Writing Resume and Curriculum Vitae

Writing Resume and Curriculum Vitae

By Dr. Lalit Kumar Setia |  @drlalitsetia  |  drlalitsetia@gmail.com  | Created Dec 05, 2017

Updated May 11, 2019

Writing Resume:

The resume writing is an art and it can be realized by practice. The employment is generally sought through producing resume or curriculum vitae to the prospective employers, but unfortunately most of the unemployed people lacking the skills of preparing resume or curriculum vitae. 

Writing a resume is an important step in the job search process. A well-crafted resume can help you stand out from other candidates and increase your chances of landing an interview. Here are some tips to help you create an effective resume:

1. Choose a format: There are three main resume formats: chronological, functional, and combination. Chronological resumes list your work history in reverse chronological order, while functional resumes focus on your skills and achievements. Combination resumes are a mix of both. Choose the format that best highlights your strengths and accomplishments.

2. Start with a header: Your header should include your name, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile (if you have one). You can also include a professional summary or objective statement, which highlights your skills and career goals.

3. List your work experience: Start with your most recent job and work backwards. For each job, list your job title, company name, dates of employment, and key responsibilities and achievements. Use bullet points to make it easy to read.

4. Highlight your skills: In a separate section, list your relevant skills and accomplishments. Use bullet points to make it easy to read. Be specific about what you have accomplished and how you did it.

5. Include your education: List your highest level of education, including your degree, major, and any relevant coursework. You can also include any certifications or licenses you hold.

6. Use action verbs: Start each bullet point with an action verb to highlight your accomplishments. For example, instead of writing "Responsible for managing a team of 10," write "Managed a team of 10."

7. Customize for each job: Tailor your resume to the specific job you are applying for. Use keywords from the job description and highlight your relevant skills and experience.

8. Proofread: Make sure there are no typos or grammatical errors in your resume. Have someone else read it over to catch any mistakes.

9. Keep it concise: Your resume should be no more than two pages. Keep it focused and to the point.

Remember, your resume is a reflection of you and your professional experience. Take the time to craft a well-written, professional resume that highlights your strengths and achievements.

What a Curriculum Vitae Contains:

Here I am providing a specimen which can easily help, how to prepare resume.

The resume and curriculum vitae started with the name of the person followed by Contact numbers and e-mail ID for example:

<<  NAME >>

Contact:                                                                e-Mail:

Current Position:

The first thing the prospective employers would like to know, is current position of the person. What designation he holds and which organization is taking work from him presently. Therefore, the Resume should state his current position (if employed), such as:

Current Position

<< Designation and Official Address >>

Thereafter, the objective is written in very concise manner because the prospective employers always take interest in knowing the attitude of a person which depends upon his objective.

Objective

For example, ‘To be proved as an asset of an esteemed organization by serving with dedication, and fulfilling the assigned job with delivering constant high performance.

After stating the objective, it is must to detail the areas of interest.

Areas of Interest:

The employers always require to know about the knowledge and skills of the person, on which basis they can shortlist the persons. The professional synopsis, areas of interests, and key competencies should be explained. For example:

Areas of Interest

·     << Subject Wise, Skills Wise >>

Skills and Competencies:

The person should state clearly, the skills and competencies, he is capable of. It will improve his impression.

Key Competencies

Educational Qualifications:

It is must to provide the details of educational qualifications and it should contain the name of examinations passed, subjects studied in each examination, the name of board and universities, year of passing, percentage of marks scored and the details of distinctions (if any). For example:

Educational Qualifications
Exam Passed	Subjects	University / Board	Year of passing	Max. Marks	Marks Obtained	% of Marks	Distinctions, if any

Experience:

The experience of the person should be followed by the educational qualifications. For example:

Teaching Experience
Name of employer / Institution	Designation of the post held and its pay scale	Duration of Appointment		Number of years
		From (dd/mm/yyyy)	To (dd/mm/yyyy)

Research Projects:

Further, if the person has also covered research projects in his tenure of education and experience, then the work of research should be detailed separately.

Publications:

The publications should also be detailed separately like:

Publications

(a) Research  Paper Published in International Journals

(b) Chapter published

(c) Patent Awarded

(d) Research Paper published in National Journal

(e) Chapter published in Book/Book published by National Publisher

(f) Paper published in Conference Proceedings

(g)   Paper published in Journal of public funded Universities and Institutions of National importance such as ICSSR, IIPA, NCAER etc. published prior to year 2010 irrespective of ISSN/ISBN

The employers would also be interested to know the awards and honors, realized by the person. The awards and honors should be detailed separately like:

Awards and Honors (Prize, Medal and Merit won, Distinctions, if any)

The person may also give the additional achievements and incorporate the utilities that may be considered by the employers:

Additional Information (if any)

The resume and curriculum vitae cannot be completed without giving the references of the persons who are aware about the activities of the person:

References

In last, if required, the person may also give personal details, like:

Personal Details

Birth Year

Gender

Marital Status

Nationality

Caste Category

Correspondence Address

Languages known

Website

Conducting a Viva Voce 

A viva voce, also known as an oral examination or a thesis defense, is a formal process of examining a candidate's knowledge and understanding of a subject or a research work. Here are some general steps for conducting a viva voce:

Preparation: Before conducting the viva voce, it is important to review the candidate's work and prepare a list of questions that will test their knowledge and understanding of the subject or research work.

Introduction: Begin the viva voce by introducing yourself and the other examiners. Explain the purpose of the viva voce and the format of the examination.

Presentation: Give the candidate an opportunity to present their work briefly, if appropriate. This can help to provide context for the questions that will follow.

Questioning: Ask the candidate a series of questions that test their knowledge and understanding of the subject or research work. Questions may cover a broad range of topics related to the work, including methodology, analysis, results, and conclusions.

Follow-up questions: As the candidate responds to your questions, be prepared to ask follow-up questions that can help to clarify or expand upon their responses.

Feedback: After the questioning is complete, provide the candidate with feedback on their performance. This feedback should be constructive and help the candidate understand their strengths and weaknesses.

Conclusion: Conclude the viva voce by thanking the candidate for their participation and summarizing the key points discussed during the examination.

Overall, conducting a viva voce requires careful preparation, a thorough understanding of the subject or research work, and the ability to ask probing questions that test the candidate's knowledge and understanding. By following a structured approach and providing constructive feedback, you can help to ensure a fair and rigorous examination that accurately reflects the candidate's abilities

*Copyright © 2018 Dr. Lalit Kumar. All rights reserved.