In this blog post, we look at how to make your own curriculum vitae in 3 simple steps.
Your CV is one of the most important tools in the job-hunting process. Think of it as an essential form of self-presentation to market yourself to an employer. Find out more about writing a CV and what to include in your CV to help yourself get ahead of your competition.
What is a Curriculum Vitae and why do I need one?
A curriculum vitae (CV) is a document that summarises an individual's education, experience, and skills. The CV provides an overview of the person’s qualifications for the position they are applying to. A CV typically includes personal information such as name, address, contact information, date of birth and nationality as well as educational history and work experience.
A CV is used as a means of applying for jobs. It is also called a resume or curriculum vitae. A CV should be well-designed and should contain all the necessary information to help the applicant get hired.
Step 1- What details do I need to include in my Curriculum Vitae?
A curriculum vitae is a document that contains information about the applicant's education, work experience and skills. It is often referred to as a CV.
Your CV should summarise your skills, experience, and education.
The key to writing an effective resume is to be concise in the language used to describe yourself and your past experiences. You should be able to clearly communicate what you have done in the past and why you’re qualified for the position you're applying for.
There are many details that a CV should include:
- Contact information: email address, phone number and address.
- Education
- Employment history
- Skills and achievements
- Hobbies and interests
When talking about your qualities be sure to make them relevant to the job you’re applying for. Recruiters are looking to see how well you’ll fit the role.
Step 2- How should I organise my Curriculum Vitae?
There are many different ways to organise a CV. Some people prefer to list their education first, followed by work experience and then personal details at the end. Others like to list their work experience first and then their education followed by personal details at the end. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to organise a CV, but it's important that you pick one format and stick with it so that it's easy for employers to understand your qualifications.
How long should a CV be?
A CV is a document that summarises your work experience, education and training, skills, interests and other qualifications. It is usually the first document to be seen by a prospective employer.
The length of a CV varies depending on the country - in the UK it should not exceed two pages while in the US it can be up to three pages.
A CV should contain all your relevant information without being too long or too short. If you are applying for a job abroad then you need to make sure that your CV is tailored for that country's culture and standards.
Summarise your education and work experience briefly to save space and improve clarity. Include only relevant information and don't repeat yourself in your cover letter.
If you have any concerns with editing your CV, ask yourself if certain information will make you stand out. Cut these details out if you find it doesn't. Delete information that's not relevant to the job. And if they're old details from more than ten years ago - sum up these parts instead.
Step 3- Can I make a CV Online?
Yes, you can make a CV online. You can use a website that offers free CV templates and build your own CV from scratch.
Some websites are designed to create a quick CV for you to send out to employers. These templates are usually limited in terms of what information they provide, but they still give you the basic framework for your resume.
You can also use these templates as a starting point for your own customised CV, or just use them as-is if you don't want to go through the hassle of making one yourself.
Benefits of using an online CV maker
Online cv builders can help you craft an attractive resume quickly by providing templates with pre-written text related to various industries or jobs available in the market.
Sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Simply Hired are some of the most popular resume-building sites that offer tools for job seekers and employers. These tools include access to their database of resumes, the ability to create a profile with your personal details, write your own resume, and even post your resume to job boards.
Free online CV builders
Reed
Reed has put together a free service to make it as easy as possible for you to build your CV. The steps are quick and simple, and once you're done you'll have a professional-looking document that can be easily updated whenever needed.
You can build your CV from a desktop, tablet, or mobile device using their service. Some benefits include:
- You can save your progress and come back to complete the CV later
- Apply for jobs on Reed.co.uk right after you've submitted your CV
- You can download your CV as a Word document.
Linked In Resume builder
LinkedIn’s built-in resume builder lets you easily update your profile and generate a CV in seconds. It also automatically suggests keywords based on the job opening.
LinkedIn’s resume builder isn't perfect, as it has a few shortcomings that might not be good for some. It can be unsuitable for those who want a more personalised resume, and it produces resumes that are quite plain-looking. If you’re applying for a creative field like design, it might be a good idea to find an attractive resume template on Google Docs or Microsoft Word and upload the file. If you have skills in design, it can be helpful to create your own too.
However, it is not worth creating a LinkedIn account just to generate resume material. It's easy to find templates online, even ones that give you tips such as building your list of skills and achievements.
Indeed
Indeed free CV creator is primarily designed for the site's users. Once a freeCV is created, applicants can use it to apply for roles on the site instantly.
There are various templates to choose from to appeal to a wide range of employers.
Resume Genius
All Resume Genius CV templates were designed to be fully compatible with the Applicant Tracking System software companies use to filter applicants.
The Resume Genius resume builder pulls from real-life job listings, which it analyzes for keywords and then modifies to create a unique work history section for you.
Resume Genius has free, professionally designed templates and themes. They are the perfect resource for someone who’s looking for a good-looking CV or cover letter design.
Should I include a photograph with my CV?
In the UK, US and Ireland it's against the law to discriminate based on race and nationality. So you shouldn’t include a photo or ethnic information. Companies should make sure their hiring processes are free of discrimination. Hence, they usually prefer not to see photos of the candidate with a job application
Applying for more high-profile jobs such as modelling and acting can also be exempt from this rule.
How to make your CV Stand out?
The average person spends about six seconds scanning a CV. So how you present yourself with your CV is essential to landing an interview.
In the past, people applied for jobs with a CV that was just a list of their skills and qualifications.
Nowadays, it is important to make your CV stand out from the crowd. Here are some tips on how to make your CV stand out:
Keep to one page
First, keep it to one page and only include relevant experience and education.
Use action verbs
Second, use action verbs to describe your work. This enables a recruiter to better envision if you’re the right person for the role.
Make the CV easy to read
Third, make sure the margins are wide enough so that the text will be easy to read on-screen. And use a font that is easy to read on-screen too. Use bullet points rather than paragraphs so that recruiters can easily scan through your CV.
Cover letter
Use a personalised cover letter that introduces you and highlights why you are suitable for the position.
Make it relevant
Include relevant experience and skills in the job description.
Conclusion: how to make your own curriculum vitae?
We hope you found our quick guide on how to make your own curriculum vitae easy.
For more information like this, read our post: How to identify a fake resume.