How to Draft a CV - 4 Tips for an Effective CV

An impressive CV is crucial to getting the attention of recruiters. Especially when the competition for the job is fierce, a well-drafted CV would help you get an edge over the other candidates. While there is no perfect template for drafting the ideal CV, there are a few basic rules that need to be followed. Here is how to draft an impressive curriculum vitae.

1. Be Concise – A good CV needs to be concise and to the point. You should ideally draft a CV within two sides of A-4 sheets. Use only one side of the paper and leave the back side blank.

2. Keep it neat – You need to structure the CV well and classify each piece of information so that recruiters can easily find what they are looking for. Type headings and captions wherever necessary and use bullet points instead of long sentences. With so many pre-defined CV templates available on most word processors and on the Internet, drafting a neat and structured CV should not be a difficult task.

3. Add relevant content – Add only the content that is relevant to the job that you are applying for. Here is a brief list of things you can add:

• Personal details like name, physical address, phone number, and online contact particulars


• Career history listed in reverse chronological order, starting from your current position, including achievements in previous jobs


• Educational and vocational qualification related to the job applied for


• A personal profile listing your skills, qualities, abilities and interests that make you suitable for the position you are applying for


• Any other information that you find relevant, like reason for a change in career or a gap in your career history


• References from at least two sources, at least one of them being a recent employer

4. Check for errors – With spell/grammar checks available with most word processors, there is simply no excuse for drafting a CV with spelling or grammatical errors. You also need to manually go through your CV as many errors can slip through automated checks. Have the CV read by another person to ensure that you have not overlooked any error. Set the regional setting for your software correctly to choose between American and British English, based on the region of your prospective employer. These are some of the things that you need to pay attention to, while drafting your CV. Coupled with a neat covering letter, your CV should be able to capture the attention of the recruiting officials and fetch you a call for an interview.