1. HOW TO WRITE YOUR
CV
Presented by: Engy Samir

2. Overview
 Points to consider while writing your CV
 Why a Resume/CV!
 Cover letter
 CV vs. Resume
 CV writing tips
 CV Do’s & Don’ts
 The finishing touches
 Employment fairs
 Job interview

3. Points to consider while writing your
CV
 Always have a CV/resume with “in progress” status even if you don’t need it for
any immediate opportunities.
 Write it in as fewer pages as possible.
 Customize your resume for every position.
 Choose the right resume style.
 Define clear Objective, brief Education background and list down your skill set.
 Write your work experience details first.
 Your academic and volunteer experience is relevant.
 List your achievements, not only responsibilities.
 Highlight keywords.
 Don’t write what you cannot explain.
 Don’t write personal interests or references.
 Get enough feedback from friends and family.
 Never, ever lie.

4. Why a Resume/CV!
 A marketing tool
You are the product your resume/CV is selling. It must be user
friendly.
 A calling card & reminder
It is a brief summary of what you have done. It is an impression
of you that remains after the interview.
 A way to direct the interview
Specific accomplishments can direct the interviewer’s
attention/questioning

5. Cover Letter
A cover letter is your introduction to your
potential employer.
Be concise
Outline the main points from your CV
Sell yourself to the potential employer
Convey a positive and confident attitude
Avoid grammatical and spelling errors
Address your letter to a particular name
Highlight the specific job that you are
applying for

6. CV vs. Resume
Curriculum Vitae Resume
• A full list of your professional
and educational history
• Length is not important, usually
several pages
• Mostly used for academic and
research positions
• Full list of publications
• Content is more important than
Style
• Less tailoring to fit job
• References are included
• List of relevant skills relevant
to the targeted job/company
• Usually one page, two is OK
• Used for non-academic or
research positions
• Business focused, no personal
information
• Content and Style are both
important
• Adapted to fit each specific job
• References not included

7. CV Writing Tips
Your CV is your personal sales brochure and your passport to
finding the right position. It should be clear, concise, contains
up-to-date relevant information and most importantly, is an
honest and accurate reflection of yourself and work records.
As for the CV layout, there are no hard and fast rules here but
best CV’s are well spaced out and contain the most relevant
eye-catching information first. You should include the
following details:
Personal: Name, address, telephone no’s and e-mail
address.
Profile: You may want to write a short introduction (restricted
to 3 or 4 lines) to prime the potential employer with an
overview of your skills, qualities, hopes and plans. You can
also list any additional information i.e. location flexibility,
languages spoken etc.
Qualification & Experience: Best in list format, relevant to
your current skills and in a logical order.

8. CV Writing Tips (cont.)
 Career History: Start with you most recent job, company
name and job title. Talk about the technical environment you
worked in and include your achievements in addition to your
responsibilities. Huge paragraphs of text generally will not get
read, so keep them concise and relevant.
 Education: Depending on how experienced you are you may
not feel the need to include more than the basic details.
However if you want to include secondary or university
qualifications use reverse chronological order, dates, the
name of establishment, followed by grades achieved.
 Hobbies and Interests: This is optional and dependent on
available space. Again it should be restricted to just 2 to 3
lines.
 Referees: Names and addresses of two suitable referees,
recent employers or academic if you have only recently left
education.

9. CV Do’s & Don’ts
 Do pay attention to presentation. It must be a well produced business like
document. Use either 11 or 12 point style size.
 Do make clear and easy to read.
 Do make it waffle free and relevant. Omit any non-essential information
such as the occupation of your partner, the names of your children, your
passport or NI number, etc.
 Do include the month and year for each major entry under career history.
 Do try to keep it to two -three pages.
 Do write a professional email. Don't use your nickname while creating a
business email.
 Do explain any gaps in education and experience.
 Do not use patterned or colored paper.
 Do not add your photograph unless requested.
 Do not use fancy graphic images, type styles or symbols

10. The Finishing Touches
 Make the headings bold
 Use bullet points
 Use the same font style throughout
 Use a maximum of 3 font sizes
 Avoid graphics, icons and pictures
 Use quality paper
 Spelling, grammar and punctuation must be
perfect.
 Read the points out loud. Make sure it sounds
good.

