CV Full Form is Curriculum Vitae. It is a Latin word that means “the course of your life. “ A CV is the written overview of a candidate’s academic qualifications, achievements, and experiences, which helps portray them as a suitable candidate for the job he has applied for.
CV Full Form
It is typically used to screen applicants by the employer to make them eligible for the interview process. A CV may also ask applicants for scholarships, grants, and post-secondary programs. An ideal CV contains 2-3 A4 size pages.
In the UK, most Commonwealth countries, and Ireland, a CV should be short with 1-2 pages, displaying only the summary of the job seeker’s work experience, academic qualification, and some personal information.
A CV must include the applicant’s photo, date of birth, and recent salary information in some parts of Asia.
Content of a CV
A complete CV includes the Full name of the applicant, Phone number, Address, Email id, Educational qualification, hobbies, achievements, skills matching with that of the job profile, languages known, career objective, etc.
Format of a CV
The job-hunting process starts with requesting a CV from the applicants. There would be thousands of skilled applicants applying for a job by submitting their CVs. To ensure that one’s CV stands out from the pack of others, one should create an effective CV.
An effective Curriculum Vitae, a full form of CV, highlights all the points and makes an employer want to interview you.
Following are the formats to choose from while making a CV-
1) Functional/Skill-Based CV highlights capabilities, skills, and achievements. When one has significant gaps in work history, it emphasizes skills over job titles or companies one has worked for. It shows the employer what one has done instead of what one can do.
2) Chronological CV- The most common format presents the information organized, beginning from the newest to the oldest. Recent graduates with experience use it through internship or training or when the work history reflects progress. It should not be used in frequent job changes, gaps in employment history, or overqualified for the job.
3) Combined CV/ Hybrid CV- It is the most marketable CV as it always catches the attention of a recruiter. It highlights the skills and most relevant work experience in a semi-chronological format. It is used when an applicant possesses skills directly relevant to the position, applying for technical, IT, or scientific positions. It is not used when a fresher is applying for a job without the required skills.
Tips for formatting a CV
- Length – A CV should be 1 -3 pages long depending upon the achievements and work experience
- Font Size and Font Choice– normally, font size should range from 10 – 12 points except for the name and section headings that can be bold or larger. Font styles like Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri, are perfect.
- Format– Each section in the CV should be uniformly created. For example, if a subheading is in Italics, then the rest of the subheadings must be in Italics. Bullets should be inserted if a sentence includes more than one point.
- Accuracy– A CV must be appropriately edited before sending it to an organization. Spellings, grammar, and tenses should be thoroughly checked.
Let’s assume an applicant seeking a job signifies a ‘product’ and their skills, experiences, and qualifications are the ‘specifications’ of the product, which he must market to attract the buyer(recruiter) instantly. Here CV acts as the medium to market the features or specifications of the product (applicant); hence, the product specifications should be highlighted clearly, so that they hit the buyer at the very first glance.
Conclusion
CV Full Form is Curriculum Vitae. It is typically used to screen applicants by the employer to make them eligible for the interview process. A CV may also ask applicants for scholarships, grants, and post-secondary programs. An ideal CV contains 2-3 A4 size pages.
Here is everything you need to know about Curriculum Vitae in detail.
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