answers:

Sections of a CV

1. f

2. d

3. h

4. g

5. b

6. e

7. a

8. c

Sample CV section titles

1. Profile

2. Experience

3. Education

4. Languages

5. Computer skills

6. Interests

7. References

This material is provided by the Australian Centre for Education and Training (ACET).