How to write a good CV

CV on table

    Pay attention on details!!!

  • Before  sending  someone your CV sort out all your social networks where you are signed up. No doubt, it is cool you have nothing to hide but some people who consider your CV may dislike some things. For example, groups you are signed up to or some photos, comments etc. If you make your profile public, it is better to be neutral not to make any negative conclusions about you. You don’t know ahead who will see it – either  a religious fan, a drunkard, a sociophob or some erotomaniac? :)
  • E-mail address from which you send a CV should be registered specially for such purposes and shouldn’t be revealed anywhere. You will be surprised what Google can tell on the e-mail address.
  • In the line “From” in the letter heading there should be your name not somebody else’s.
  • If you have prepared a document in Word (or similar to it), check the characteristics of the document (the author’s), Word usually puts there a name of the licence owner  and it may then appear in the most unexpected places – while printing the document, during importing it into the system of CV reviewing  etc. it is better to send a CV in PDF  to avoid possible issues – probably the future employer does not use  Word at all. That’s why PDF will be an ideal choice.
  • Photo. If you decided to add a photo to your CV it must be made  in a business style of your region (neutral or with a smile).
  • If you have profiles in professional social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn и т.п.) it is probably worth renewing the information, adding something that is not put in the CV, and give a reference to it in the CV.
  • You should not draw a picture of  the experience which does not agree with the vacancy demands. Anyone is barely interested in your selling discs in a computer shop or changing cartridges in printers. No, it is not shameful at all, it is just additional information, and as you know, additional information has a tendency to draw attention from the main one. And then you will be remembered as  “ well, the one who distributed fliers”.
  • Do not write about skills in the part “job experience”. Make a separate part for skills and collect them all there. In the “job experience” you should write what you have done. Developing test-cases is a skill. Writing and maintaining test documents in an actual condition is job experience. Programming in  JavaScript is a skill, developing scripts for load testing is experience. And so on.
  • Do not double job experience! A progress in your career must be clearly seen in your job history. For example, you began working as an intern, then you got a job of a Software Tester, QA Engineer, Senior QA Engineer, etc.
  • Expected salary. Do not think you should write about it in the CV. Scant CV and frugal salary may characterize you badly, which can be true for the opposite situation. If in the demands to an applicant there is a desirable level of salary specify it in a covering letter.
  • Hobby, qualities, personal  information. But if you really want to share it then write about it at the end of CV. Telephone and e-mail must be enough for potential employer, the rest must not be considered. And I doubt anyone will believe in your described personal characteristics.
  • There is no need to mention  in the CV certificates which do not refer the vacancy.
  • Knowing MS Office, skills of computer assembling, HTML, e-mail, the Internet etc. – remove it and donot disgrace yourself :)
  • Avoid using general phrases in a CV. You want your CV to be special, don’t you?
  • Knowledge of English. Do not write ‘fluent’ if you are not sure, especially if you send a CV in English. Upper-intermediate is also a good level.
  • And the last – do not lie! You will have to pay for made up skills…and not only with a reproaching employer’s look.

Good luck in writing a CV!

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