Writing an excellent CV is an essential step to landing the job you are applying for. It’s not the only step, but without a quality resume to represent you well on paper, you won’t get the chance to represent yourself well in person.

There are good CVs, bad CVs, and so-so CVs. You want a good one. A Curriculum Vitae is essentially your professional life distilled onto a few pieces of paper. It’s easier to show how well you did by bringing in samples of your work, or having clients attest to what a good representative you were, but many job recruiters won’t look at samples or call references unless they are first interested in and impressed by what they see on your CV.

That means the quality of that paper really, really matters. Here are a few tips to make the resume part of your job hunt go a little easier:

• Take the time to proof read. Have someone else proofread, too. A mistake will not make you look good, so it’s worth triple and quadruple checking before you submit materials to the recruiter.
• Give detail, but don’t babble. When you list strengths and experiences, a three word explanation doesn’t do you justice, but three sentences is overkill.
• Sell yourself. Don’t be afraid to talk yourself up. Don’t claim to be good at everything, but it’s okay—in fact it’s good—to be confident in the strengths and skills you do have.

Writing a CV is different from writing a resume, so if you’re not sure on the difference or what is expected of you, it is helpful to do some research ahead of time. Your CV represents your professional life, and is particularly useful for scientific and academic job hunting.

A CV ought to be thorough. Spend time going through your documents. Anything that you’ve published should be included. Certifications, teaching experience, conferences, lectures, board membership, organization membership, and other things of this nature are all relevant and should be included on your Curriculum Vitae. Let webCV help you take care of alot of the hard work in creating a professional CV.

Make sure you understand the qualifications and needs of the position you are applying for. While a CV tends to be long, you do have some control over which information is highlighted. Including a thorough report of your skills and background ensures you won’t overlook something. It would be a shame not to include something a recruiter wanted to see just because you thought it wasn’t relevant.

Finally, take plenty of time to make your CV perfect. A quickly thrown together CV won’t pass for a thorough and professional document. If you know you are qualified for a position, make sure you let the employer know too by putting the appropriate effort into a finely-crafted and professional CV.

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