CV Guide

Step 1: CV

  1. Keep the CV to only 1 page, or a maximum of 2 pages. An employer spends an average of 8 seconds looking at a CV, so keep it concise and punchy.
  2. Keep the font and font size consistent throughout the CV. The generic style is font size 11, Black, Arial/Calibri – avoid fancy fonts.
  3. Clear structure and format – separate the content into paragraphs and subheadings. The employer will appreciate clear and concise CVs since they have to go through hundreds of CVs a day.
  4. Tailor your CV to the employer – have a base template but do not send the same template to every employer. Research the company and look at the job description to know what skills to point out in your CV.
  5. Do not just list your work experience or extracurricular activities – provide a sentence or two explaining your roles/skills you gained by using the STAR method.
  6. Do not leave gaps in your CV. You may think you do not have any relevant experience, but you probably do without realising – think before proceeding!
  7. No errors – check your CV for spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes. Use a spellchecker (Grammarly, etc.) and ask someone else to double-check your CV as it is the first impression to the employer – it matters!
  8. Be honest about your experiences! The employers do conduct background checks and do seek for references. It is also likely that they will drill you on specific segments of your CV so it is helpful to know your CV like the back of your hand.
  9. Strengthen your work experience and achievements with maths and hard numbers, with a focus on results rather than responsibilities. Rather than writing ‘I increased social media engagement for Company X’, write ‘I increased Facebook membership by 45% for company X’.
  10. Use bullet points and keep sentences short.
  11. Use buzzwords and keywords – avoid saying ‘I did XX’ or ‘I worked XX’, change it to ‘Collaborated with XX’ or ‘Designed XX’. See examples of buzzwords here.

For a similar CV template, click here to download. For a similar CV template with content as example, click here to download.

1. Tailor your CV to focus on the skills the job requires –  avoid only bringing up group projects you have done. Instead, reflect and explain the impact of your work/contribution in group projects. 

2. Show your personality – mention achievements at school or your personal interests and hobbies. 

3. A strong cover letter – to make up for your lack of work experience, you need to demonstrate your enthusiasm, capability and passion for the job.

A combination of hard and soft skills. 

Soft skills are a combination of people, social and communication skills, as well as character traits.

Example of soft skills

  • Teamwork 

  • Communication 

  • Problem-solving 

  • Time management 

  • Positive attitude 

  • Strong work ethic 

  • Highly motivated 

  • Interpersonal 

  • Flexibility 

However, you should not directly list these skills. Instead, portray these qualities by including them in your past experience. 

E.g. ‘Managed a team of 20 volunteers to increase awareness towards ….’ This showcases your leadership skills and teamwork. 

Technical skills are the ability to perform specific tasks at hand. This type of skill is usually gained through practice/execution. 

Example of technical skills

  • Data analytics 

  • Social media 

  • Marketing 

  • Programming 

  • Project management