The document provides guidance on writing an effective curriculum vitae (CV). It discusses the purpose of a CV, common CV formats including chronological, functional, and chrono-functional. It also outlines the typical sections of a CV like contact information, education, work experience, and references. Tips are provided such as using action words and proofreading, as well as things to avoid like using all capital letters or multiple fonts.

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

3. 3
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