Crafting your CV

How many of us know that bio-data, curriculum vitae and resume are different ways of presenting your case? Each of these documents is different in format and the purpose it serves. We tend to use the terms interchangeably often.

A bio-data consists of the biographical data of a person such as the date and place of birth, sex, height and so on. This is suitable for applying for a government job. The resume on the other hand, is a summary document of one’s skill set, professional/educational qualifications, work experience and achievements /accomplishments.

Ideally, it is meant for the middle/senior-level executives and the contents here are limited to one or two pages only.

The curriculum vitae (CV) is an appropriate document for freshers which basically reveals one’s academic achievements, personal information, technical skills, volunteer or part time work experience, memberships and can be two to three pages long. Preparing a CV is an art.

It is a frustrating experience for HR managers to go through CVs that are all same, the only difference being the names and addresses! It is a sad fact that many of the students who apply for jobs either send a replica of others' CVs or get it prepared by some agency.

What can go wrong?

We interviewed an MBA graduate whose academic grades were impressive, for a finance company. His CV appeared to go hand-in-hand with his grades. But our initial impression started fading out immediately after we started our discussion.

It was as though he was bowled out at the first ball. In the ‘objectives’ column, he had mentioned: “I would like to be a strategic team player by using my cutting edge skill”. Unfortunately, he could not substantiate the statements. On interacting with him, we gathered that he had purchased his CV from a photocopying shop. A CV is a personal document and it has to be original. It speaks about you and your academic experiences. An air of uniqueness is much appreciated and it is necessary too. Interviewers use CV mainly for two reasons — To select or eliminate from the interviewing process.

Unlike in lateral entries, freshers do not have the comfort of being ‘head hunted’. Your application will be seen along with hundreds and thousands of others. Only an original and genuine CV stands out. Often I hear students lament “We are freshers and therefore we do not have much to write about experience”. Yes, true. A fresher has no work experience and it is well-known to the recruiters as well. Then, how to ensure one’s CV is rich and unique?

It is an art — and you need to plan the sketch from the first year onwards. Draw experience by participating in clubs, debates, symposia, cultural events, and so on, apart from your projects. These experiences can be converted in to your ‘learning’ and can be projected appropriately in your CV.

Substantiate

You can enrich a CV only by including your personal experience and not any borrowed experience. Every word you mention in the CV will have to be substantiated, lest the other side calls your bluff. Look at a common phrase we come across in a CV, “I seek a job that will draw upon my strong communication and organisational skills.” As a statement it qualifies, but will it help in getting what one aspires to? Let us reflect on this:

Does the job one seeks need the above skills?

If the organisation does not require the above skills will he/she refuse the job?

Does the candidate really possess strong, repeat, strong, communication and organisation skills which can be used?

If the answers are negative, these statements should be avoided. Companies looking for freshers do not expect experienced people but certainly they look for ‘attitude’ which a CV can establish. Let the CV speak for your willingness to ‘adapt and learn’.

Therefore, you need to craft a CV like sharpening a pencil deftly. You can always copy the format of the CV from elsewhere but not the contents.

Ensure that your CVs are made in A4 bond sheets with pleasing fonts/size without seeming cramped or crowded. Finally, spell check and provide details correctly. I am sure you will not be the one who mentioned that ‘I studied BE from 1894 to 1998. Everyone knows it is a typing error but still it can put you on your back foot.

The writer is a behavioural scientist, BODHI.