How to Write a CV Form

CV forms, or Curriculum Vitae forms as they are also known, have been used in European countries for employment applications on a regular basis. These are the equivalent to the resume that is used in the United States and other cultures. The Curriculum Vitae form allows the applicant to provide a little more personal information about himself out of the workplace to describe his skills. It also includes a section where an applicant can summarize his skills at the end. CV forms have entered the United States job market, and are another tool applicants can use along with or instead of a resume.

Instructions

1. Download a standard CV form from The Write Stuff, which provides you a Word document that you can complete (see Resources).

2. Fill in the top section of the CV form. This section describes your personal background and contact information. It lets your prospective employer know how to contact you and some information about your background. The form asks for information such as your birth date, nationality and marital status. In many countries, including the United States, an employer can not discriminate based on this information. It is optional for you to fill those sections in.

3. Fill in your educational background. Start with the most recent institution of higher learning that you attended and work backwards from there.

4. Complete the section regarding employment history. It is best when listing tasks that you performed to gear them towards the position you are applying for. This way your potential employer will see how your past experience relates to the job that you are applying for. For example, if you were applying for a managerial position, in your previous position as a mail room supervisor you would list how you supervised a staff of six employees, instead of how you sorted mail on a daily basis. When applying for a photographer position, you would list tasks with your former photography employer such as photo editing that you performed on a daily basis and the number of photos you took each day, instead of listing that you mailed out advertising flyers.

5. Provide any relevant skills that you have which you feel would qualify you for the position you are applying for in the skills section. Also include any awards that you have received. Do not repeat information from earlier sections. Each section in a CV form should provide new and useful information to your prospective employer.

6. Describe any hobbies or activities that you are involved in outside of the workplace that you feel demonstrate skill sets that you have that would be appealing to the employer. Some examples might be if you play a card game such as bridge and you are applying for a position that requires analytic skills. Writing in your spare time might be appropriate if the position you are applying for requires a large amount of written reports.

7. List your references along with a way to contact these references. This allows your potential employer to contact them before arranging an interview.

8. Complete your CV form with an optional section that is your "sales pitch," selling yourself to your potential employer. This section is the only one that should repeat information from earlier in the CV form. It is a summary, but can include additional information as well. This should be a concisely written section of 3 to 5 sentences at the most.

Tips & Warnings

• Be precise when filling out your CV form. Do not ramble in the form, as your potential employer may dismiss your CV form as being disorganized.

• Due to the extensive nature of the CV form, a cover letter is not necessary when you submit a CV form.

Resources

• Dowload a Word document template of a CV form at The Write Stuff