CV/Resume Preparation

This page is provided as a guide to structuring your CV or resume in an effective layout. 

Your CV is probably the most important sales document of your life. It is a summary of your skills, accomplishments, experiences and education, designed to capture a prospective employer's interest.  Your CV should be regarded as a work in progress and updated regularly.

There are many different voices of authority on this subject and different cultures use different formats. In the US it is generally unusual to have a CV which is over 1 page long. In Asia, it is more acceptable to have a 2 or 3 page CV, the theory being that the candidate has more space to detail their key achievements in each role (this will be a basis for answering Competency-based interviews). 

Content

• Education/qualifications and professional experience should be presented in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent job and working backwards in time.

• Give the starting and finishing dates to include month and year.

• Language skills in Asia are paramount, if you have them, highlight them near the top of your CV.

• List your key accomplishments/successful transactions, try to aim for a minimum 3 per role if you can for at least the last 2-3 positions held. This does not mean simply listing your daily duties, it means detailing how you went about doing these and how you distinguished yourself from others. 

• If you are applying for a job requiring specific skills, tailor your CV to the position. You can tailor specific examples to most effectively represent the key requirements of the job specification or advertisement ensuring that your CV has greater relevance and recognition.

• Do not leave jobs/companies off your CV even if they were short term moves. It will come up at reference checking if not before: a job/role not recorded on your CV can lead to suspicion and mistrust.

• Check grammar and spelling. Spelling mistakes and poorly constructed sentences communicate negative impressions about the candidate.

• Sending a few carefully tailored CVs, rather than hundreds of general ones, will produce far greater success.

• Keep your CV up-to-date. Remember, each new skill or experience makes you more valuable to future employers.

View a Sample CV