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 any of these resources on CV building, feel free to drop a comment with your query.
Q11. How do I decide which points to add to my CV?
There is no direct formula for this. You need to make judgment calls. Few parameters to keep in mind are given below.
Is this point more valuable/prestigious for my CV in comparison to the other points that I can add? Compare on a relative basis.
Try to prioritize points for the past 2-3 years, over points from earlier years.
Is this point portraying something new about me, given the other points already on my CV?
Also, read the below question to get more insights.
Q12. Should I show breadth or depth in my CV?
This is a tricky question. In my opinion, you should first focus on depth in 1-2 specific areas. After that, you can portray a certain amount of breadth. The reason behind this is that companies/colleges don’t typically want people who are jack in all trades, but rather people who can go in-depth and perform well in certain specific areas.
Q13. How many years old information can I include?
Ideally do not put in points from more than 5 years back. Only include such a point if it is really exceptional or if it specifically compliments/completes another point on your CV.
Q14. Should I include something if I don’t remember the details?
Go back and try to recall the details. If there is no way to retrieve it then do not add the point, as anything from your CV can be asked during an interview (read more here).
Q15. What does it mean to add ‘numbers’ to my CV? Please give examples.
Adding numbers is basically a way of signifying the magnitude of something in your CV. It helps to give the evaluator more insight into what you've done.
Example 1: Conducted a survey and identified key issue areas (With numbers): Conducted a survey of 30 individuals and identified 2 key issues
Example 2: Won a debating competition hosted by XYZ (With Numbers): #1 amongst 150 participants in a debating competition hosted by XYZ
Example 3: Led a team to represent my school at state level science fair (With Numbers): Led a team of 8 members to represent my school at state level science fair
Q16. What does it mean to show impact? Please give examples.
It is recommended to show impact in your CV, wherever possible. What this means is, try to show a tangible difference created by you undertaking that activity, either on yourself or on an institute or a community, etc.
It could be a monetary or non-monetary impact. Could be any of the following: costs saved, problem solved, time saved, number of people helped, revenue generated, work produced, or any change from the status quo.
The evaluator wants to see how you have improved the project/team/organization you were working within.
Note, it is not possible to show impact on every point. Aim to do it wherever possible.
Example 1: Hosted xyz event at college (With Impact): Hosted xyz event at college with a 25% increase in participation
Example 2: Facilitated placement processes on campus as head of the placement cell (With Impact): Facilitated placement processes on campus as head of the placement cell leading to 50+ job offers
Example 3: Analyzed purchasing patterns in high school students (With Impact): Analyzed purchasing patterns in high school students and identified key determining factors
Q17. Should I be including certain keywords on my CV?
Yes. It is possible that your recruiter runs your profile through an algorithm instead of manually reading your CV (basically a computer is shortlisting you, not a human being).
It is also possible that recruiters find you through job listing portals that are algorithm-driven.
In such cases, it is important to have basic keywords on your CV.
Read the next answer for more details.
Q18. How to adapt my CV to perform better for an algorithmic-based selection?
An algorithm (a computer) is essentially looking for keywords, phrases, and text strings in your CV. It then assigns certain points when it finds the specific keywords/phrases it is looking for. Each keyword may or may not have the same weightage.
Keywords are typically the skills/ abilities/ knowledge that the company is looking for in a candidate.
A good way to identify keywords is to look at the job description.
Keep in mind you need to reflect both hard and soft skills.
You should also conform to the CV format (if any) provided by that institute.
Read the remainder of the FAQs: CV Writing 105 - FAQ | Part 1
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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