Curriculum

Vitae

IS ICT – Communication 400

RM 401 – St. Augustine Building,
University of Regina Carmeli
Curriculum Vitae vs. Resume
 A resume is a one or two page summary of
your skills, experience and education. While
a resume is brief and concise - no more than
a page or two, a Curriculum Vitae is a longer
(at least two page) and more detailed
synopsis.
general outline for a resume
 Contact details.
 Profile.

 Education, qualifications and training.

 Career history.

 Major achievements.

 Language skills (optional).

 IT skills (optional).

 Personal details (optional).

 References (optional).

Curriculum Vitae vs. Resume
 A Curriculum Vitae includes a summary of
your educational and academic backgrounds
as well as teaching and research experience,
publications, presentations, awards, honors,
affiliations and other details. In Europe, the
Middle East, Africa, or Asia, employers may
expect to receive a curriculum vitae.

 In the United States, a curriculum vitae is used
primarily when applying for academic,
education, scientific or research positions. It
is also applicable when applying for
fellowships or grants.
Which CV format will work best
for you?

Chronological
Functional
Targeted
Alternative

Chronological
 This is the most traditional format and the one
you're probably most familiar with. It's also
good if you're changing fields but remaining
in a very similar kind of job. Your career
history is shown in reverse chronological
order, with a strong emphasis on job titles
and the names of your employers. This is
good if your current or previous employers
are well-known organizations. It also shows
your career development clearly, meaning
that promotions show up well. People like
the Chronological CV because it is clear and
easy to read.
Functional CV
 If you've had a varied career or are seeking to
change direction, this format may be
suitable, as it highlights the main
achievements and functions (skills,
competencies or expertise) of your work
history. Job titles and company names are
reduced in importance and sometimes even
left out altogether. The Functional CV may
strengthen your application if you want to
draw attention to skills that haven't been
used in your most recent work. It also works
if you've had many varied jobs, as it allows
you to sum up your overall experience.
Targeted CV
 This type of CV emphasizes the skills and
experiences that are directly relevant to the
kind of job or field you're applying for. It's
extremely useful when you're planning a
change of career direction. It focuses on
your abilities and achievements used not
just recently, but across your entire career. It
can encompass relevant voluntary or unpaid
experience. It also means that you can aim
for several completely different jobs, using a
CV that's adjusted for each.
Alternative CV
 This kind of CV is most often used by talented
people seeking work in the creative
industries - e.g. design, media or public
relations - as it is highly individual and uses
a one-off visual style. It's suitable only for
applications for posts requiring exception
visual or verbal talent, and then only when
the application is being made directly to the
person the applicant will be working for.
What personal details and interests
should you include on your CV?
 1. Your name, address and contact
details should always head the CV, with
your name in a larger font. Also include your
home and mobile phone numbers, and your
email address. If including a current work
number, always say whether there are times
when it is appropriate to call you. Be sure
that you can regularly check whichever
numbers you provide, as the employer may
be trying to set up an interview.

What personal details and interests
should you include on your CV?
 It used to be normal to provide more personal
details, such as gender, date of birth and
marital status, at the top of your CV.
However, times have changed and it is no
longer necessary to include these details on
a CV. If you do want to include any of these
details it is best to list them at the end of the
CV.
What personal details and interests
should you include on your CV?
 You might wish to include your date of birth,
but it isn't always expected nowadays. If you
are looking for a job in the country where
you were educated, an employer can usually
calculate your age from your educational
background. You may be worried that your
age will put employers off. You could omit it,
but your Career History will usually give
some hints as to your age group.
What personal details and interests
should you include on your CV?
 Marital Status doesn't need to be included in
today's CV, although for specific jobs it can
be helpful to be up-front about this. For
instance, if the job you're applying for
involves unsociable hours or lots of travel,
stating that you are single could be
advantageous. This may not seem fair on
the grounds of discrimination, but it's as well
to be realistic about the concerns that might
rightly or wrongly be in the employer's mind.
What personal details and interests
should you include on your CV?
 Nationality isn't essential. Use your judgment to
decide whether your nationality is of concern to
the employer involved and include it if you think
it is.

 Inclusion of hobbies and interests is entirely
optional. On the one hand, it helps provide a
rounded picture of you that goes beyond Career
History. Sometimes your strengths can shine
through in the activities you list, as can your
personality type. This section can be especially
useful if you're at the start of your career. Don't
go over the top, though - list no more than five
at most. And do think about how your interests
might be perceived by other people. Train-
spotting, for instance, does not have a positive
image in the public consciousness. Likewise, a
list of solitary activities will not make you look
like a good team player.
What personal details and interests
should you include on your CV?
 You may want to include your name in a small
font in the bottom right hand corner of your CV.
Use the footer in a word processing document
and include the page number alongside. This is
useful in case the two pages of your CV become
separated during photocopying.
 When you write your covering letter, make sure
your personal details are presented in exactly
the same way as on your CV.
 If your CV is in a Word document, check its
properties. Do this by going to the File menu and
clicking on Properties. Look at the Summary and
ensure your name appears in the Author box.
Some employers check this to see whether you
have written the CV yourself!
Ten more things to leave out of
your CV
1. Lists of publications
 If you're a scientist or academic, include these only
if they are asked for. However, significant
publications may be included as achievements.
2. Very personal information

 Don't include your age (although your date of birth

is OK), weight, height, health, sex, race or
marital status. It's irrelevant and some facts
could be used in a discriminatory way.
3. Jargon and abbreviations

 Avoid using any information that won't be

understood by someone outside your job or
organisation. The exceptions to this are
abbreviations recognised industry-wide.
Ten more things to leave out of
your CV
4. Poor photocopies
 Always use good original laser prints. Poor
quality copies suggest you're sending the CV
out to lots of companies because you're
desperate.
5. Mistakes and typos

 Always check your CV for incorrect spellings

and factual errors. Then check it again. Then
ask someone else to check it. Errors make
you look careless and disorganized.
6. Excessive wordiness

 This is a working document, so keep it factual

and don't go over the top with
conversational descriptions.
Ten more things to leave out of
your CV
7. Negatives
 Don't be apologetic over what you believe may be
missing from your CV. Focus on your positive
attributes.
8. Irrelevancies

 Don't include your gap year travel history, previous

managers' names, the middle name that you never
use, etc.
9. Cheap paper

 If you post a printed copy of your CV or you take a copy

of your CV to an interview make sure your CV is
printed on good quality paper. This will make your
application stand out and it costs very little to buy
quality paper.
10. Exaggerations

 Stick to the truth. You never know when misleading

statements might backfire.
Top 10 tips for producing a better
Curriculum Vitae
1. Keep it short and clear
2. Make it look good

3. Most recent first

4. Include many facts

5. Not too many lists

7. Be accurate

8. Adapt it

9. Send a covering letter

10. Be truthful