Soft / Business Skills

How to
Write a CV
that talks
for you ?
Mohamed Badran
1- Where am I NOW?
2- Where do you want to be?

3- How might I get there ?

4- Which Way is the Best?

5- How can we ensure arrival ?

 Agenda

ΠCV РWhat does it mean?

ΠWhy do you need a CV ?
ΠThings you should avoid.
Π4 Resume essentials.
ΠThings you should consider.
ΠCommon resume problems.
ΠHow to construct your resume?
ΠGet your resume in Action.
ΠCover Letter
ΠResume Sample

3
What does it mean?
CV – What does it mean ?

The word CV comes from the Latin name

Curriculum Vitae
Which means “course of life” or Simply
“Life Story”

5
6
Why do You need a CV?
ΠIt is Not to obtain a job.
ΠIt is to obtain an Interview.
ΠYOU get the job.
ΠCV is an advertisement of your abilities.
ΠThink deeply, what make advertisement work?
• Advertisement usually 30 second , but you keep
remember it , why?
• Agencies take a lot of time and effort to produce a 30
second message to sell a product.
What time and effort should you pay to prepare a two page CV that
SELLS YOU
7
Why do You need a CV?

ΠNeed more challenge for you CV.

REMEMBER
ΠEmployer scans your CV for the first time in
less than 10 seconds.

8
Things that you should Avoid:

Π1- ABBREVIATIONS:
AFPCA , GHWIHT , MRSRM , ZESN , TWTN
Too Many abbreviations make your CV
unreadable, Avoid it unless it is commonly
recognized .

Remember The Rule:

KISS : Keep It Simple & Smart

9
Things that you should Avoid:

2- NEGATIVE WORDS:
Boring , Fired , Hate, Conflict, Blocked ..etc
Catch recruiter Eye.

Remember The Rule:

If you have some difficulties , Keep them to the
interview, but you have to prepare yourself.

10
Things that you should Avoid:

3- COLORS:
It is not a show, Don’t use colors to make your
CV attractive

Remember The Rule:

Attractiveness is a matter of content,

“Colors” in the CV is like a full make up lady in a

FUNERAL

11
Things that you should Avoid:

4- SPELLING, GRAMMER & PUNCTUATION

MISTAKES:
Spelling mistakes is the poison to your CV.
Write your CV , read it , re-read it and re-read it and re-
read it and re-read it ………..

Remember The Rule:

Spelling mistake is a sign of Careless person, if you want
to be at that position , Do IT!

Use a spell check or consult a professional writer.

12
Things that you should Avoid:

5- UNNECESSARY INFORMATION:
Gender , Religion and detailed Martial status as
examples of unnecessary information in your
CV.

Remember The Rule:

Employer doesn’t care that much about what
your children are doing.
Moreover, it is not your Autobiography.

13
Things that you should Avoid:

6- WORD ARTS, Clip Arts, logos & Graphics:

Remember The Rule:

“Colors” in the CV is like a full make up

lady in a FUNERAL

14
Things that you should Avoid:

7- Using a very Big or very small font size & the

unusual fonts:
Fonts to be used (English): Fonts to be used (Arabic):
ŒArial ŒArabic Transparent
ŒVerdana ŒSimplified Arabic
ŒTimeNew Roman
ŒTahoma

Fonts Size to be used:

10 - 12

15
Things that you should Avoid:

Œ Don’t write CV at the top.

Œ Don’t put picture unless it is requested.
Œ Don’t put any attachment unless it is
requested.
Œ Don’t use poor quality paper and printer.
Œ Don’t use photo-copied CV.
Œ Don’t use Capital letters in writing the whole
CV.

16
4 Resume Essentials

1. Proofread your resume.

• "I read it when I wrote it!“
• Put your resume in front of people you trust - your boss
excluded - and listen seriously to their suggestions.

2. You are what you read. (Read more).

• Buy/Borrow books.
• Browse the internet.
• Visit general libraries.

