CREATING A CV AND COVER LETTER

Objectives:

Understanding the principles of preparing application documents - curriculum vitae

(CV) and cover letter

Mastering of writing skills of application documents

Independent preparation of curriculum vitae (CV) and cover letter

Structure: up to 20 students

Time: 90 minutes.

Materials: Blackboard or flipchart, projector, sample cover letters, job advertisement

Procedure

1. The role of the curriculum vitae (CV) and cover letter in search of work.

Teacher: Ask the students to brainstorm ideas why CV is an important self-marketing tool.

Summarise the conclusions.

A Curriculum Vitae is a document which presents your skills, experiences and attributes, it is

your most important tool when introducing yourself to your future employer. It should express

your accomplishments in life and match your suitability to the specification of the job you are

applying for, ensuring that you receive an opportunity to prove yourself appropriate for it.

However, there will be no opportunities without a profile which has been formatted correctly to

grab the reader’s attention and emphasize your achievements.

2. Types of resumes

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Teacher: Ask the students to search for different types of resume and brainstorm advantages and

disadvantages of using certain type of CV.

CHRONOLOGICAL

Lists information, most recent to least recent, and focuses on where and how skills were

obtained.

FUNCTIONAL

A functional resume focuses on your professional skills by grouping positive attributes together,

rather than straight work experience. Events are listed in reverse chronological order (the most

recent events at the top). The focus of a functional resume is your talents and where they have

been cultivated and put to good use.

COMBINATION

Weaves the best from the chronological and functional formats together by classifying positions

and responsibilities under functional headings in reverse chronological order. The focus is on

skills and emphasizing the environments in which they were developed.

VIDEO CV

Video CV is a modern form of communication with a potential employer. A candidate can present

his resume in the form of audio-visual self-presentation. In practice, the Video CV is designed to

complement its traditional form and give the employer a chance for effective employee selection.

The ideal length of a video CV is 3-5 minutes.

ONLINE CV

There are many web pages offering free tools for creating an online CV (Linked-in, Visual CV

etc.). It might be a good equivalent to the traditional CV.

3. Rules for writing curriculum vitae (CV).

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Teacher: Give a lecture on rules and common mistakes when writing a CV.

1. Presentation

You'll need both a print and an electronic version of your résumé. Your print resume is considered

your primary marketing document and its appearance is critical. It must look sharp and dynamic.

Your résumé must be current in its style, format and tone. Choose a sharp-looking font such as

Bookman, Soutane, Krone or Fritz, or, if your font selection is limited, the more prevalent Times

Roman, Helvetica or Arial fonts.

2. Format

You'll just need to add headings or margins, insert rules, bold or italic type or edit sections to fit your

information more comfortably onto a page. Make it short and informative. Don't overdo bold and

italic type. Use nothing smaller than 10-point type.

3. Spelling and Grammar

Proofread your résumé twice repeatedly focusing on spelling errors. Then ask three to five others to

review it, paying attention to your terminology and tone.

4. Content

Listing all your past employment isn't necessary or helpful. And, if you list responsibilities, include

their scope and your contributions.

5. Focus

Write a clear, well-defined objective or omit an objective and start with a "summary" or "career

profile" instead.

6. Selling

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

A résumé should be more than a list of past jobs. It should serve as a personal sales and

marketing tool that attracts and impresses employers. Your qualifications, words, format and

presentation must all be packaged to sell yourself.

4. Independent preparation of CV in response to the chosen job advertisement.

Teacher: Provide the students with job advertisements and ask them to prepare their CV

(imaginary data with real name) in response to one of the ads.

5. Rules for writing a cover letter.

Teacher: Ask students about the purpose of the cover letter. Give a lecture on rules and common

mistakes when writing a cover letter.

A cover letter typically accompanies each resume you send out. Your cover letter may make the

difference between obtaining a job interview and having your resume ignored, so it makes good

sense to devote the necessary time and effort to writing effective cover letters. A cover letter

should complement, not duplicate, your resume. Its purpose is to interpret the data-oriented,

factual resume and add a personal touch. A cover letter is often your earliest written contact

with a potential employer, creating a critical first impression.

1) Don’t repeat your resume

2) Keep it short

3) Address it to the appropriate person or do not address at all

4) Send it as a pdf

6. Self-prepare a cover letter based on samples provided by the teacher.

Teacher: Ask students to prepare their cover letters supplementing the CV.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.