What to Include in a CV

The greatest goal of any CV is to be noticed in order for you to be considered for the next stage of the selection process. You need to give importance to your CV since this is a marketing tool you can use to sell yourself to a prospective employer. Knowing what to include in a CV and how to organize it in general can give you an edge to be considered for an interview or for the next step in the selection procedure.

Learning what to include in a CV enables you to come up with something full of substance and relevance. Essentially, these are what to include in a CV: your personal profile including your contact details, career objectives, vocational or educational qualifications, hobbies and interests, work history, and references.

Personal Profile

Name: When handing down your CV, it is not necessary that you include a title page. This can only take much space. Rather, start your CV with your name typed in bold at the topmost center of the first page. Use qualifications after your name. This would instantly notify an employer that you are certified just through your name.

Contact information: What to include in a CV next to your name? The next thing to include would be your contact details. These include your phone numbers, addresses, and email address. Any of these would be essential for the employer to contact you.

A profile or an opening paragraph about yourself is another thing on what to include in a CV. You have to make sure that this is eye-catching and forceful. When coming up with your profile, think about your skills and competencies. Your profile would portray your strengths and capabilities. It is therefore necessary to avoid using general statements. Instead, make use of specific statements that can illustrate your individual capabilities.

Employment History

This is an added essential aspect on what to include in a CV. Details under this should always be written in reverse chronological order. Mull over your key accomplishments in every job or position you’ve had. And do not just list down your roles and responsibilities. Aside from the name of the employer or company you’ve been employed to, include the position or job title you’ve held, and the dates employed.

Remember to demonstrate your real potential for the job you are applying for. Include every responsibility you’ve had and the accomplishments you’ve achieved. The skills you have obtained and enhanced from your previous employments may also be included here.

Education

Your educational background is also a significant element on what to include in a CV. If you have just recently graduated or have less than 3 years of job history, then this section would come first in your CV before the employment history. Also, details under this are arranged in reverse chronological order. What to include in a CV under education? Most of the time, you put here the names of schools you’ve attended to along with their locations, the date of graduation, the degree you finished, and the awards and honors you received.
If you are qualified but thinking about a change in career and just completed a vocational course or further learning, then this section should come first or next to your profile. This allows the employer instantly understand your purpose of applying and might immediately consider you for the position.

Interests and Activities

Though a lot of people do not see the importance of including interests and activities section in their CV, this part has importance in portraying who you are outside of work. Knowing what to include in a CV apart from the profile, education, and employment history, this section can impart more about yourself. This contains added information which employers do not see in the usual CV contents. Include all the activities that show your strengths and skills.

Added tips:

When making statements under your personal profile and contact information, avoid overcrowding your resume with unnecessary details. If you want to know what to include in a CV, ask yourself if the details you want to include are relevant or be of interest to the recruiter or employer. Thus, exclude information on religion, children’s names, nationality, and others that have no relevance to the job you are applying for.

At the end of your CV, do not include references with contact details. Doing so would only invite a recruiter to check out on you before calling you for an interview. You can just state there: references available upon request. This brief statement is more than enough. And once the recruiter is interested to contact your references, then that’s the time you provide the details.

Aside from learning what to include in a CV, it is necessary that you know how to make your CV appealing. Too wordy and very long CVs do not often bring interest to any reader, especially if these are not carefully formatted. Remember, there are hundreds of CVs which a recruiter scans in a single sitting. Thus, make it a point to create a CV that can stand out from the rest.

To make it aesthetically pleasing, make use of a font style that is easy to read. Avoid using font styles that are unfashionable and too arty. The font size should not too small or too big. Size 12 and 11 are the recommendable ones.

When processing your CV, always type it using MS Word, especially if you will be submitting it electronically, unless an instruction is given by the recruiter. Making use of MS Word is the common practice when processing a CV. This as well enables you to format and edit your CV much easier. The internet also offers a number of free templates which you can readily use for your CV. You just know what to include in a CV and fill in the readymade template with the necessary details.

Apart from determining what to include in a CV, along with its formatting and layout, it is important to consider its length. Avoid making a CV that is too long. A maximum of 3 pages is enough to contain all the essential information about you and your background.