CV Writing (НББ, Санхүүгийн менежментийн 3-р курсынхэнд)

         CV Writing

A CV or Curriculum Vitae is: Your Life History Your Job History Your Achievements Your Skills  CV or curriculum vitae is a marketing tool. With your CV you will be able to promote yourself. Imagine the CV as being a brochure that will list the benefits of a particular service. The service being your time and skills! When writing a CV look at it from your employers point of view. Would you stand out against the competition (the other candidates) and would the manager want to talk to you for a possible job? You have to ask yourself these questions when writing your CV or curriculum vitae.

Networking and interviewing are essential for your job hunt and your CV is just the first step in the job search. However, a CV will be your first contact with potential employers and will open the door. If you are invited for an interview, you would then be in a position to explain and expand on what is in your CV.
A CV is an essential tool in your job search. When applying for a vacancy, you generally first have to send your CV to present yourself to the prospective employer.

Time and place for drawing up a CV

When is the best time to have a CV drawn up? As soon as you are out of the college you should write your CV. Every six months you need to update your CV to contain the latest information as and when you complete any new degree, training or achievement. Every time you apply for a new job, you need to re-write the CV which should be totally tailor-made to the job you are applying for. In order to do this, you should have researched deeply into the company's background as well as have identified the best personal traits and qualifications that match with the prescribed job requirements. Only then will your CV catch the attention of the prospective employer and you will gain the chance for an interview. A common mistake is for people to draw up a general type of CV and only change the cover letter and send it to the companies. Nothing could be more harmful to your chances in getting an interview. Since each job is specific and has special requirements, there is no way a regular CV can match of all the jobs universally. Rather when the CV is not drawn to highlight your fit to the company, it is summarily rejected without further introspection. It is important hence, to have a tailor-made CV for each job you are applying for. It is also important to have your CV continuously upgraded to include each and every aspect of your professional and personal (relevant) growth. You should, for best results, have a master CV in your computer that can be changed at the drop of a hat to fit any job requirements so it can be submitted properly. However, the master CV would slowly be polished to contain each and every facet on your professional and personal life. Then, whenever you need, you can pick those traits which are best suited to a particular job and wait for that interview letter. Hence, you start writing your CV now, the sooner the better. When you have the CV written down well, your thoughts will also be organized particularly to your strengths and weaknesses and other aspects that you will be able to present better and better. The fact that you have control over the facts will in turn give you increased confidence which will clearly come through in your CV and your interview. This is the importance of writing a CV in time. The timeliness of having this document ready will unleash a useful circle of processes by which you can only benefit. Do not wait till the last moment before you need to apply to write your CV. When in hurry and under duress, you will tend to leave out many beneficial points which would have otherwise gained you an interview with the company. Be careful in how you invest your time for your future - a small delay may cost you dearly.

Make your CV an interesting introduction document

You must be aware that a CV is the key that unlocks the gate of the company for you. You want the job, you are ready for it - but have your really got the right key? How do you make your CV an interesting document? Always write a new CV for each job, specifically designing them to answer and highlight the relevant information about yourself with regards to the job requirements; never give a standard formal CV to one and all - in case you do, do not expect great results from such a delivery Always draw the employers interest towards your best plus points which would show you as one of the most eligible for the job applied for Collect enough information about the company and the job in question to know exactly what points the employers are looking for so you can match your best talents to those particular points of the requirement Be aware of market trends regarding the latest technology, latest training, latest jargons that are relevant to the job. Use those in sufficient quantity to show you are abreast with the times   The formatting of the CV should be pleasant to the eyes in alignment, typesetting (the font should preferably be Arial or Times New Roman with a size between 11 - 12 pt), margins, paper quality - each and every aspect should be chosen with the company and job you are applying for in mind. For example, for a computer professional a highly professional, latest technology and software CV would be very appropriate. For an advertising or copy writing job a colorful and innovative style would prove your credentials even before the employer read your CV. Use the key aspects that employers are looking for correctly and throughout the CV - this will not only attract their attention, but also highlight your overall awareness Keep the CV crisp and easy to read, using proper highlighting tactics for different areas you need to attract the employers attention to - often the employer has only a few brief seconds' time to glance through the CV and make his/her decision whether he/she is interested to know more or not Keep it interesting with short sentences if you need to elaborate and with bullet points when you need to list - so a person can scan the contents without effort and also enjoy what they read You need to build the expectations of the employer slowly but steadily so he/she will want to interview you; use the right formatting applicable to that company, region or country. Incorrect formatting often leads to rejection since the person cannot re-organize his/her way of thinking for a tailored CV Highlight clearly what value you can add to the job and the company so they can appreciate the value addition you would bring in. The above list is by no means exhaustive. Your CV should, generally speaking, invite the employer to know you better, create a good first impression, and open the possibility in their mind that you might be the right candidate for the job.

