Having a strong and impressive Curriculum Vitae in English (CV) is the first step to being hired for your dream job. With strong competitors and a tough recruitment team, you need to make sure you amaze with every word that you include in your resume. It’s your only chance to make a strong first impression and win a chance for a live interview. And, while this may be easy in your native language, writing a CV in English is a whole other thing.
So, writing a resume in English may be harder than it seems. Why? Because you need to make it strong and convincing, but not overdo it. That’s why simplicity is the key. This article teaches you how to write an English CV easily and professionally. And you can also see an example of cv in english.
English Curriculum Vitae Example
You don’t have to look through any curriculum vitae English examples since we’ve got you covered. The sample we’ve prepared for you shows you what information to include, in what order, and how to formulate it to get the job you want.
Professional Overview – Professional Resume Summary
I am a content writer and editor with considerable experience in creating different types of content for brands and businesses in diverse niches. I specialize in blog writing and SEO optimization and can create different forms and types of content- from short blog posts to data-packed and well-researched long-form articles.
Work Experience
Copywriter & Editor. Sept 2019-January 202. Jones Digital Media Inc.
- Worked with businesses, entrepreneurs, and brands in need of content production.
- Produced content for blogs, social media, email marketing, and e-commerce platforms.
- Edited and improved clients’ existing content.
- Carried out content campaigns according to the clients’ needs, branding, and target audience
Content Writer. February 2021-January 2022. DDS Content Brains
- Wrote blog posts and articles for businesses and personal brands.
- Produced an average of 15.000 words per week.
- Optimized for SEO.
- Wrote for multiple niches including digital marketing, health, fitness, IT, education, and personal development.
Skills
- Writing
- Editing
- Communication
- Strategic Planning
- Research
- SEO
- Technical Writing
Education
- Masters in English Language & Literature. University of Padova, Italy. GPA 9.86.
- BA in Journalism & Mass Communication. Wartburg College, Waverly, USA. GPA 3.0
Languages
- English: Advanced
- Italian: Native
- Spanish: Intermediate
Must-Have Sections of a CV in English
After seeing the above sample CV, you have a basic idea of how to write yours. But, we’ve created a step-by-step guide that will tell you exactly how to write each section and what information to include.
Here’s what your CV needs to cover.
Professional Overview – Professional Resume Summary
You need to open on a strong note and give the recruitment agents a reason to keep reading your CV. So, the first section is the professional overview. It briefly describes who you are as a potential employee- what experience you’ve got and how you plan on using it in the future job position. This will show potential employers how motivated and optimistic you are.
This section should only be three to four sentences long.
Work Experience
Next, share the information about the previous work experience you’ve had. Make sure to:
- only include relevant to the job work experience
- write about your tasks and assignments
- describe what you did and learned
- define the period you spent working there
So, don’t write about your job as an English teacher if you’re applying for a copywriter position. Instead, write about your specific projects, accomplishments, and results you made in your previous jobs. This will encourage the recruiters to call you back.
Skills
This section needs to be short and informative. Don’t write more than six to seven skills, because it may seem overly boastful. Instead, pick the top 6 most important skills necessary for performing great on the job. Write them down chronologically- from the most important to the least important.
Education
The education section is not as important as the previous ones, but you’ll find it in every example of a CV. It needs to be there to show your official qualifications. Include information about the institution, type of degree, and GPA you achieved.
You could also write about your non-formal education which includes:
- seminars
- certificates
- courses
- internships
- training
This will further encourage potential employees to hire you.
Languages
The whole world has gone global and it’s always a plus if you speak more than one language. List them and state what your level of proficiency is.
Important Writing Tips
The main sections are not the end of the story. To know how to write CV, you need to apply the winning writing tips we’ve prepared for you below. Here’s what to pay attention to.
- Vocabulary
Writing a CV is almost like writing an ad for your professional skills. This ad needs to be honest but intriguing so the choice of words is something you need to pay attention to.
First, make sure to use the exact words the job description included. This will show the recruiters you’ve read it carefully and are a potentially great match for them.
Next, show you’re experienced and skilled by including the professional or technical vocabulary to describe your skills, experience, and goals.
Finally, use a Thesaurus to make sure you’ve chosen the best word to express an idea. Always aim for the simplest and most straightforward word choice, just like in our sample CV. For instance, choose diligent over conscientious and weakness over impairment.
- Tone
You want to sound confident and professional. But, there’s a fine line between this and bragging. So, set your tone to a down to Earth, objective, and reasonable one.
That means that, when describing your experience or accomplishments, you need to use facts and arguments instead of a ton of adjectives.
Let’s compare:
I gained valuable experience by working on demanding projects and having to use my critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
I wrote marketing campaigns for e-commerce clients that included branding, social media, and email marketing.
Be specific and don’t get carried away. This will help you get a call for an interview to prove just how great of a choice you’d be for the employer and their business.
- Complexity
Many people try to sound more professional and experienced by writing complex sentences and using phrases that are tough to read and understand. This is a mistake. Why? Because, if the recruiter finds your CV hard to read, they’ll just give up reading. After all, they have a dozen other ones waiting to be considered.
So, instead of making it complicated, keep it simple just like in our curriculum vitae sample from above. You’ll know you did a great job if a twelve-year-old can read it easily and understand every word.
- Accuracy
Imagine submitting a CV with a typo or a grammar mistake. It would make you seem highly unprofessional and even indifferent to whether you get the job or not. It would probably make your CV end up in the rejection pile.
So, always proofread and double-check every word. You could use a writing tool such as Grammarly to check accuracy before submitting.
Final Thoughts
Writing a CV in English doesn’t have to be such a difficult assignment after all. All you need is to read the right CV examples and get the most out of them. Hopefully, the guide we’ve created for you helped you learn about the most important steps in the process of writing your CV in English.
All that’s left is for you to start writing!
Author’s Bio
Erica Sunarjo is an HR specialist and experienced writer at TrustMyPaper. She writes thought-provoking articles for publications in a variety of media.
She actively visits conferences and takes online classes to keep her mind open to innovative ideas.