3. Be a resume voyeur.
• Look at other people's resumes whenever you get the chance.
You'll find good ideas - and bad ones.
• Consider using the best ideas for your own resume, as long as
they relate to your experience.

17
4 Resume Essentials

4. More resumes…….. More chances.

• You finally updated your resume, but you
shouldn't stop there.
• You should update your Master CV on monthly
basis maximum.
• If you're going to apply to a variety of jobs,
make sure you have a resume tailored for
each.

18
Common resume problems:

• Too long / too short.

• Hard to read.
• Wordy.
• Non Professional.
• Lacking a career objective.

19
How to construct your resume?

ΠIdentification & contact Information.

ΠObjective.
– Position you’re seeking.
– Type of organization.
– Field.
ΠEducational background.
ΠWork experience.
ΠExtracurricular activity.
ΠHonors and awards Received.
ΠSkills & trainings.
ΠPersonal data.
ΠReferences.

20
Identification Data & objective:

ΠIdentification Data:
• Top Right/Middle of first page.
• Name is the title (no other titles).
• Addresses; phone numbers; e-mail and/or fax
addresses;

ΠObjective:
• Write what you want to work in as:
– Required Position.
– The field of interest.
– The kind of the company.

21
Education:

• Usually means post-secondary and can include special

seminars, college and university.
• If you are just starting college, you can include high school
as well.
• List the following:
– Degrees.
– Month/year obtained or expected.
– Names and locations of schools.
– Major and minor; if any.
– Grade point average.
– A brief summary of important courses you’ve taken might
also be helpful.

22
Experience:

ΠIncludes full-time paid jobs, part time jobs, trainings or

volunteer work.

ΠList the month/years you worked, position, name and

location of employer or place, and responsibilities you
had.

ΠUse chronological format to emphasize most recent.

ΠWrite all job descriptions in parallel phrases.

ΠList the most important responsibilities or successes first.

ΠList your Achievements in each job

23
 Skills:

ΠList:
• Computer and Software.
• Languages (indicating the grade of fluency).
• Technical skills.
• Communication or Leadership among others (soft skills).

ΠMatch your skills and experience with an

employer’s needs.

ΠDifference between trainings & skills.

24
 Activities and Hobbies:

ΠActivities:
• In university or outside: Conferences,
Clubs, charity.
• Sports.

ΠHobbies:
e.g. Reading, Music, … etc.

25
Personal Data And References:

Personal Data:
ΠDate of Birth.
ΠMarital Status.
ΠNationality.
ΠDriving License.

References:
You need not put these on your resume, instead, you can
prepare a separate list of references.
Usually, you give this list to prospective employers after your
interview.

Write in you CV
References furnished upon request.
26
Action Verbs
Get your resume in Action

Π"Responsible for hiring new

employees.“
Π"Recruited new hires for the company."

Π"Responsible for maintaining the client

database.“
Π"Maintained client database."

28
Get your resume in Action

ΠStart with actions commands / verbs.

ΠPast tense is mostly preferred.

ΠFor the current position, you may use the

present continuous tense.

29
Cover Letter
Contents of A Successful Cover Letter
• Your name and contact information.

• Recipient's name and contact information.

• Identify the position you are applying for and

mention where you found the announcement
and when. If you have been referred through
a person, mention their full name and title.

31
Contents of A Successful Cover Letter
• Introduce yourself, your educational degree
and your current employment situation.

• Begin by stressing your interest in the

company and display some knowledge of its
activities and/or achievements.

• Identify your strength areas and why you

think you match the position requirements.

• Highlight your biggest achievements and

refer to your resume for more details.

32
Contents of A Successful Cover Letter
• Close the letter by promising the reader to
contact them on a specific day and time to
schedule an interview.

• Thank the reader for taking the time to read

your letter.

• Sign your name preceded by "Sincerely,"

"Cordially," or "Best Regards."

33
Cover Letter
Example
35
CV Examples
37
38
Thank you…