1. Effective CV
Writing
Bibaswan Ghoshal
Teaching Assistant, ALES 204
Graduate Student
Department of Agriculture, Food and
Nutritional Sciences
University of Alberta
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2. Image on left: CV, URL:” http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR8NEuWoLjHYrd2hrmoZocuIVUNiWRfh50QotiOBp1Kf9LyPKmeFQ”, Feb 12, 2012 2
Image on right: Business man and woman, URL:” http://snobtopia.com/files/2011/11/business-man-and-woman.jpeg”, Feb 12, 2012

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CV Purpose, URL:"http://www.gradjobsuncovered.com/img/gju_employer_registration_engagement.jpg", Feb 12, 2012

4. Curriculum Vitae
Curriculum Vitae (CV) means "course of life" in Latin
A CV is a written description of your work experience,
educational background and skills
A CV is a typically a "living document" which will reflect
the developments in a professional's career
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5. Purposes of a CV
 Marketing tool: First impression is the one which lasts
 Request for an interview: We are always looking for
jobs
 Your “big picture”: A detailed snapshot of your
professional and academic life
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6. CV Formats
 Chronological
 Functional
 Chrono-functional
/Combinational/Combined
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7. Chronological
 Reverse chronological
order
 Widely used for
corporate sector
 Mainly used by
individuals with
 Solid work history
 Few or no gaps between
jobs
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Chronological CV, URL:"http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/22708087.png", Feb 12, 2012

8. Functional CV
 Focuses on the skill set
of an individual
 Mainly used by
individuals
 with significant gaps in
employment
 a mixed employment
background
 very short work history
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Functional CV, URL:"http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/44419483.png", Feb 12, 2012

9. Chrono-Functional CV
 Specific work experience
 Specific skills and talents
 Used mainly by
individuals
 Freshly graduated from
school
 With uninterrupted
work history
 Applying for specific
jobs
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Combined Resume, URL:"http://www.resume-resource.com/Examples/functional-resume-sample.gif", Feb 12, 2012

10. Functional Types
 Academic
 Used for academic applications (graduate student
applications, scholarship applications)
 Usually more detailed
 Focuses mainly on academic achievements,
 Relevant projects and courses mentioned
 Corporate
 Used for getting jobs
 Specific to the needs of the employer
 Focuses mainly on work experience and relevant
academic affiliations
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11. CV Format
 Header
 Objective
 Education
 Honors/Activities
 Work Experience
 Research Experience/Projects
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12. Header Section
 Name
 Must be the first line of resume
 Bold
 Larger than the largest font used in body
 Address
 Current address preferable
 Email Address
 Use professional email addresses preferably with
name
 Phone number
 Preferably use both home and cell phone numbers
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13. Name
Address
Phone Number
Email Address
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Image Source: Personal

14. Objective Section
 Optional but highly recommended
 Statement must be clear, concise and to the point
 Bad: “I want to get a job”
 Weak: “To attain an internship in livestock industry.”
 Good: “To attain an internship in the livestock industry
with detailed insight into genomics and bioinformatics.”
 Avoid being over specific
 Target the company’s perspective
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15. Education Section
 Educational qualifications from highest to lowest
 Do not use high school details once you have
graduated
 Must include years in school
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Image Source: Personal

16. Work Experience Section
 Experience should be listed in reverse chronological
order
 POSITION TITLE, ORGANIZATION NAME, CITY,
STATE/PROVINCE, DATES EMPLOYED (Include
months unless this shows big gaps of unemployment )
 Describes specific roles in bullets
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Image Source: Personal

17. Research Experience Section
 Focus on relevant research experience
 Must include graduate level research
 In reverse chronological order
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Image Source: Personal

18. Honors/Activities Section
 This section should scream “I am a leader”
 Must contain all academic and professional awards
 May include extra-curricular awards
 Include a brief description if not self-evident from
title
 Don’t include hobbies or activities not related to
the job or your story
 Good to include leadership positions
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19. References
 One of the most crucial things
 Follow the requirement
 If not mentioned, then “On Request/demand”
 Ask referees beforehand
 Use the best ones
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20. Additional Sections
 Professional Certificates/Licenses
 Specialized Experience
 Publications/Theses
 Additional Training/Assistantships
 Membership/Affiliations
 Volunteer Experience/Community Service
 Language or Computer Skills
 Continuing Education
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21. Types of CV
Scannable
Electronic Email
Resume
Paper HTML
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22. Electronic CVs
 Scannable
 Best to use black color fonts
 Use proper font type (do not try anything fancy)
 Many companies scan paper resumes into their database
 Email Attachment
 Currently the most widely used delivery method
 PDF most widely used format
 Easily convert your Microsoft Word CV to PDF using
various online resources (www.pdfonline.com)
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23. HTML Resume
 Ease of access
 Shows your creativity
 Easily available and free of cost from many service
providers like google
 Link to different sections of your CV
 Very detailed
 You can add forms of social media like twitter,
facebook pages and personal/professional blogs
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24. Tips
Use Action Words
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List of Action Words, URL:"http://www.my-easy-resume.com/image-files/action-words.gif", Feb 12, 2012

25. Do’s
 Professionalism
 One page only (for corporate CVs)
 Stick to the truth
 Focus on achievements and results
 Maintain a consistent writing style
 Avoid the use of “I” or “my”
 Modify your CV according to requirement
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26. Do’s
 Use easy-to-read language
 Get grammar and punctuation correct
 Follow the instructions
 Proofread
 Spell Check
 Update your CV regularly
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27. Don’ts
 USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
 Harder to read
 Avoid whitespace
 Actually avoid using border lines
 Include a picture of yourself
 It’s not the cover of a fashion magazine
 Use extremely professional image when asked by employer
 Use several fonts to catch their attention
 Creates a “ransom effect”
 Use Times New Roman or Arial
 Focus on you and your needs
 Employers are not interested on who you are but what you can
do
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28. Don’ts
 Use templates to construct your resume
 Don’t use fancy ones
 You have got other ways to show your creativity
 Use superlatives to emphasis your work
 Informative and stick to the basic facts
 Use long flowing sentences
 Short, concise and to the point
 Print your resume on “day glow” paper
 It is not going to an art workshop
 Illogical Order Use
 Use relevant information at the beginning
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29. Bad Resume Examples, URL:"http://img.docstoccdn.com/thumb/orig/22467385.png”, Feb 12, 2012

30. Bad Resume Example, URL:" http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ViJKBVHeG3U/SMau560W8BI/AAAAAAAAFns/BC-Hb9gPB8M/s400/bad-resume-sample-
page4.jpg”, Feb 12, 2012