25/2/2016 Curriculum Vitae & covering letter WRITING YOUR C.V. & COVERING LETTER by Viv Quarry (www.vivquarry.com) 1. Before writing your Curriculum Vitae (CV), or in American English resume (pronounced "résumé"), you must decide on which style to adopt There are two main styles of CV: The Chronological CV is the most common and is preferred by most employers. This style presents your education and work experience in reverse sequence, with the most recent activities listed first. It should be easy to read and should contain brief statements about your background Avoid making your CV difficult to follow by filling it with personal data and names of references The Functional CV emphasises qualifications, skills and other accomplishments. It is useful for candidates who: Want to work in areas for which they are not qualified Are changing fields or industries and have a lot of work experience Want to highlight specific skills If you are confident in your suitability for a specific job, you could try combining elements of both functional and chronological styles 2. REMEMBER! Your CV is your most important sales tool. Ensure that: It is visually attractive and has a professional appearance It highlights your best qualities It is positive in tone It is honest, but don't sell yourself short It has no grammatical, spelling or punctuation mistakes Names of educational institutions and qualifications are in English, with their native language equivalent in brackets afterwards (use acronyms where possible) Names of educational qualifications and professional positions are in English If the name of the company would be unknown to a NonBrazilian, put an explanation in English of its area of operation in brackets after the name 3. Some tips for producing a professional CV It should: Include a covering letter Start with personal details and contact information Have clearly defined sections for 'Education and qualifications' and 'Work experience' Include 'Other information', like courses attended and interests Be photocopied using a high quality machine Use standard A4 (European) or 'Carta' (US) paper Use short sentences and phrases http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/cvweb.html 1/5 25/2/2016 Curriculum Vitae & covering letter Use white or offwhite paper and black print Be printed on one side of the paper only Be easy to read Use action and power words Be one or two pages in length Be consistent in form, grammatical structures, punctuation and capitalization Have no unnecessary repetition of words or phrases Be checked by a native speaker (preferably an English language instructor) for errors It shouldn't: Be sent without a covering letter Have unexplained abbreviations Include a photograph Have any handwritten changes or additions Appear too crowded or sparse Necessarily include every job held, unless to fill one page Have unusual fonts or strange bullets. It is a sales document, not a newspaper advertisement 4. Educational qualifications in English GCSE's = Materias de primeiro grau GCE A Levels = Materias de segundo grau (A) degree in (subject) = Graduado em (materia) (A) BA in (subject) = Graduado em Artes (A) B.Sc. in (subject) = Graduado em Ciencias (An) MA in (subject) = Mestrado em Artes (An) Msc in (subject) = Mestrado em Ciencias (An) MBA = MBA (A) Ph.D. in (subject) = Doutorado em (materia) (A) diploma in (subject) = Pós Graduação em (materia) (A) PGCE = Licenciatura em pedagogia 5. Brazilian Educational Institutions Secondary school (UK) = Segundo grau High School (USA) (The) Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC) http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/cvweb.html 2/5 25/2/2016 Curriculum Vitae & covering letter (The) Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) (The) State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) Fluminense Federal University (UFF) (The) Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) (The) City College of Rio de Janeiro (Faculdade de Cidade) (The) Brazilian Capital Markets Institute (IBMEC) 6. Power words and useful expressions which can be used in a c.v. or covering letter Action & power words Useful words Useful words cont As well as , I Advertisement / small ad I arranged Annual / per annum / yearly I assisted to Applicant I coordinated Application I dealt not only with., but with Application form I dealt with Appointment / job I developed a new Candidate I developed Confirming letter I encouraged Contract of employment I had to Curriculum vitae I managed to Director I organised (UK) Double time / time and a half I organized (US) Duties I ran the (department/section) Employee I set up (meetings with) Employer I supervised the Employment I took responsibility for Filing I was able to Fringe benefits I was appointed to Information technology I was delegated to Interview I was in charge of Interviewee I was responsible for Interviewer My duties included Junior Secretary Leave / holiday / vacation Minutes http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/cvweb.html 3/5 25/2/2016 Curriculum Vitae & covering letter ( weeks) notice Office technology Opening Pension scheme Personal Assistant Personnel Personnel Officer Position Post Recommendation Referee Reference Résumé (US) Salary Shorthand Sick leave Staff Temporary / permanent post Trainee Unsolicited letter Vacancy 7. The covering letter Make sure that the format is that of a formal letter in English In the first paragraph, explain why you are writing and where you heard about the job In the second paragraph, You should mention your CV You could explain why you left your previous job(s), but always try to be positive about your previous employers. Avoid saying that you left for more money or better working conditions You can give details about your previous duties, where they are relevant to the post for which you are applying. Emphasize responsibilities, authority, projects you undertook, changes you effected and schemes you introduced. Be careful not to sound arrogant Explain why you are applying for the position and why you think that your particular skills and experience would be valuable to the firm At the end of the letter, look forward to the interview and offer to supply more information if necessary Type the letter and sign it using a pen 8. Some useful expressions to use in your covering letter http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/cvweb.html 4/5 25/2/2016 Curriculum Vitae & covering letter The opening I would like to apply for the position which I saw advertised in (newspaper) on (date) for (job) I am enclosing my curriculum vitae for the position of The enclosed c.v. is for the above post Summary of details You will see that I graduated from/left (institution) in (year) where I got (qualification). I then began work with (firm) as (job title), where I was trained as (title), and was involved with (brief description of duties) I left (firm) in (year) as (new employer) offered me a chance to use my (skills or specialized knowledge) In (year) I was offered a chance to join (firm) where there was an opportunity for me to gain more experience in I was offered promotion by (firm) in (year) and therefore left (firm) as this meant I could (reason).I joined (firm) in (year) as they offered an opportunity for advancement, being a much larger concern Explaining experience While I was at (firm) I took responsibility for (area) and this meant I (ability); within (period of time) the firm/department was able to (improvements) During my time at (firm), I worked on several (type) schemes/projects which were very successful as they meant (results).At (firm) my duties included (duties). This gave me more experience in (area) which was very valuable when I moved to (new firm).(Firm) encouraged SelfImprovement programmes. I took a (qualification/course) at (institution) in (year) and after two more years of management experience I joined (firm) Why you are applying I am particularly interested in the position you offer as I know my previous experience and academic background would be valuable in this area of (area of work engineering, accountancy, etc.) I am sure I would be successful in this post as I have now gained the experience and skills that are required As (job title) I know my background is (area) would prove valuable to you, especially as I have been dealing with (area of work) This position would require someone who has had extensive experience of (work area), which I gained both academically and commercially at (college and firms) Closing the letter I look forward to hearing from you. However, if there is any further information you require in the meantime, please contact me Please let me know if there are any other details you need. Meanwhile, I look forward to hearing from you I hope to hear from you in due course. Please let me know if you would like any further information about me I will be available to give you more detailed information at an interview, and look forward to seeing you See an example CV See Viv's CV See an example covering letter Back to professional worksheets Home http://www.vivquarry.com/wkshts/cvweb.html 5/5