Analyzing key components of a winning CV
The rules of the work have changed & so is the way interviews are conducted & CVs screened.
The job search now is a process of selling your skills - selling yourself! Thus, CV is no more just a neatly written document depicitng your life to date, its rather is a marketing tool now, giving you competitive advantage over others.
A winning CV - your marketing brochure:
- never overlooks what’s most important - the basics
- reflects everything you are
- has no room for gimmicks, buzzwords, & lingos
- is verbally economical
- is instrumental in getting that ‘sought-after’ interview call
The key components of a winning CV are enumerated below:
Vital Components:
- Objective
- Personal Details
- Contacts
- Education Details
- Employment Details
- Key Projects
- Skills
- Accomplishments
- Resources
- References
Desirable Components
- Professional Summary
- Recommendations
- Talks
- Publications
- Patents
- Certifications
- Associations
- Volunteering
Now lets discuss the above mentioned pointers in detail:
Objective: Usually, the objective is a statement depicting your career aspirations, your growth & how you plan to contribute towards organization’s growth. It is vital that before you start to pen it down, you know what you really want to do. You should ask yourself ‘What & where I want to be?’ The S M A R T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound) Goals concept works here as well!
Personal Details: You may include entities like your full name, passport availability, Date of Birth, Parent’s names, Marital Status, Hobbies & Nationality in this section. You should check what is mandatory & what is strictly prohibited in the country you are applying for!
Contacts: This section should have a valid email id, mobile / landline number (with time range you prefer being contacted), & correspondence address.
Education Details: This is one of the most important sections especially for entry to mid-level professionals. Name of the courses, school / university, year of graduating, & specializations are vital. You may include marks obtained or GPAs if at all you wish.
Employment Details: This is the most scanned section of a CV. It includes the employer’s name, location, their website, the duration you were with them & details of various positions, & roles-responsibilities you held. Make sure that you explain gaps in your employment history, if any.
Key Projects: This is the most important section which usually decides whether or not you’ll get that sought-after interview call. Make sure that you describe your responsilbilites clearly in detail along with project name, duration, team-size, project description.
Skills: You may include skills that are relevant to your current role or job you are applying for or something unique that you think might value-add.
Accomplishments: You may include academic, professional, vocational, or other major accomplishments.
Resources: Here, links to your professional networks (Linked-in, Twitter, GitHub) or blogs may be mentioned.
References: Giving 2 professional references (name, organization, contact details, & relation with you), is sufficient. Alternatively, you may mention to provide when requested.
Professional Summary: It usually is a single statement summing up everything you’re / you’ve done. Take time to write & use action words to start. This can even become a part of the cover letter. It should be catchy-enough for the recruiter to read your CV further.
Recommendations: You may add recommendations that are on professional networks or ask somebody to write it down & email it to you. 1 or 2 of it will suffice.
Talks & Publications: Do mention for sure, if you have ever delivered a talk at any conference or ever published your work. This will definitely add value to your candidature as it simply means that you’re an expert in your field.
Patents: Modern era organizations value innovation. So, dont shy away from mentioning the patents you have filed or been granted.
Certifications: List all the important & relevant certifications you’ve done as it showcases that you value learning & are growth oriented
Associations: You may list the names & links of the professional associations you’re part of. A common connection here might give you an extra edge during the interview.
Volunteering: Do mention all the volunteering work that you’ve done - it symbolizes that you care for society in general & will prove to be a considerate employee.
After, you are done with writing your CV dont forget to proof read & spell-check!
We hope that you find this valuable. Happy CV-Building!!
