Effective CV Writing

Muhammad Imran Rasheed

Asst. Professor, Management Sciences
The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Curriculum Vitae
Latin word : course of ones life

Your CV enters the organization long before

you !

Purpose of CV
To inform the employer about your PROFILE.
To sell KSA and to persuade the employer
to invite you to interview.

to be

Resume
Vs.
Length: Short
Content: All-inclusive
summary of
skills,
experiences, and
education
Purpose:

Get

Content: Area-specific
listing of
education
and
academic
background
Purpose: Detail
background
and
qualifications
4

Formatting
have things stand out
Font: Times New Rom,
Arial, Calibiry
Font size:

12 point for text

14 point for headings,

12 point Bold for
subheadings

No underlining
Single sided
Margins: 1 all around

Number pages
No graphics
Same font throughout
(may
vary sizing some)
Full name on every
page
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Contact Information

Full Name
Postal Address: Permanent/Temporary (Preffered is one),
mention country name as you are living in Global Village
E-mail:

Obtain email address that will not expire

Phone number(s) with country code

Do not Mention: Father Name, DOB, Marital Status, CNIC,

Domicile, etc
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Education
Most current first (include your current educational work)
Only include diploma distinctions
Get the schools names correct
Thesis/Dissertation titles listed

Table format is not a good design today

Professional Experience
Includes anything you were paid to do or was extensive, regular
volunteer
Only include those items relevant to your academics
List most recent first
If listing research, include the lab and director/principle investigator also
Mention complete organization name
Try to match with the job you are applying for
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Extra Curricular Activities

List with most recent first
Do not describe
This tends to be the longest list, but select carefully
Student organizations go here

Awards & Honors

List with most recent first
Honors/Award Title: Date(s) received
Go back to undergrad but not before only
Academic and/or professional
Scholarships count
No descriptions
10

Research Experience
List with most current first
Make sure you fall under someone, unless it truly was
your lab ownership
If you gained grant funds, include
You may briefly describe here

11

Research Publications
Just the way you write reference in your paper
Always bold your name in authorship
You may include submitted and/or pending publications
and/or presentations
Presentations may be small or large, but should be
pertinent enough to talk about
Make sure you have copies of your publications
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Interests & Hobbies

Write down your Interests and hobbies
List atleast 4 of them
Creativity counts/ Be specific
Make sure they are real
Get something active

13

Some Tips
Your Resume should stand out from the crowd
Multilingual Ability COUNTS
Visits to various countries must be mentioned
Proof Reading is must; spelling, grammar, punctuation and
other errors must be avoided
Never leave Gap in employment
Use relevant references and ask permission first
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Some Tips
one size fits all has been failed, always customize your cv as
per the Job you are applying for
Find a way to tell your gender
Never send a naked Resume, couple it with a covering letter
Do not Color print
For the Soft form 2 Colors Font can be used, visualize the printing
Fresh Graduates must try to Adjust their Resume on one page

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Important NOTE

There is not really a right way to do a

Resume.
However, there are some things that make the
viewing
easier, make you look more
professional, and include things reviewers want
to see.
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Good Luck!
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