cv_qual.html

Qualities of a Good CV

Prepared by: Diane T. Rover and P. David Fisher

cv_qual.html

Employers have made specific comments about what is looked for in student CVs (curriculum vitas, or resumes). Based on those, and observations drawn from reviewing student CVs, here are a number of recommendations:

Use space wisely. However, there is no need to limit a CV to one page. Employers say it should be as long as needed to reflect your credentials.
Remember: Consider your audience! Employers scan CVs for key words, either in quickly browsing through a large set, or through automated processing.
Give appropriate contact information (campus, permanent, electronic addresses). Use font to highlight name.
State an appropriate objective: general vs. specific? "To ..." "Position in ..."
State your GPA (whatever it is!) and your expected graduation date. This information is essential for employers.
Be very accurate and consistent in your use of capitalization, punctuation, etc. Do not over-use. This reflects your writing skills.
Be very careful in your grammar, word usage; e.g., use active verbs in bullets that describe experience and use appropriate tense. This reflects your communication skills and personality.
Be very careful in your organization; e.g., use consistent indentation, font sizes, bullets, etc.
Under Education, consider listing selected courses, especially if your Experience list is short.
Under Education, you might give a statement on your emphasis in the degree program.
Definitely list special projects and teaming, and give a short description that includes technical topics. This provides a basis for further discussion.
Under Skills, don't forget some important ones! Assembly language? Processors? Network programming? Tools such as LabVIEW, MATLAB, gprof, etc.
Under Interests (often placed last in CV), include other interests outside of your career. This reflects your personality and provides a basis for further discussion/interaction.