10 Things to Put on Your CV (Resume)

Updated: Aug 18, 2021
By Precious Alex-Toji
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Writing a professionally looking CV could prove tasking. With the constantly changing requirements of employers, crafting a CV that sparks their interest is vital. Whatever format you chose to write yours, there are 10 things to put on your CV. 

Your CV is your selling point. It is a short document listing who you are, your education, skills, achievement, and working experience. Considering, it’s the first contact employers have with you, these 10 things must be present in your resume. 

Writing a good CV speaks a lot about you, professionally. A meticulously written CV can get you closer to an appointment. The more brilliant your CV is, the closer your chances are of reaching the interview stage. 

10 Things to Put Your CV

1. Your Contact Information Should Be In Your CV

The first thing to put on a CV is your contact information. Your contact information should be included at the top of your CV. It includes your name, your job title, your phone number, and email address. Placing it at the top makes it easy for employers to identify and contact you. 

Your name should be accompanied by your job title so that employers can know what you do, closely followed by your active number and your email address. Make sure your email address is a professional one without weird nicknames attached to it. For example, johnmason10@yahoo.com is better than cuteblackbarbiedoll@yahoo.com. 

Your address can be limited to your state and the country you live in. You can also include your online portfolio, Linkedin profile, and your relevant social media handle only if you discuss matters relevant to the job you’re applying for. 

2. A Profile/ Personal Statement is Needed in Your Resume  

Your CV is meant to introduce you to your potential employer. Considering that they review tons of resumes, you must impress them quickly and your profile statement can help you achieve that. 

Your profile statement is usually a short paragraph at the top of your CV that gives a brief overview of your career qualities, your goals, and your relevance to the organization. 

It should include a statement on who you are, what you do, the skills you possess, and how suitable they are to that organization.

Remember that your profile says a lot about you. It is vital that you professionally outline your qualities to leave a good impression. 

If your CV doesn’t contain one of these 10 things to put on a CV, then consider rewriting it.

3. Your Work Experience is an Important Section of Your CV

Your work experience is a required section you must include in your CV. 

This section should include where you worked, starting from your most recent. It should also contain the position you held, the company’s name, the time frame of employment, and bullet points explaining your skills, your role, and what you achieved while working there. It should look something like this- 

Digital Content Creator.

Techpro Institute, Abuja, Nigeria

2015-2021

•Created engaging advertising content for 10 different brands ranging from food, technology, and Business. 

•Trained over 30+ content interns. 

•Developed a step-by-step content course for beginners in digital content creation. 

Achievements- Awarded best Tech Content Creator at the Digital Content Awards 2017 and 2020.

Detailing your work experience enables employers to know what you did where you worked. It also shows how competent and relevant you’re for the job you’re applying for. 

4. Your Education Details are Another Important Part of Your CV

How detailed the education section of your CV depends on your level of experience. 

If you have substantial work experience, your education section should begin with your recent degree, the name of the institution, your year of graduation. With this experience, emphasis should be more on your skills and work experience. 

However, if you’re writing an entry-level CV or just starting your career, your education is an important selling point of your CV. In addition to the basic details of your education, you should include bullet points detailing your achievements, projects you worked on, relevant coursework, and assignments. 

5. Your Skills Set Must Be Included in Your CV

This is one of the 10 things to put on a CV. Employers are always on the lookout for skilful persons that are fitting for the job requirements.

In this section, you should identify your core skills using bullet points and tailoring them to the job you’re applying for. Your soft skills should also be included as they speak of how resourceful you’re. Assuming you’re applying for a Content Creation post, your skills section could look like, 

 MS Office Suite Specialist 

SEO- expert

Advanced Photography skills

Team player

You may have countless skills to your name, but remember to only list those related to the job you’re applying for. 

6. Your Certifications Can Improve Your CV Outlook 

Adding your certifications to your CV can boost your CV outlook.

Certifications are credentials you earn which affirm your competence and ability to handle a task. It is usually professional, stating that you’ve been tutored, tested, and certified to perform a particular role. 

The benefit of certifications to your CV is that it asserts your ability to undertake a task or role. Earning certifications shows recruiters your dedication to your profession and shows your commitment to self-development. 

When writing your certifications in your CV, write the official title of the certificate, the body awarding the certificate, and the date it was obtained. For example, “TechHub Technical Certification Course 2021”. 

7. An Outline of Your Awards is Vital in Your Resume

A good way of improving your CV’s outlook is by including your awards. 

Awards are an official recognition of your accomplishments. It could be an academic, work, or voluntary award that can be given by the company you work for, the school you attended, or a professional outfit that relates to your profession. 

To include your awards in your CV, write the name of the award, the hear it was awarded, who gave the award, and the purpose of the award. For example, 2021 Storyteller Of the year for ” The Nigerian Culture”, a synopsis of Nigerian History. 

8. Your Volunteering Experience is a Good Feature in Your CV 

This section of your CV is essential, especially if it suits the role you’re applying for. It is very important if your CV is an entry-level CV. 

It is that part of your resume where you include any volunteering work you participated in. You can create a separate section for volunteering experience or you can add it to your work experience. 

To include your volunteer experience, add your role, the name of the organization, the time frame of participation, and bullet points identifying your main duties and achievements. Remember, that whatever volunteer experience you’re including, make sure you tailor it to the job you’re applying for. 

9. Outlining Your Professional Network and Affiliations Is Recommended in Your CV

This is also one of the 10 things to put on a CV.

If you’re a member of any professional body, you must indicate it in your CV. It helps highlight your commitment and dedication to your profession. 

Being a member of recognized bodies illustrates your professionalism in the field of your choice. Include the name of your organization and the type of membership that you have. This could be student, fellow, associate, or professional membership. For example, you may be a member of the Young Africa Leadership Initiative which you could write as “Young Africa Leaders Initiative(YALI), Member”. 

10. A-List Of Your Hobbies and Interests Can Add to The Viability of Your CV 

Your hobbies and interest is an optional section in your CV. It is best considered in an entry-level CV. 

Identifying a hobby that is related to the job you’re applying for is highly recommended. For example, if you love travelling, you can include it in your CV if you’re applying for the post of Air Hostess. 

Conclusion

Having a well-crafted CV has the potential of leaving a good impression about you to recruiters. 

When writing your resume, your profile statement is key to grabbing the attention of recruiters. Highlight the headings of each section in bold so that they can be easily identified. Your profile should be followed up with a skills section to create a view of your ability. 

Finally, include your work experience, education, and any relevant section that is tailored to the job you’re applying for. When next you are applying for a job, make sure these 10 things are included in your CV. 

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