A CV, or curriculum vitae, is a document used when applying for jobs that summarizes your education, skills, and relevant work experience, allowing you to successfully sell your abilities to potential employers. Here are the essential sections to include in a CV:
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Contact Information: This section goes on top of your CV and includes your full name, job title, email address, location (just the city), phone number, and optionally, social media profiles and personal website.
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CV Summary or Objective: This section sits right under your contact information and acts as an introduction to your CV. It should be a short paragraph that summarizes your work history, skills, and achievements.
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Education: This section should include your educational background, including the name of the institution, degree, major, and graduation date.
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Skills: This section should include a list of your relevant skills, such as technical skills, language skills, and soft skills.
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Work Experience: This section should include your relevant work experience, including the job title, company name, dates of employment, and bullet points detailing your duties and achievements.
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Optional Sections: Depending on your profession and experience, you may want to include additional sections, such as professional certifications, professional associations, languages, additional training and courses, conference participation, publications, awards, blogging and influencing, and volunteer experience.
When crafting your CV, keep in mind the following tips:
- Avoid titling the document curriculum vitae or CV. Instead, let your name serve as the title.
- Use section headings to break up your CV and make them larger (font size 14 or 16) and bold.
- Tailor your CV to the job you are applying for by looking at the companys website and social media accounts.
Remember to keep your CV concise, relevant, and easy to read.
