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Literally translated, ‘curriculum vitae’ means the story or the course of one’s life. The CV is your bargaining chip in the job market. Every professional, young and old, but especially young, needs a CV to do its job as best it can.
To that end, British Council held a CV-writing workshop recently to train students and young professionals on how to craft a good CV and suggest other steps that would enable them to enter the job market with focus and clarity.
The session stressed on soft-skills training — researching a prospective employer, framing a career statement, drafting a covering letter, customising a CV to be relevant to each job and analysing yourself to see exactly what kind of a role is suitable for you in the first place.
“It is a problem with younger people who are just getting into jobs that they often don’t have the inputs required or adequate soft skills for the job market,” said Leslie D’Gama, facilitator for the event and head of central training division, ILFS Education and Technology.
An interesting fact that emerged was that biodata, CV and resume are not interchangeable terms. A biodata carries basic info like name, date of birth and other such facts and figures whereas the CV represents the work experience in some detail and is usually a comprehensive account of all the important projects undertaken. A resume, on the other hand, is what is most commonly used and is a combination of a biodata and a CV in a concise and crisp manner.
There are various styles of writing a CV — from a chronological style (suitable for freshers) to an experience-based format which combines work experience with skills (mid-level) and a skill-based style (for senior experienced professionals with an established reputation in the job market).
“Every last word that goes into your CV is significant and all of it should be put into the perspective of the job. So even if your hobby is stamp collecting, it should be used to stress your organisational capabilities,” stressed D’Gama.
Tips on how to craft a CV:
• Follow a logical sequence so that the reader doesn’t have to keep turning pages to trace your career.
• Use a clear font and formatting style.
• Update your CV regularly.
• Never use one generic CV. Customise it for the kind of work you want to do.
• The length of the CV will vary depending upon your experience and point of entry into the job market. Thus a fresher should have a compact and brief CV (about a page and a half), with details of internships or important positions held that outline one’s leadership qualities. Someone in the mid-level or senior management should have a longer and more comprehensive CV (about five-six pages).
• Never send a photocopy of your CV. Always circulate original prints.
• Every CV should have a job statement that outlines and matches the skills and aspirations of the job seeker with the position applied for.
Diya Kohli