You know very well what the Curriculum Vitae is, what it contains and what it is for, but you want to delve into details about its characteristics and structure to create the perfect CV. Find out below what are the main characteristics of a Curriculum Vitae in 2022.
Knowing the characteristics of resume will help you make it detailed and accurate. Both in its form and in its substance, the Curriculum Vitae must be outlined with all the necessary elements in an optimal way so that the final result is great. But like all results, this has to go through a process, and this process consists of a series of decisions that the candidate must make.
For decisions to be successful, it is important to know inside and outside the fundamental characteristics of a CV in 2022 .
Discover below the most outstanding characteristics of the curriculum, the ideal structure and the types that exist.
What are the characteristics of a good resume?
The external characteristics of a Curriculum Vitae refers to everything that immediately enters through the senses. They are all the surface features that are embodied in the sheet and that enter through our eyes instantly. Each element of the resume has its own characteristics.
Here are some of the most common external characteristics of the resume:
sections
Each paragraph or section of the curriculum should enjoy the maximum possible attention. This must be spacious so that the information can be seen and read with the necessary clarity. In this same sense, he thinks that the resume should be an agile document , this means that the first impression should provide a feeling of curiosity and not overwhelm.
On the other hand, the content of your CV must be truthful . This means that you should not exaggerate with the information nor diminish it. Honesty when describing your work, educational experiences, your skills or languages, will be a highly valued point when you have to attend the job interview.
See also: How to make a resume
Structure
The structure will depend on the type and style of template you choose. Think that the structure of a CV is like that of a house where each section must be well arranged so that the whole (the structure) is harmonious. In other words, the structure of a resume is conditioned by how you decide to arrange the sections . For that, one of the most common ways is that its sections are divided into two blocks vertically. They can also be laid out horizontally, which would refer to a more traditional resume style .
Of course, you must bear in mind that there are essential sections that yes or yes should be among the first to appear.
Whichever template you choose, the Curriculum Vitae should have a simple structure that makes it easy to read
Think that the recruiter or whoever reads your CV will need to know instantly if the candidate’s profile is suitable for the vacancy to be filled.
Free Download: Resume Templates
Design
The design to choose is often determined by the candidate’s profession or job profile. There may be avant-garde, modern, classic designs, among others.
Also the chosen colors are external characteristics to take into account. Try to make your CV original . The inclusion of graphics, forms, or the optimal distribution of the sections, will be characteristics that will help your CV not to go unnoticed.
On the other hand, each section must be homogeneous , this means that it is necessary that you keep the same letter styles, sizes and corresponding colors. This way your resume will look like a tidy document that meets established standards.
fonts and icons
Going into more detail, it is necessary to mention that the choice of font and its size is a factor to take into account if you are applying to a company linked to the world of design. If you are applying for any other type of job, it is not recommended to put more than 3 types of letters, and if you do, make sure that there is not a very significant difference between one and the other.
You can also put bold or italics (italic) to highlight certain information that you consider relevant, such as the name of your university, the name of your studies or the years worked in a company.
You can also put icons in front of your contact information or your academic information if you are preparing a creative CV.
Drafting
Excellent spelling and writing is a determining characteristic when looking for a job. A resume that fails that this aspect ruins any candidacy. It is in the profile and professional objective section where the writing must be neat and without mistakes. Focus on finding forms of writing that say everything about you in as few words as possible.
Brevity should be an essential feature in the creation of your CV. Include only the information that the job requires. Nothing more, nothing less.
Try to include the keywords that appear in the description of the vacancy.
Leave the ego and subjectivities aside . No recruiter is interested in knowing how good you are at something, but rather that you show it with visible data, such as academic achievements or skills. A good way to project humility is by writing the profile through an impersonal point of view and not in the first person.
You must also describe point by point (bullets) everything related to your work and academic experience.
Your resume should have detailed information regarding the position you want to fill. The title you choose should reflect this very well.
Structure of a Curriculum Vitae
In most cases, the order of the sections will depend on the type of template you choose. However, the order that we present below is the most common when preparing a resume . Remember that these are all the data that a resume should have.
- Contact information
- Photo
- Title
- Profile and professional objective
- Work experience
- Education
- Skills
- Languages
- Aptitudes
- Interests
Types of Curriculum Vitae and their characteristics
As a general rule, the resume is divided into 3 main types and the characteristics of each one are conditioned by what the candidate wants to highlight regarding their experiences and qualities. Here are the most important features of each:
Characteristics of the chronological resume
As its name implies, this type of resume template is characterized by:
- Put the focus on the timeline of work experience and education .
- Always start with the oldest events and end with the current ones.
- This type of CV is characterized by being subdivided into the reverse chronological resume , and this consists of:
- The chronology of the experiences is put from the most current to end with the oldest.
- It is an ideal resume for those who want to highlight a long work experience.
Characteristics of the functional Curriculum Vitae
This type of resume is characterized by:
- Put the focus on what you stand out, especially in skills.
- The labor and academic information must be very summarized.
- It is ideal for those who want to find a job where what matters is talent more than experience.
Characteristics of the combined or mixed CV
As its name says, this type of Curriculum Vitae model is a mixture of the previous two, and is characterized by:
- Focus on work experience and skills alike.
- Complement skills with education or work experience.
- It is ideal for candidates who want to demonstrate how their skills are reflected in work experience.
It is worth mentioning that the most remarkable feature of these 3 types of resume is that they are all compatible with each other . This means that neither exempts the other at the time of the election, since the classification of the types refers rather to where to put the focus of the information. And don’t forget that, whatever resume model you choose, you must take into account the optimal arrangement of all external features.
