This
write up discusses such readability factors as appearance,
organizational format, delivery format, page-length, and elimination of
typos and misspellings
· Appearance.
The first impression of your CV -- and of you as a job-seeker -- comes
from your CV's appearance. Your CV should be well-organized with
consistent headings, fonts, bullets, and style. Never
overcrowd the CV. Leave some "white space" so that important points can
stand out; and try to make your margins between .75" and 1" on all
sides. Avoid Typos/Misspellings, yet a lot of job applicants do make
this mistake. CVs with errors get filed in the trashcan. Take the time
to carefully write, rewrite, and edit your CV. Remember that it's not
enough to spell-check your documents because you may have used a
perfectly spelled word but it wasn't the word you wanted. For example, a
word frequently seen on CVs and cover letter is "possess," but some
job-seekers accidentally spell it "posses," which is the plural of
"posse." Be sure to meticulously proofread your CV for misspellings and
typos. Proofread your CV and cover letter. Put them down for a few
hours, come back, and proofread again. Then get a friend or family
member with a good eye to proof them for you.
· Contact
information. Surefire CVs and cover letters do no good if the employer
can't reach you. Most college students wisely list both their campus and
home addresses and phone numbers on their CVs. A surprising number of
the CVs omitted an e-mail address; these days, an e-mail address on your
CV is a must, so if you don’t have email address, go and open one with
any of the free email address website like Yahoo, Google, aol, etc.
Don't forget your cell phone number, if you have one. In fact, don't
overlook any way an employer could reach you. For print CVs, use subdued
color paper, such as white, ivory, beige, light gray.
· Contact
Information. Since your goal is for an employer to contact you --
either for a first interview or for a follow-up interview, you must give
employers as many ways to reach you as possible, including postal
mailing address, email address, home phone number, cell phone, etc.
· Accomplishments.
Focus the descriptions of your experiences on accomplishments, not
duties and responsibilities. Accomplishments, especially those you can
quantify, will sell you to a potential employer
· Education/Training.
Include all the pertinent information regarding education, degrees,
training, and certifications. Spell out names of degrees. List your
major(s) and minor(s). Include the educational institution's name and
location. If currently enrolled in an educational program, list expected
graduation month and year. List your GPA if 3.0 or above. If your major
GPA is higher than your overall GPA, you can list your major GPA
separately.
Targeted
and focused. Tailor your basic CV to specific jobs and specific
employers. There is simply no excuse for having one generic CV anymore.
Tweak each CV you submit to the specific job you are seeking or to the
specific employer.
