A Google search on “How to write a CV” returns 66,200,000 pages and still we have people (and not just students alone) asking around tips on how to write a CV that stands out and conveys the message. Either those 66 million plus pages are written in Zulu language or the students are not reading them. How else do we explain student internship CVs running into 3+ pages even before the start of their professional career?
To me the fundamental problem seems to be arising because very few of us pause to think what is the exact purpose of a CV? What do you think a CV is supposed to do? The objective of a CV is one and only one – to get you an interview call. Once this becomes clear, everything else falls into place.
I am listing down a series of turn offs that you may have on your resume, and how trimming them down would reduce the fluff on your CV and make your and the recruiter’s life easier.
1. Career Objective – I could never figure out what good platitude laden, global “Gyaan” filled 4 lines do to your CV? Yes, yes, I know you are hardworking, diligent, sincere, looking for an opportunity where you could utilize your skills and contribute to the growth of the organization – but then so is everyone else! Don’t’ believe me? Have a look at some of the samples below. Let’s be honest – your objective is to get the internship and recruiter’s objective is to give it to you. Let’s not wrap wool of words around it.
2. Personal Information – Write only what is required and relevant. As per me, providing your name, contact number, contact address and email id are enough. How knowing your father’s, mother’s, uncles’ and aunt’s names going to help me in deciding whether to offer you the internship or not? Similarly unless specifically asked, you do not need to provide your gender and DOB as well. Most of the opportunities today do not differentiate basis gender, age, religion and cast and let’s keep it that way. Also there is a great trick hidden in how you can save space on personal information piece – have a look at the sample below and compare it with what you have on your CV.
3. Declaration & Signature – Are you testifying in a court which requires you to call it out explicitly? It’s an obvious expectation that the information on your CV is the most truthful to your knowledge. Do you think those who do not provide this declaration of solemnity are lying and recruiters do not trust them? You know the answer. Save yourself the effort and those 4 lines.
4. References – References are asked before making you the final offer and not before deciding whether to call you for an interview. It does not add any value to the CV – save them for future.
I will continue with the rest of the entry in the next blog, do try the tips above and write back how much space you were able to trim down. You will be amazed how likely it feels now that your CV can fit in that dream 1 page format :)
Hope this helps. Have something to say, ask, critique or know of an internship opportunity that you would like others to know – post it right away! If you like what you read here, do share with another friend.
5. Courses and Project work – Please don’t make the recruiter cringe in his/her chair by writing ALL the coursework and project work that you have done till date. Again relevancy is the key. How does knowing about your coursework in area of structural engineering help me decide whether you are suitable for an Environmental Engineering internship or not? Write only those courses which are relevant to the internship and do mention your grades if favourable.
6. Extra Curricular Activities– This one is perhaps the most abused section of a CV. Just because someone else has it on his/her CV, we feel a compelling need to follow the suite. And thus emerge the school / class / section toppers, cricket captains, volleyball champions etc. Let’s be honest – most of us have been one champion or other at some point during our school life and it is NOT a differentiator. If you did not care about these achievements until you sat down to write the CV, an employer cares even less. Moreover none of it is verifiable (unless you have preserved all your school certificates since 2nd standard) and I am yet to come across an intern who got the internship basis his 5th standard work.
However, do write about major achievements such as winning a national competition, state and above level participation in sports, board merit in 10th/12th standard or winning an Olympiad etc.
7. Talk numbers and not English – This one you would learn over time. ALWAYS try to quantify any qualitative achievement statement. For example saying ““Among top 2% students throughout academic career” vs. saying “Academically bright performance throughout academic career” has very different impact. When talking about a project, do give a sense of efforts, scale and achievement with help of numbers. For example – “worked on the website (link) for a period of two months and it today has x thousand users or reduces time taken for an activity by y%”
8. Talk English and not SMS text – A CV is a professional document through which you are introducing yourself to a complete stranger and not some informal chat that you are having with a friend. Save the SMS language and abbreviations for the later. Similarly typos and spelling mistakes are unacceptable. Period.
Finally the million dollar question – does a CV necessarily have to be only 1 page long? The answer is no. But yes, it helps to keep it as short and relevant as possible. And I really struggle to imagine a scenario in which a student’s CV would run more than a page or a page and half if the points above are adhered to. Learn to use the font size, tables and spacing between the lines intelligently and you should be home easily.
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