After vetting 100+ CVs, I have curated a list of the most common questions asked by candidates. It has been split over two articles Part 1 and Part 2. If you do not find your question covered in these resources on CV building, feel free to drop a comment with your query.
Q1. Should I make a different CV for each company or college?
First, focus on the job role/course you are applying for. You should tweak and alter your CV for different job roles/courses you are applying for.
Within the same job role, if you are applying to multiple companies (same course, applying to multiple colleges), you can slightly alter your CV from company to company (college to college), if you are aware of specific differences in their recruitment processes or what they are looking for. Otherwise, it is not necessary.
Q2. How truthful should I be? (or) Can I lie on my CV?
You should be 100% truthful. In case you add any false information, it can be revealed during your interview or a background verification check.
Q3. Can I brag in my CV?
Yes. You can brag in your CV without any inhibitions. Your aim should be to impress your evaluator as much as possible.
Q4. What software should I use to make my CV?
MS Word is the best tool. If you are operating an Apple computer, then you can use the MS Word equivalent i.e. Pages.
Make your CV on a desktop/laptop only (not on a mobile/tablet).
Q5. What font and font size should I use? Should I use colors?
Ideally use 12 font size, with Times New Roman font. You can reduce it to 11 or 10 if you have excessive content and you cannot increase the number of pages.
Use the same font size for all your content and similarly for headings.
Ideally, keep the CV in black and white unless you’re applying for a creative/design role. If you really want to use colors, at max use one color apart from black and white (a sober color such as blue).
Q6. How long should my CV be?
It depends on the industry you are applying to. It will typically vary between 1-2 pages. For a field such as management consultancy stick to a 1 page CV.
Q7. In which format should I submit my CV?
Use a PDF format. If you send it in a word document/ppt, due to version and settings differences, the appearance of your CV can get affected.
In case the organization has given a specific format, then use that.
Q8. How to highlight points on my CV?
You can use either of the three formatting tools - bold/underline/italics.
On the same word/phrase only use one of the above three.
I recommend to just pick one method of highlighting and stick to that throughout the CV.
Do not highlight entire points, but only words/phrases within a point.
Q9. Should I use acronyms?
Avoid acronyms unless they are universally known or very commonly used in the field/role you are applying for.
Q10. What if I have a gap in my education or my employment?
In case of any gaps, write a line in your CV addressing the same, so that the evaluator does not have any doubts in her/his mind.
Read the rest of the FAQs: CV Writing 105 - FAQ | Part 2
Learn how to make your CV from scratch: CV Writing 101 - The 4 step process
Choose the right buckets for your CV: CV Writing 102 - Selecting the right buckets
Learn how to package and present your CV: CV Writing 103 - How to package and present your CV
View sample CV: click here
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