How to Write a CV? | CV Writing Tips with Format

When you start looking to work outside or finding an opportunity to pursue some education in academia, the first step that becomes important is to create a curriculum vitae (CV) Writing Format. This is a highly explanatory document that provide the employers or the authority with your account of professional and educational details in past to decide your candidature that whether to take your application ahead to next level in the hiring or selection process. A page long CV is mainly describe course of your life. A careful attention and efforts are needed to prepare a CV that might justify your essential and important period of life that lead to bring success as well.

To make a nice and impressive CV, it is essential that you maintain a right format that shows an arranged documentation and experiences in chronologically functional manner. Academic coursework, fieldwork, relevant interests, professional references, hobbies etc. may be included in a CV. Under the section or subheading of personal profile, positive attributes and your skills must be included that ensure the employers about the wholesome idea of your personality and achievements. 

This article is to help you make an impressive and compelling CV which is going to be one essential step in your future endeavors. There could be a number of subheadings, but as required, depending upon the place or profession where this CV is going to be used. Also, it is important that you put everything in a sequential manner that follows a format, may be chronologically, functionally, or in combination of both. This depends upon your skills and understanding that how you make an interesting and valid CV. A number of important details that might help you in preparing nice curriculum vitae (CV) are provided below. 

How to format a Professional CV?

As you know that there are mainly three types of CVs (chronological, functional and combinatorial). Below we have provided different formats and primary differences that need to be included along with the order that needs to be included under these types of resume or curriculum vitae (CV). 

1. Chronological 

The most common and widely used type of curriculum vitae (CV) is chronological CV. It mainly includes the course of life in terms of academic history and work/ professional experiences. This type of CV starts with personal details or information followed by other details that mainly focus upon academic details and experiences. Following are the subheading that can be included in chronological CV:

• Personal detail
• Academic details / Qualifications
• Work experience
• Certification and Licenses
• Skills and Interests
• Achievements/ awards or honors
• Publications, if any
• Scholarships and grants received
• Extra curriculum

More: Example/ Samples are available on our page for your references.

2. Functional

This type of CV is mainly to light on your achievements in terms of awards, honors, etc. and an emphasis on the talents and skills. In this CV, when you put your personal details it is recommended that you write relevant skill/ talent write below it. It is just that you provide more space to your qualifications, achievements, skills, awards etc. instead of putting more efforts on work experiences. Below are given a subheading that needs to be included in a functional CV:

• Personal Information
• Academic Information
• Awards and Honors
• Achievements/ Publications
• Professional Experience
• Grants and Scholarships
• Extra Curriculum

This CV is mainly when you are a recent graduate and need a CV to apply for job prospects. It doesn’t matter if you have a career gap or educational gap, you can still secure a job for yourself by just putting important and relevant details in your CV. 

3. Combination

As the name suggests, combination CV is a smart amalgamation of both functional and chronological CV. People uses this type of CV if 

• They are an early career aspirants with an experience of 1-3 years.
• Recent graduates or high school graduates with any minimal experience.
• When it comes to change any career profile.
• You don't have any gaps in your work life.

This type of CV comes in a format order as follows: 

• Name and contact details
• Objective/ Career Goals/ Summary
• Skills and abilities
• Professional experience
• Academic/ Educational Qualifications
• Extra Curricular

It would be great if you could integrate your key skills into your professional knowledge and experience. To make a combinatorial resume, a little efforts need to be devoted while making such a resume. For your convenience, more examples are available on our page, if required. 

What to Include in a CV?

This is an important step that needs to put some extra efforts to find out what needs to be included and what not. More important is, how? Therefore, we are here to guide you through in writing a nice CV. Below are provided important headings that may or may not be included in a CV. It is important you make sure about the place of usage of your CV. 

1. Personal Details, that includes your name in full, address, contact information (Phone number / Email address).
2. Qualifications/ Academic details, list all academic details starting right from school till your final qualification along with the year of passing and percentage occupied, name of school/ universities you’ve been to. Mentioning about the marks secured is not compulsive.
3. Professional Experience, mention about the organizations you’ve been attached to and worked for along with your job profile and years of working. You can also brief about the job role.
4. Skills, mention about the special skill that you possess.
5. Awards and honors/ Achievements
6. Publications and Presentations that you own.
7. Scholarships and grants you achieved. 

How long should a CV be?

A nice CV that qualifies format for entry level curriculum vitae is usually of two to three pages ideally whereas for professionals of mid-level, those are in academia or in research; it may run a little longer. The purpose is to make sure that all the content is well-structured, written in concise and is clear and relevant. To reduce the size of a CV, it is recommended to write it in bullet points instead of framing full sentence. This makes it easier for the employer to follow and read. 

Type of CV format

This is very essential that you should know the type of CV you are about to write or frame for yourself. In this article, different types of CVs are mentioned above as per their usage, it is recommended that you should go thru them to find out the right type of CV that you required and follow the appropriate format. 

How to write a CV?

Although when it comes to start writing anything, a number of factors are there that need to be considered. But in case of writing a CV, mainly we recommend following four factors that you should not forget while writing your curriculum vitae:

1. Type and size of fonts

This is important that you make your CV really readable and looks attractive. Out of so many types of fonts selecting one good language is a wise step to make. Some of the categories that we recommend to select are Cambria or Times New Roman, Courier, Georgia. These are serif fonts that are much easier to read. 

Also, we suggest our readers to keep the font size between 10-12 points. Sometimes to reduce the size of the CV in terms of number of pages, people reduce the text size that compromises with the readability of the content and hence we won’t suggest that. 

2. Wise usage of available space

Do not just be in hurry while writing a CV. Take some time and write wisely. Make a layout about how you are going to use all the space and what are the important things that you need to put in there.  Make bullet points to avoid larger sentences. 

Headings and subheadings need to be highlighted. Either bold them or underline or you can do both. Check out what else need to be bolded and what not. 

3. Check your margins

Be sure that you check out the margins that ideally be in a range of 1-1.5 inches. 

4. Don’t forget to proofread

Before making a final print, it is very important that you read it again and again to avoid any spelling mistake or any other correction that you don’t want to make. An error-free CV is much readable and more impressive than the one with errors but a lot of information. A well-composed CV opens the door for you for a number of job opportunities. We also recommend that you get some feedback for your CV from someone you trust and really rely on. 

Sample CV Format with Example

Crisp examples are given below: