How To Write a CV in English

The CV you present to potential employers could make or break your chances of being hired by the company.  It is extremely important to create a well-organised and professional CV (or resume) that you can feel confident about sending to prospective companies.  The information is not always in the same order (as you will see in one of the examples below), but I have listed the information below according to the order you commonly see in American resumes.

A basic CV will always contain the following pieces of information:

1.  Personal contact information:  Full name, address, phone number, and email address.

2.  Objective: This is a statement that clearly says what your professional goal is.

3.  Information about your education:  Dates and locations for each of the schools you have received a degree from (starting with high school), as well as information about your studies -- did you focus on any areas, in particular, in your high school program or college experience?

4.  Work Experience:  Names, dates and locations for each of the companies you have previously worked for; as well as what title you held, what your main job duties were, and any significant accomplishments you made during your time with that company.

5. Skills:  These are mainly professional (but also some personal) skills that will make you an amazing candidate for the position.  Focus on tangible skills like: "Experienced in both Windows and Mac OS" or "Intermediate English Speaking skills," for example.

6.  References:  Most employers will want the name of at least 3 professional references they can call, to find out more about you.  Sometimes as employer will OK personal references on a resume (like friends or relatives), but the majority of the time, employers are looking for references from previous superiors, bosses, or trustworthy colleagues.  

Here are 3 examples of common templates used to create CVs or resumes:

EXAMPLE A:

EXAMPLE B:

EXAMPLE C: