Curriculum Vitae

How to Format a CV?

1. Set one-inch margins on all sides.

2. Use 1.0 or 1.15 line spacing.
3. Pick a good font for a CV and stick to it on the whole document.
4. Create a professional CV header format for your contact details.
5. Divide your CV into legible sections: Contact Information, Personal Statement, Work
Experience, Education, Skills, Additional Information.
6. Make section headings slightly larger than the rest of the contents.
7. Add a blank line before and after each heading.
8. Save your CV in PDF to keep your formatting intact.

Contact Information
 Full name
 Professional title
 Email address
 Phone number
 LinkedIn profile
 Home address

2. Personal Statement (Summary or Objective)

A CV personal statement is a brief (100 words tops), snappy paragraph at the top of
your CV that provides an overview of your qualifications and skills. It works as a “trailer”
for the rest of your CV. Fill it with keywords relevant to the job opening and explain why
you’re the perfect candidate.

If you have years of relevant experience, write your personal statement as a CV

summary: highlight your best professional achievements.

Not much experience yet? Go for a CV objective: summarise what skills you’ve
mastered so far and how well you’d fit in.

Whichever one is right for you, don’t focus it solely on what you want out of the job.
Instead, emphasize what you have to offer. For instance:
3. Work Experience

 Start with your current or most recent job.

 Below, list your previous jobs chronologically descending.
 List: your job title, the name of the company, dates worked.
 Below each entry, add up to 5 bullet points explaining your responsibilities and
achievements.
 Quantify whenever possible. Numbers pop!

4. Education

If you’ve got any post-secondary education, limit your CV education section to just that.
Don’t mention your high school, unless it’s your highest degree of education.

Format your CV education section the following way:

 Graduation year (if you’re still studying, enter your expected graduation date)
 Degree
 Institution name
 Sub-honours (if applicable)

Don’t have a wealth of job experience? Place your education section above your work
history and mention the coursework you’ve completed, as well as extracurricular
academic achievements.

5. Skills

Here’s how to list skills on a CV step by step:

 Start with a spreadsheet with a master list of all the professional skills you’ve
developed.
 Read the job ad carefully and look for skill-related keywords.
 Those skills from your list that match the job description go on your CV.
 Instead of just listing skills in a separate skills section, mention them in your CV
personal statement and in the work history section.

6. Additional Sections

If you’ve participated in any activities relevant to your career that don’t fit into any of the
above sections, list them in extra sections of your CV. Some examples of such sections
include:
  Industry awards
 Professional certifications
 Publications
 Professional affiliations
 Conferences attended
 Additional training

The above template is an example of a classic, reverse-chronological CV. But,

according to many a career expert, there is an alternative. A skills-based CV format,
also known as a “skills CV” or a “functional CV.” Read on to find out what the right
structure for a skills CV is.

What’s Best In 2020: Skills-Based CV or a Classic

Chronological CV?

Some candidates with unorthodox work histories might want to consider using a skills
based CV format.

Skills based CV (also known as a functional CV or simply a “skills” CV) focuses on the
candidate’s skills rather than work experience. It’s usually used by job seekers in
creative industries who have done a lot of small freelancing gigs or by career changers.

Have a look at an outline of how to format a CV in a skills-based template.

Skills Based CV Structure

1. Contact Information
2. CV Objective
3. Skills Summary
4. Work Experience
5. Education
6. Additional Skills

Reverse-Chronological vs Skills Based CV Format

Reverse-Chronological CV Skills Based CV
Main focus Work history and education Skills
Work history section At the top At the bottom
Skills section At the bottom At the top
Layout Professional and traditional Non-conventional and creative
Main advantage Easy to read, universal Emphasizes skills
Main disadvantage Very common, might require tweaking Suggests you’re trying to conceal someth
Good choice for Virtually all candidates Creative industries, Career changers
Bad choice for Career changers Experienced professionals

Curriculum Vitae Outline

Your Contact Information
Name
Address
Telephone
Cell Phone
Email

Optional Personal Information

This information is not included in U.S. CVs. It may be requested in other
countries.
Date of Birth
Place of Birth
Citizenship
Visa Status
Gender
Marital Status
Spouse's Name
Children

Employment History
List in chronological order, include position details and dates.
Work History
Academic Positions
Research and Training

Education
Include dates, majors, and details of degrees, training, and certification.
Post-Doctoral Training
Graduate School
University
High School (Depending on the country)
Professional Qualifications
Certifications and Accreditations

Computer Skills

Awards

Publications

Books

Professional Memberships

Interests

Curriculum Vitae Template

This is an example of a curriculum vitae. Download the curriculum vitae
template (compatible with Google Docs and Word Online) or see below for more
examples.