CV Writing Tips and Tricks

We’ve already covered the topic of CV writing, but this is the inexhaustive realm of updates, as the world of human resource management looks like a balloon that constantly changes from big to small and back. This article is dedicated to CVs (Curriculum Vitae) writing for several groups of professions, such as teachers and engineers. We will also leave some space for a couple of writing tips for graduates.

Let’s recollect some basic tips that are applicable to every category of CVs mentioned above. They are appropriate, relevant and precise contact information, clear objective, work experience, accomplishments, photo, etc. For example: state your name, middle name and last name, e-mail and home or /and cell phone number. Just remember that your e-mail should be as professional as your CV, with no fancy nicknames, especially if you are applying for an executive position. In most cases, potential employers are attracted to CVs with photos, but some of the recruiters have implemented rules that read that a modern American CV should not include gender, nationality and photo because of equality of rights of all potential applicants. This happens mainly because CV writing rules changed a bit in 2015, and these rules keep changing. Another important detail, which is being actively argued about, is the black and white font and background. Some HRs say that it’s completely uninteresting reading piles of black and white CVs and potential employees should seriously consider adding a hint of creativity into resumes, while others state that business style is an evergreen classic and it is preferred by most headhunters and recruiters. We advise you to think over these two arguments every time you are going to send a CV. Take into consideration a particular position that you are applying for, decide when it is appropriate to be creative, and when you need to tailor a strict business resume. While reading endless pages of CVs writing tips and advises, you may come across another burning argument that says that on various occasions it is better to write a brief summary instead of an objective. Once again, we think that you should understand in which case this tip will work and in which case it won’t. The length of a CV is another controversial issue that numbers many advices and so-called acknowledged rules. Some of the US recruiters and headhunters claim that an American CV should not exceed one page, while other advices say that it is acceptable to write a two-page CV. However, there is always a big “but” in this respect. Let’s imagine that you are an applicant with the twenty years of work experience and ten previous workplaces. How on earth you should fit all this information into two pages? We’d love to look at that!

Nonetheless, let us put aside all irrelevant argumentation and focus on something that is day-to-day vital for every engineer, teacher or graduate student who intends to apply for a particular position.

CV Writing Tips for Engineers

An engineering CV seems like an extremely difficult riddle without an obvious solution. At the first glance, it is like that, but you won’t be tangled, if you know how to write this kind of thing. The main problem is that there are many engineering branches, and they are various as well as positions and specialties. Such kinds of CVs should be written, according to the appropriate engineering project and category, provided that you fit into this category. That is why you should focus on accomplishments that you’ve gained as an engineer while working on a specific project.

Include your objective or professional summary to show a recruiter or a potential employer your potential and outshine you from the rest of the crowd. Just make sure that your objective or professional summary matches the position’s requirements. Here, you are also welcome to use some professionalisms since a person who hires you should be definitely aware of whom they deal with and whether this or that person suits their professional interests. Be sure to include your work experience in chronological order, from the very previous one to others that preceded it. Be concise and do not get into irrelevant details, but rather try to demonstrate your technical skills and abilities to work in a team to get more positive feedbacks. After the work experience, list all certificates that you’ve received and trainings that you’ve been through. This will show you as a person who is ready to learn and advance own skills and knowledge. Finally, do not disclose to your potential employer that you have been mass-posting your CV. Such people like to be the one and only (even if they know that they are not), so prove them that they are.

CV Writing Tips for Teachers

Teachers have the same variety of professional choices as engineers, except that they are not so difficult. At the first stage, prior to the process of writing a good curriculum vitae, you should understand what a particular school or college wants from you, what its objectives are. If you are a new teacher without any previous work experience, you should include information about your summer internships with a few words from supervisors. In case if you have a tutoring experience, you should definitely include it into a CV. Tell your employers brightly about your classes and your students, and how long had you been teaching them. Be sure to write the objective and enumerate what things you want your students to get to know from you, what you are capable of teaching them. Recommendations from previous employers are the best demonstration of your commitment to the work that you have done. Think of telling in a CV about things that you have done – one way or another, you will find a way to connect them in your CV.

After you state the relevant contact information, you should list your education with appropriate reference to professors and teachers that have something to say about you. Later on, you are welcome to list all your honors that may be somehow helpful in a CV. You can also add some information about all your written and published works and by doing that you will help a potential recruiter see you as a talented and open-minded person.

CV Writing Tips for Graduates

Graduates are the entirely different category of people who need some piece of guidance on their way to success. Once you have graduated from the University or College of your dreams, you should start looking for the job of your dreams. And that’s where you are going to need our several tips on that matter.

First of all, think about what you want to achieve in your future career, and on what particular position you want to achieve it. Define the career objectives and stick to them and, of course, you should definitely put them in a CV. As you just an apprentice in this career-chasing realm, be sure to add recruiter-attractive keywords that will help your potential employer find your CV faster than the others. Another well-known advice in this respect is to make it shine out of the piles of others CVs. You should already have known that you are to compose a CV for the particular position that you like to apply. Just be sure not to send two different CVs to the same recruiter because it may confuse recruiters in an unpleasant way.

Include your University and College education first and mention a degree that you have been conferred, or state your future ones. And if you are not through with your education, you should mention the graduation date as well. As any other fresher, it will be great, if you can provide recommendations from your summer internships supervisors. And state it all just after the education section.

Finally, proofread the completed work, and give it to your friend or somebody else to read it. It is nice, if someone can cover you in this respect.

A CV is a living and growing organism that develops as the time passes by. You will see that your CV will eventually become bigger and experienced, as you will gain more knowledge and skills. Just do not forget to update it to be ready for new achievements!