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2 How to Write a CV Copyright © 2019 McGill Career Planning Service We see a lo

2 How to Write a CV Copyright © 2019 McGill Career Planning Service We see a lot of CVs at CaPS. Every year we read and review literally thousands of them, for job, intern ship, grad school and funding applications. They are from students of all levels representing each of the faculties and schools at McGill. While there is definitely room for individual variation, some things clearly work better than others. Use the information, tips and samples in this guide to start writing and organizing your CV, then come to a CaPS CV drop-in or make an appointment for an individual consultation to ensure that your applications are as professional and customized as they can be! GETTING STARTED What’s the point of a CV? A CV provides a potential employer with a quick summary/overview of your experience, background and skills to help them decide if you are a good candidate to invite for an interview. CVs are also often required as part of graduate/professional school applications. General guidelines 1. Writing a CV is an art, not a science. The goal is not to force your content into a particular template, but rather to find a format and style that highlights your experience and strengths. The order and emphasis of your sections should also reflect the level of priority of your reader. 2. Put yourself in the shoes of your reader. Can they easily find the information they are looking for? Is it clear why you would be a good fit for the job? 3. Use concrete examples when describing your experience. What did you do/accomplish? 4. Your CV needs to be consistent and clear in terms of its style and format, professional in its content and overall presentation, and as much as possible, specifically targeted to the position/company/field you are applying to. 5. Do your research! For your applications to be effective, you need to demonstrate knowledge of the em ployer and what they are looking for. Be intentional and informed, not generic! 6. Length: In Canada, outside of academia, your CV can be up to two pages. There are a few exceptions, in cluding the management/business sector, which tends to prefer one page. Ask at CaPS if you are unsure about norms for your particular field/geographic area. The “Master CV” - Your first draft To make customizing your CV for each application easier, we recommend compiling a “master CV” that includes everything. This document will likely be several pages long, but since it’s just for you, that’s OK. The idea is to have a comprehensive record of your activities, experiences and accomplishments that you can draw on for future applications. Use the Common CV Components list on the next page to get started. HOW TO WRITE A CV How to Write a CV 3 Copyright © 2019 McGill Career Planning Service COMMON CV COMPONENTS These are the basic components of a CV for a current undergraduate student or recent graduate. While your Contact Information always comes first, the other sections can and should be presented in whichever order is most relevant to the position for which you are applying. Experience There are many ways to organize this informa tion. Early on, general section headings such as “Volunteer Experience” work well. However, once you have more experience and want to highlight patterns you have identified, try to strategically use headers for your experience section(s) in order to incorporate key skills from the job description. General options include: Work Experience Volunteer Experience Extracurricular Experience Career-Related Experience Additional Experience Sample targeted headings: Tutoring Experience Sales and Customer Service Experience Outreach and Marketing Experience Writing and Editing Experience Research Experience Leadership Experience Performance Experience Administrative Experience Certifications/Affiliations/Memberships/ Additional Training • List any additional certifications or active memberships you hold, along with the dates Interests and Activities • Make sure this section is organized and rela tively detailed/specific Contact Information • Include your full name, phone number and a professional email in an attractive header • While a mailing address is conventionally in cluded, use your best judgement depending on your situation • Include your website and/or edited LinkedIn URL if relevant • In North America, personal information such as age, height and citizenship is not included Languages • If you speak more than one language, list these in order of relevance to the workplace • Indicate your level of proficiency (i.e. basic, intermediate, fluent) Computer/Technical/Laboratory Skills • List the specific programs/software or lab techniques