When is a CV not a CV?

Tips from Rish Baruah, Founder of Karuna CV

CV stands for “curriculum vitae”, and for many people this is a two-page text-based document; however, this is not always the case – in the US and some European countries, you will use a single-page resume, and if you are an artist or designer you will go for a more creative approach. Some professions have their own professional standards, e.g. lawyers, coaches and academics.

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Dos and don’ts

Do ensure that the reader can see all of your relevant information; if they are interested in your previous experience, education or skills, make sure that they can easily find it!

Do use key words – look at the job advert and person specification, and see if you can reflect the attributes that the employer is looking for.

Don’t include irrelevant or old content – does the recruiter really care about your school prefect award, or the babysitting you did aged fourteen?

Don’t include date of birth, NI number, your ethnicity or marital status. These are defined as “protected characteristics”, and employers should not be looking at these when choosing who is most suitable for a job (apart from a few, well-established exceptions which are protected under employment law).

Styles of CV

Traditional

A text-based document, usually one or two pages long. This style of CV could focus upon your qualifications, employment history or key skills. You might use this style of CV for anything from customer-service or retail jobs, all the way through to professional office-based or managerial roles.

Creative

A creative CV will often be a single page, often incorporating colour, images and alternative layouts. Typically used by designers, some artists and creative marketeers, it is important to balance visual elements with relevant content (usually your skills, experience, qualifications and specialist knowledge).

Specialist CV styles

Some types of jobs demand certain styles of CV. For example, a lawyer’s CV will usually follow a defined template, to outline relevant experience. Teachers and lecturers, personal and professional development coaches, and academic researchers may also follow defined CV styles.