Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Writing your CV

The aim of your international CV should be to persuade recruiters to invite you for a job interview. Therefore, your CV is a marketing tool, which should be adapted to the market in which you intend to use it.

Initially, it is acceptable to submit a ?Brief Profile? in form of one page CV letter. This is a short summary of your full ?Comprehensive CV? giving personal information, education and a chronological list of previous positions emphasizing your most recent or relevant position. Mention that a comprehensive CV is available.

The Comprehensive CV is best received when it is brief, about two pages long and in reverse chronological order. Although CV's of four or five pages are not uncommon either. In personal details include your date and place of birth, nationality, telephone number and civil status.

Often CV's are kept on file for lengthy periods, so any contact details you give have to remain accurate in the long term. A daytime phone number, with the international access code and e-mail are most important.

In Education section, list with dates schools attended, their locations, your majors, diplomas and degrees. Malaysian employers think that post-school education is very important, so put stress on relevant courses and education programs. Briefly list extracurricular activities, leadership roles, awards, honors and any extra courses, training or relevant experience.

"Employment History" may be listed in chronological, reverse chronological, or functionsl order. Use power words and action verbs to highlight your skills and experience. For each position, provide the name of your employer, the location and specialization of the business, your titles and the dates of your employment. Describe your responsibilities, achievements and reason for leaving.

Make your CV more effective by providing examples to illustrate your achievements. Use power words and action verbs such as contributed, organized, demonstrated, trained, managed, developed, coordinated etc. Bullet point these at the start of a sentence for maximum impact.

In the final section, list professional affiliations, relevant volunteer experience and foreign languages with reference to the spoken and written level. Include the names of several references, with contact information. Also you may mention your hobbies.

Carefully consider wahta to leave out of your CV and exclude anything that might give prospective employers a chance to discriminate against you.
(Source: http://www.kareer.com.my/)

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