How to improve your CV

	The CV can be written in a professional and neat manner that making it easy for the recruiter to scan and read it, yet most job hunters make the same mistakes in the compilation of their CVs. A few vital improvements to your CV can make the difference between you and the job hunter next to you. Check your CV for these common mistakes and use the guidelines to improve your CV. Use bullets rather than paragraphs Another way to improve your CV is to get rid of paragraphs. Paragraphs are great in your profile section, but should not be used throughout your CV. Use bullets to create a more readable CV. Always keep in mind that a recruiter normally scans through hundreds of CVs and should be able to identify the main points within 30 seconds. List information based on relevancy to the employer Your CV is not aimed at you and what may seem important to you is not necessarily relevant to the employer. Improve your CV by focusing on the most relevant information.
List information based on relevancy to the employer Your CV is not aimed at you and what may seem important to you is not necessarily relevant to the employer. Improve your CV by focusing on the most relevant information.

Your job title is the most important in your work history, so list it first, followed by the employer, city, and dates for starting and ending of employment. When you list your qualifications you should follow the same procedure. The name of the qualification (don't use abbreviations), the institute, city, completion date and the majors. Your work history and qualifications are listed in reverse chronological order.
Don't assume the employer understands the acronyms you used
As a general guide, always spell out the acronym if you think that the employer may not be familiar with the term. Avoid using jargon and academic terms to describe qualifications and experience. They may look impressive, but the reader may not be familiar with the terms.
Get rid of unnecessary words and formatting in your CV
Only list dates that are relevant. You don't need to state the dates for short courses, club membership or hobbies. Instead of parenthesis, make use of commas, as it improves readability. If space is limited, you can leave out the comment about references being available. Steer away from 'I' and 'me'. Instead of using 'I', you could simply state the sentence. It is perfectly acceptable to use fragments in a CV.
Emphasize the abilities that you want to use at your next employer.
Don't write essays on mundane tasks and skills. If you, for example, did routine filing as part of your job, but had more important accomplishments you should list those instead.
Keep verbs and noun fragments separate, for example:
Full budget control (noun).
Expanding existing markets (verb).
Can be replaced by:
Full budget control
Expansion supervision of existing markets
Avoid words such as 'worked in'-everybody worked somewhere. You should instead specify the job. Use words such as collaborated, campaigned, marketed, controlled, managed, supervised, initiated, sold etc., instead of 'worked'.
Published material
It is of no use to list published books or articles without dates and publishers. If you are the author of a book, include the ISBN number.
CV length
Even though the shorter CV is preferred, you shouldn't cram the information to fit on one or two pages. You need a lot of white space and if your experience and qualifications necessitate more space then use an extra page. Many job hunters have CVs far too long because they repeat tasks and accomplishments for every job. You can shorten your CV by eliminating duplicate entries. Avoid having a full page, followed by a quarter page of information. In this case, you should try to condense the content to fit on one page. You can do this by setting the margins and by using a smaller font, but not smaller than 11. If you are using headings on the left side with the information on right side, you can switch to headings on top with the information below. This way you use one column instead of two.

Include a profile or objectives section at the start of your CV It makes it easier for the recruiter to scan your CV if you include a summary of your goals, skills, qualifications and experience at the start of your document. This should be focused on the job that you are targeting.

Only list the past 10 years experience
Avoid age discrimination by only listing relevant experience for the past ten years. You can list up to 15 years if you are applying for a senior level position.
Vocabulary should be achievement driven
Avoid the use of words such as 'duties' or 'tasks'. Don't list your work responsibilities; rather list your achievements in the specific position. You are supposed to be able to do all of the tasks, but why are you better than Ms. X as a secretary? Show how you have done more than what is expected and have performed better than your colleagues. Your contributions to the company and team should stand out.
Use the tips in this article to improve your CV. Never use a CV three to six months old. Always update your CV for every job application.

Why Write a CV?

To apply for a job within the same field. You like what you do, but you want to do it somewhere else! Make sure your CV highlights your achievements. Writing a CV is easy, but writing a good CV isn't! Achievements can show the employer that you are able to meet objectives, something all employers are looking for. To apply for a job within a different field. So the time has come for a career overhaul. You have thought hard and decided that you do not want to pursue a career in the current direction. Write a CV that highlights any experience or qualifications in this new area. You would also need a reason in your CV outlining why you want to make a career change. To summarize your life achievements. Having a full CV is always a good idea as you never know when a good opportunity will come up. Keep your CV updated at all times, adding any relevant courses or qualifications. This way, when you find yourself applying for a job in three months time your CV will already be written and remembering all your courses/experiences/projects will not be an issue. If you then apply for a different position, all you will need to do is edit your CV to suit the particular post. To apply for a particular job vacancy. Address all of the job requirements in your CV. If you do not have any formal qualifications that cover the job requirements, try to make up for it by showing your experience. Make sure you carefully read the advertisement and follow all instructions. A CV is an essential tool in your job search and career.