Dos and Don't Dos of CV writing

You want to make your CV the best document but at times you may commit mistakes which can cost you the opportunity. Here are some pointers to keep in mind as you start working on your CV. They will help you in making your CV friendly for the recruiters to read and a better chance to get it shortlisted for an interview.

Note that what we are going to discuss here are just the suggestions, not the principles carved in stone. If you want to do things against them knowingly, we advise you to do that.

Dos of CV writing

• Make your contact details i.e. the phone no. and e-mail address available at the very beginning of your CV.
• Use a formal e-mail address (preferably a combination of your first and last name) rather than using an e-mail address like funnymonkey@xyz.com
• Write an appealing career summary/executive summary at the beginning. You have got 30 seconds to impress the recruiter. Your career summary should attract them to read the CV.
• If you have got work experience, keep a focus of your CV on your experience, responsibilities and achievements.
• If you have just passed out from college, write about your education qualifications, projects and other qualities in you which put you apart from other people in your batch.
• Use impactful words which demonstrate you in control of things.
• Rank the achievements in order of priority.
• Write about your interests out of work. They demonstrate your personal qualities.
• CV is a formal document. Use white or light colored A4 size paper and formal fonts.
• Put un-important things on the second page, towards right side.
• Include some numbers to quantify your achievements. They make your CV more powerful.
• Write short and crisp sentences using punctuation marks properly.
• Maintain the same tense throughout your CV
• Provide enough breathing space in your CV. This makes it legible.

Don’ts of CV writing

• Resume or CV on top. The reader knows that it’s a CV. You don’t need to mention it.
• Lies about your candidature in CV are highly unadvisable. They may get you the entry but are not difficult to find out. When found they will lead you to embarrassment. If you manage to get yourself hired based on these lies, they may cost you the job when found.
• Flashy fonts and colourful or glossy paper. CV is a formal document, keep it simple.
• Photographs until asked or compulsorily required for the position.
• Usage of ‘I’, ‘my’. They make you sound egomaniac.
• Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. They convey your lazy and not serious attitude.
• Your age, number of kids, age of kids, father’s name, mother’s name, passport number.
• Abbreviations or jargons which HR people might not understand.
• Mentioning health problems.
• References until asked
• Current or expected salary until asked
• Mention of reasons for leaving the last jobs
• Right alignment of the CV content