CVs

Craft out Curriculum Vitae that captures the attention, whatever the application

Your CV is your personal story, presented to a recruiter searching for the right candidate for a specific role. There’s no one-size-fits-all CV, so explore these examples along with our CV Guide for inspiration on how to tell your unique story.

What is a CV?

CV stands for Curriculum Vitae, meaning "course of life," and is a summary of your qualifications, skills, and experience designed to show your suitability for a specific job or course. It may be prepared for both advertised and speculative (non-advertised) opportunities. Indian employers typically use the term CV rather than "resume," which is more common in Europe and North America. The purpose of a CV is to highlight your qualifications and experience in a way that gets you shortlisted for an interview by demonstrating how well you meet the selection criteria. Your CV also represents what you're comfortable discussing in an interview—if there’s something you want to talk about, keep it in your CV.

A CV is usually one or two pages (but not one and a half). For academic roles, CVs may be longer than two pages to include additional sections like Publications, Research work. You can view sample CVs and our CV Guide below for inspiration on structuring your own.

How can I make my CV stand out?

Personalize and tailor your CV to each opportunity—this means clearly highlighting the relevant skills, knowledge, and experience the recruiter is looking for. Use action-oriented words, and consider using text-generative AI to refine the wording in your CV. Make sure your CV is error-free, with consistent font styles like Arial or Calibri (sizes 10-12) and clearly labeled sections. Save your CV as a PDF with your full name to maintain formatting.

What should I include?

Name: Use your full name as the header in a large font to show confidence.
Contact details: Include your full address or just your location (e.g., Hyderabad) if posting on job portals, along with a professional email address and phone number. If applicable, add links to your LinkedIn profile or an online portfolio.
Profile: A brief profile under your name can outline your current status, what you offer, and what you're seeking next.
Education: Start with your current course, listing the title, institution, and start date (e.g., 'MBA in Finance, Noble PG College, Hyderabad, August 2023 - Present'). Include key modules, projects, and results as relevant.
Work History: List jobs in reverse chronological order with date ranges, job titles, and duties. Describe roles in terms of skills and achievements relevant to the job. Include family business experience, internships, or side projects if applicable.
Relevant Experience: Consider splitting experience into "Relevant" and "Additional Experience" sections, showcasing paid and unpaid roles that align with the job.
Extra-Curricular Activities: For early-career applicants, this section is critical for showing your interests and commitments outside of work and studies. Include dates, activity headings, and a description.
Skills: Highlight technical skills, software proficiency, languages, and other relevant abilities.
References: You don’t need to list references unless required but can say "References available on request."

Addressing Gaps in Experience

Include any relevant activities from gap years, voluntary work, previous courses, or other time commitments, such as caring responsibilities, that might show transferable skills.

Choosing a CV Style

Chronological CV: The most common type, listing qualifications and experience in reverse chronological order.
Skills-Based CV: Focuses on key skills with examples, ideal for those with a lot of experience or those changing career paths.
Academic CV: For academic roles, these CVs focus on research and teaching experience and may include sections like Publications or Research Interests.
Creative CV: For creative fields, these may incorporate visuals and multimedia elements, demonstrating proficiency in tools like Photoshop.

Examples on CV Styles can be found in the following links