CV Layout. How do your structure the CV?

Determine the CV layout immediately after job profiling. Embark on drawing a document that will have told your story.

It’s called curriculum vitae or commonly CV. Here we shall look at the layout of the CV and the important things to include and those that you should strive to leave out.

CV layout.

A CV should have a clear layout that is free flowing and delivering on the subject. Should have at least the following section:

a) Contact information. Here it should include name of the applicant, postal address, email contacts and telephone contacts.

Note: most people include unnecessary information about themselves. This information is not necessary and might lead to prejudice on the part of the interviewer. Done not include things such as health, marital status, children in school, religion, denomination, political views e.t.c

b) Be able to clearly state your career objectives. This is what you want to achieve in your career. Where would you like to be maybe 5yrs from now.

c) Be able to provide a summary of your career. State what you gonna offer the market, highlighting your skills and experiences. Career summary should enable the employer get a glimpse of you in 30 seconds. Remember there might be several thousand people competing for the same position so come out clearly.

d) Talk about your key skills, be clear and probably number in bullet form instead of a paragraph, be able to clearly demonstrate the skills you acquired from your previous employment.

Include also any out of work special activity or skill you have learnt. State skills that are relevant to the job vacancy.

e) Clearly in bullet forms highlight your achievements in your career. Rank the achievements in order of relevance. This is the chance you have of telling your potential employer what you can do for him in relation to what you did for your previous employer.

f) Work experience. This is where you talk of the position you last held, starting with the most recent. Be sure to state your duties and responsibilities below each position. It’s also good to indicate whom you were reporting to.

g) Educational background. This is where you highlight your qualifications and training you have undergone. Start with the most recent qualification going backwards.

Note:

Where you have a recent skill acquired or achieved a recent qualification, start by stating educational background before work experience.

Where you feel your qualifications might not match the job requirements but you have the work experience, emphasize more on skills than education in your CV layout.

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