11. Employment Fairs
 Dress forSuccess. Attend the job fair dressed for success in
professional interview attire, and carry a portfolio. However,
do wear comfortable shoes, because you will be standing in
line.
 Practice a Pitch. Practice a quick pitch summarizing your
skills and experience so you're ready to promote yourself to
potential employers.
 Bring Supplies. Bring extra copies of your resume, a pen, a
notepad, and business cards (if available) with your name,
your email address, and cell phone number.
 CheckOut Companies. Many job fairs have information on
participating companies on the job fair web site. Be prepared
to talk to hiring managers by checking out the company's web
site, mission, open positions, and general information before
you go.
 Arrive Early. Keep in mind that lines can be long, so arrive
early - before the fair officially opens.

12. Employment Fairs (cont.)
 Attend a Workshop. If the job fair has workshops or
seminars, attend them. In addition to getting job
search advice, you'll have more opportunities to
network.
 Network. While you are waiting in line, talk to others.
You never know who might be able to help with your
job search.
 Show Initiative. Shake hands and introduce yourself
to recruiters when you reach the table. Demonstrate
your interest in the company and their job
opportunities.
 Be Enthusiastic. Employer surveys identify one of the
most important personal attributes candidates can
bring to a new position as enthusiasm. This means

13. Employment Fairs (cont.)
 AskQuestions. Have some questions ready for the company
representatives. The more you engage them, the better
impression you'll make.
 Collect Business Cards. Collect business cards, so you have
the contact information for the people you have spoken with.
 Take Notes. It's hard to keep track when you're meeting with
multiple employers in a busy environment. Write down notes
on the back of the business cards you have collected or on
your notepad, so you have a reminder of who you spoke to
about what.
 Say ThankYou. Take the time to send a brief follow up thank
you email to the company representatives you met at the job
fair. It's a good way to show your interest in the company and
to remind company representatives that you're a strong
candidate.

14. Job Interview
Before the interview tips:
 Research the company's background; find out
about the culture of the company and the way they
deal with their clients. you can do this through the
company's website and personal referrals.
 Highlight what attracted you to the job description
and what make you unique to stand out from the
rest.
 Prepare yourself to answer all questions. Answering
questions effectively demonstrate your level of
understanding of the job nature.

15. Job Interview
 Arrive early to the interview. And be prepared with
a hard copy of your resume/CV
 Be confident.
 If interviewing on campus, make sure to attend
the Company's information session (if available).
This gives you more time to shine during the
interview rather than asking questions that were
already answered in the Company presentation.
 Avoid nervous manners throughout the interview,
stay focused, be a good listener and speak clearly
and confidently.

16. Job Interview (cont.)
 Be prepared to ask a few questions. We do a
good job at our information sessions, but you
must have one or two questions left unanswered.
 If you describe an attribute of yours that is
relevant to the position, be prepared to support
your claim with examples that illustrate your
attribute and how you have applied it successfully.
Feel free to draw from your past work experience,
course work or projects, even student
organization or volunteer opportunities.
 When presented with a difficult question, take a
moment to develop your response rather than
blurting out inconsistent, unorganized thoughts.

17. Job Interview (cont.)
 Ask for a business card so you can follow up
with the recruiter in case you do not hear back
within the stated time frame.
 After the interview, send the recruiter a thank-
you note reinforcing your interest in the
position and your appreciation for his or her
time.
 Above all else, be honest and be yourself.

18. Questions Time!
Ask your
questions

19. Thank You 
Engy Samir
Freelance Recruiter/HR/Training Consultant
Engy.samir@gmail.com
DGOnlineRecruitment
@geesamir
@DGOnlineRec