Writing your curriculum vitae (CV) can be challenging. After all, it’s not something you do every day. Perhaps you have forgotten the exact process. It’s been a while since you last practised the process in secondary school.
Completing your CV can also be a bit stressful due to its importance. Your career hangs in the balance – in a way, the quality of your CV decides your future.
How can you beat the stress and get the job done well? A good CV template can help. Below, we’ll talk about how to choose a good CV template and how to use it.
Choosing Your CV Template
Many CV templates are available online. We will talk about two types, and which one we recommend most.
Downloadable Templates
Downloadable CV templates are available for a number of programs you may already use on your computer, including Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop, and Google Docs.
Typically, these templates include a full CV layout with filler text in lorem ipsum style. You utilize the template by deleting the filler text and replacing it with your own information.
There are pros and cons to this type of CV template.
Pros:
- Utilizes software you already have (you’re familiar with its operation).
- Many colours and styles are available.
- Many templates are free to download and use.
Cons:
- It can be easy to overlook some of the filler text, leaving it behind. You don’t want your hiring manager to run across Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet in an important part of your CV!
- Formatting this type of template can also be challenging. Especially in Microsoft Word, sections of text may be “anchored” to one another. If your content exceeds the length of the filler text, it can “stretch” nearby sections of text while crowding others. Overcoming this formatting issue can be time-consuming and requires a good working knowledge of the program.
Online CV Templates
Another option is the online CV template. These templates are available via cloud-based software on dedicated websites. On Online CV, for example, you can choose between ten styles of CV templates. The software then walks you through entering your information.
Pros:
- Easy to use – you are walked through the process step-by-step, so no experience or computer skills are needed.
- Many styles and colours are available to match your personality.
- Share your completed resume in various formats – download it as a PDF, a text file, or receive a link to share it online.
- The templates are designed by professionals, so they look good.
- The program formats the document automatically, so you don’t have to struggle with text lengths or other formatting issues.
Cons:
- You’ll need to create a free account.
- Some features require a modest fee.
How to Use the Online CV Template
The online program will walk you through the following steps. All you have to do is have your information ready.
- Click a template design to select it.
- Enter your contact information. Fields are available for your name, a profile photo (optional – not needed in most fields), occupation, nationality, date of birth, address, phone number, email address, and a link (such as your LinkedIn profile).
- Next, enter your work experience – title/position, company, location (city/borough, county), start date, end date, and a description. You can even select pre-written text to help you with the descriptions. Customize it to make it your own.
- Education – degrees, name of the school or institution, location, start and end dates, and a description.
- Skills and languages you speak.
- Your objective statement – two to three sentences highlighting why you are a good fit for the job.
- Add optional sections if needed. These include projects, achievements, certificates and courses, honours and awards, publications, references, or create your own custom section.
- Download your document or share it online.
And just like that, your CV is completed.
Which File Type Should I Use?
We recommend using the PDF file type to submit CVs electronically. PDFs never lose their formatting, no matter what program or device is used to open them. They are also uneditable, so accidental deletions or insertions will not occur.
Key Takeaways
- Online CV templates look great and take care of the formatting for you.
- Online CV makers will walk you through the process – it’s easy! No advanced computer skills are necessary.
Author Bio:
Susan Noel is an experienced content writer. She is associated with many renowned business & technology blogs as a guest author where she shares her valuable articles with the audience.