This document provides guidance on designing an effective curriculum vitae (CV) or resume. It discusses the differences between a CV and resume, including that a CV is a summary of one's life experiences while a resume focuses on career objectives. Tips are provided, such as tailoring documents to specific jobs, avoiding common mistakes like inconsistencies, and using concise bullet points. Sample CVs and formats for different countries are also referenced.

1. CURRICULUM VITAE
HOW TO DESIGN AN EFFECTIVE CV
Howard Burns
howard1@014.net.il 052-3485156

2. STRUCTURE
 What is a CV ?
 What is a Resume’ ?
 What do CVs and Resume’ include ?
 CV or Resume’ ?
 Common mistakes
 Tips on effective CV writing
 Various CV and Resume’ formats
 CV styles
 Remember !
 CV samples

3. WHAT IS A CV ?
 CV or curriculum vitae is a marketing tool
 Latin word for "course of life", "life-track", or
similar.
 It is a summary of your main experiences on paper.
It is retrospective in the way that it only lists things
of your past life

4. WHAT IS A RESUME ?
 Résumé" is synonymous with "summary", not a
summary of your life but a single paper summary
of your total job application (what you want from
the job and why just you should have it).
 The emphasis on a résumé is on your career
objective. The experience you list on a résumé
should be relevant and supportive of your goal.

5. WHAT DO CVs AND RESUME’ INCLUDE ?
 Resume contains:
 An accurate summary of
your credentials
 Education, achievements,
job experience
 Goals for the future
 It should flow naturally and
be easy to read
 CV contains:
 Your Life History
 Your Job History
 Your Achievements
 Your Skills
 Job descriptions for all
positions held
 Performance reviews
 Educational transcripts and
records of
seminars/conferences
attended since high school.
 References

6. CV or RESUME ? 1
 The main difference between a CV and a Resume’ is
brevity.
 Resume’ should be a teaser, the hook, to pass on the
essential information.
 For young graduates better Resume
 The Resume’ instead of experience highlight your
match to the job in terms of skills and personality
traits
 CV does not consider the future as a résumé does.

7. CV or RESUME ? 2
 Your Marital Status and Date of Birth are not needed
in a Resume’
 Write a two line CV Objective under your personal
details.
 Do you have what it takes to do the job? A list of
skills for positions like programmers and engineers
are essential to show which field you are most
qualified or experienced in.
 In a Resume’ provide as much information as
concisely as possible

8. COMMON MISTAKES
 Send a CV without cover letter (some countries
 Change the cover letter and send the same CV to
each company.
 Show you are overqualified
 Explain gaps and hiccups
 Not proof-reading
 Don’t lie

9. TIPS ON EFFECTIVE CV WRITING 1
 Use cover letter as gateway
 Explain why you want the job (especially if
overqualified)
 The CV should be accurate and correct
 Your contact information should be clearly visible
on the first page of the CV
 Your CV should be typed in an easy-to-follow
format, i.e. the headlines should be indented and
highlighted so as to catch the attention of the
reader easily

10. TIPS ON EFFECTIVE CV WRITING 2
 Give two unrelated references
 Do not forget to write your areas of personal
interest, such as hobbies
 Your qualifications should be presented clearly and
concisely
 All info should be listed in a bullet point format
 Follow the standard format of the country or
region,
http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/img/dynamic/c9
8/cv166_en_US_Europass_CV_Template_EN.doc

11. TIPS ON EFFECTIVE CV WRITING 3
 Be as much to-the-point as possible (6 sec. the
time an employer decide if to take your CV in
consideration)
 Ask for a colleague/friend for feedback (10
seconds)
 Research for the company, job description
 In USA employer scan a CV for less than thirty
seconds.

12. CV/RESUME FORMAT FOR JAPAN
 Expatriate may submit a standard two-page form
in Japanese + cover letter.
 Or a two-page American-style resume and cover
letter in English.
 American-style resumes should contain your name
and contact information centered at the top.
 You need not list job accomplishments on the
resume; you will discuss them at the interview.
 The CV requires a photo to be attached.

13. CV/RESUME FORMAT FOR UK
 Always include a cover letter
 Address your cover letter to a specific person
 In the UK, a resume is sometimes called a CV
 Include a 'profile' section in your resume
 Include 'References are available on request' at the
end of your resume

14. CV/RESUME FORMAT FOR FRANCE
 Cover letters are generally hand written
 A photograph is attached to the resume
 Maximum resume length is 2 pages
 Personal information is optional (Ex: birth date,
marital status)
 Include fluency in other languages
 Include other important sections such as education,
previous jobs

15. CV/RESUME FORMAT FOR CANADA
 Canadians use resumes instead of CVs and prefer
computerised applications.
 The application process is much more commercial
and as most employers will read resumes on the
computer the resume should fit a specific template
 Bullet point words such as contributed, managed,
organized, developed etc. at the start of a sentence
for maximum impact.

16. INTERNATIONAL CV/RESUME FORMAT
 Generally you would need to include more personal
details such as citizenship, your date and place of birth
and marital status.
 Use real/actual rather than active verbs.
 Use good language skills and good prose (avoid
repetition).
 Use a qualified translator.
 Use at least a two check system where a translators work
is proof read as well.
 Remember that some languages, such as French and
Spanish, have different variations within the language.
Be sure your resume is written in the intended variant.

17. CV STYLE 1
 Targeted CV
Focuses on particular objective and specific
industry or company. Highlights skills,
qualifications and experience that match the
requirements of the advertised position.
 Inventory CV
Is used when sending your CV to: Various
recruiters, when you do not have a specific job
objective. is a more general overview of your skills,
achievements and qualifications.

18. CV STYLE 2
 Chronological CV
most commonly in reverse chronological order.
 Functional CV
is usually two pages in length and covers your entire
career history. It focuses on your skills, abilities and
expertise. It is important that the skills you detail are
relevant to the position you are applying for.
 Combination CV
used by job hunters who have a solid background
associated with their career objectives. Combines
chronological and functional CV.

19. REMEMBER !
 Every six months you need to update your
CV with the latest information
 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.
 Look at it from your employers point of view

20. CV SAMPLES
 CV samples.doc

21. SOURCES
 http://www.cvtips.com/job_seekers_advice.html

22. Thank you
ANY QUESTION IS WELCOME
Howard Burns
howard1@014.net.il 052-3485156