you are familiar with Education • List all degrees you hold or are working on, most recent first • Include any specializations (major, minor), thesis or honours work • You can include scholarships and awards as details here, or in a separate “Awards” section Awards and Scholarships • List titles, reason for the award (if not clear from the title), dates and monetary values (if significant) 4 How to Write a CV Copyright © 2019 McGill Career Planning Service LANGUAGE, STYLE & FORMAT Format Use a simple, clear format such as the example below: What (your degree or job title) date-date Where (school or company and location) • Details (if relevant) Describing your experience • Aim for a factual, confident and profes sional tone; avoid embellishment • Use active, skills-based language* and specific examples to highlight your accomplishments • Start each bullet with an action verb instead of using pronouns (i.e. I, we) • Pay attention to verb tenses: if you are no longer working somewhere, the verbs should be in past tense, for a cur rent activity, use the present tense • Add a descriptor for clarity if your title was “Volunteer” or “Intern” , (i.e. Volunteer Peer Tutor, Administrative Intern) * see the list of Action Verbs at the end of this guide General guidelines • Use formatting techniques such as in denting, uppercase, and bold consistent ly throughout to increase readability • Use bullet points for your details; long dense paragraphs are hard to read quick ly and CVs are usually skimmed in a few seconds, not read word-for-word • List education and experience in reverse chronological order (most recent first) • Simple, straightforward layouts tend to work best; avoid tables, boxes, templates • Choose a standard, professional font and ensure the size is legible when printed • Ensure your email address, voicemail message and any URLs are professional in tone • PROOFREAD your CV carefully for typos, spelling mistakes and poor grammar TARGETING YOUR CV Keep the following tips in mind to ensure your CV is specifically tailored for each application: • Read the job description carefully and research the organization to identify the key skills needed • Use targeted headings (see examples on page 3) which speak to the main requirements of the position • Include additional descriptive bullet points for relevant past experiences • Consider the order of your sections to make sure the most important experiences appear early on How to Write a CV 5 Copyright © 2019 McGill Career Planning Service Education Bachelor of Arts: Sociology Major 2017 - Present McGill University, Montréal, QC • James McGill Entrance Scholarship ($10,000) 2017 Volunteer and Extra-Curricular Peer Educator 2017 - Present McGill Career Planning Service (CaPS), Montréal, QC • Meet with students to review and offer feedback on their CVs • Organize classroom presentations to promote CaPS activities and services • To date, peer outreach activites have resulted in a 10% increase in drop-in appointments VP Communications 2014 - 2017 High School Student Society, Montréal, QC • Managed all communications including monthly newsletter, social media and website Work Experience Crew Member 2014 - 2016 Midnight Kitchen, Montreal, QC • Worked in a team of 8 Camp Counsellor Summer 2016 ABC Daycamp, Vancouver, BC • Supervised and interacted with a group of 16 children aged 6 to 10 years • Developed weekly activities and agendas for campers • Created and led local outings to attractions such as Science World • Prepared and administered work schedule for all counsellors Groundskeeper Summers 2012 - 2014 Jagre Ridge Golf Course, Vernon, BC • Groomed golf course each morning for clients • Collaborated with a team of 12 Certifications and Skills • CPR/First Aid Certified May 2015, exp 2018 • Microsoft Office Suite: Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Adobe Photoshop Activities and Interests Music: Over 10 years of experience as an active amateur musician in orchestras and bands Achieved Grade 8 RCM standing in both trumpet and piano Sports: Avid runner, cyclist and skier; annual participant in the Terry Fox Run Jane Student 243 Maple Street, Vancouver, BC, V2G 3B4 Jane.student@mail.mcgill.ca 514-111-9999 SAMPLE: ONE PAGE CV 6 How to Write a CV Copyright © 2019 McGill Career Planning Service SAMPLE: TWO PAGE CV Languages English and French (Bilingual) Education Bachelor of Science, Honours Anatomy and Cell Biology 2014 - 2017 McGill University, Montréal, QC • Minors in Anthropology and Social Studies of Medicine • Dean’s Honour List Diplome d’Etudes Collegial (DEC), Health Sciences 2011 - 2013 Cégep de Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC Research Experience Clinical Research Coordinator 2015 - Present uploads/s1/ guide-cv 1 .pdf