1 UNIT VI

CV Writing:Chronological
CV, Functional CV
What is the difference between a résumé and a curriculum vitae (CV)? And between a
résuméand a bio-data? There has always been some confusion about the differences
among these terms, and all three are often used interchangeably. In general, they all serve
asimilar purpose-to showcase your qualifications and abilities. However, there are
subtle differences. A résumé (from French) is a 'summary'of your qualifications, skills
and experience. It is a brief and concise statement which is no more than one or both sides
of an A4 size sheet. A résumé generally uses bullets and avoids narrative. A résumé is
usually written fora particular job,highlighting the skills that are required for it (other
skills are summarised).A résuméis more suited for people with
or to apply for jobs where skills rather than academic previous work experience
word "résumé" is used mostly in the USA and Canada. qualifications
are important. The
A CV (curriculum vitae; Latin for 'course of life') is
also a summary, but it is longer
and more detailed. In addition to academic
a CV includes other information, such asqualifications and professional experience,
of associations, etc., and it is at least two or hobbies, awards, honours, membership
three pages long. A CV displays general
talent rather than specific skills for a specific position. It provides information about
all the degrees, jobs and professional skills that you
is more suitable for fresh graduates and have acquired. A CV, theretoe,
those applying to academic, scientific and
research positjons. CV is more common in the UK, Europe, New Zealand and many
Commonwealth countries.
Bio-Data (short form of Biographical Data) isa rather
CV. The emphasis in a bio-data is on personal old-fashioned ternm for résume or
nationality, residence, marital status, etc. Suchinformation such as date of birth, religion,
personal details are never included in a
résumé or CV, which contain mostly professional information.
Bio-data lists educational
qualifications and experience in a chronological order. Specific skills which usually come

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CV Writing: Chronological CV, Functional CV 105

first in a résumé come last, if at all, in abio-data. Bio-data is often

made in a format
specified by the employer. It is mostly used in India while applying for government jobs.
The term "bio-data" is familiar mostly in South Asian countries such
as India, Pakistan
and Bangladesh.
What is a CVFor?
ACV, quite simply, is an 'advertisement' of yourself.So the primary
to make you appear attractive,interesting and worth purpose of a CV is
going through your CV, the prospective employer should considering to the company. After
be impressed and interested
enough tocall you for an interview. ACV in itself may not get you the job, but an effective
CV is the gateway to a successful career. A CV
should demonstrate that you have the
required ability and the attitude to
a CV when it is asked for in a job perform the job you have applied for. You should send
jobsare available. advertisement or when you are enquiring whether any
General Guidelines
Type the CV neatly, use a simple layout and print on a
Use bold or underline for headings. Do not use good quality printer.
bold and underline.
Leave standard margins for the document. Do not
overcrowd the page with text.
Spell-check your document, but do not use autocorrect blindly.
Use bullets' for sub-sections or lists, but do not
use too many bullet styles.
Do not use too many font types, sizes and
and not amateurish. colours.Your CV should look professional
Donot just copy standard CV samples. Your CV
little bit different. should be your own, personal and a
Your CV must be easy to read,short and attractive.
Keep it simple. What you have written may seem simple and
toan employer! Go through it again and again and make it obvious to you, but not
more understandable. shorter, more readable and
Use simple, straightforward and formal language, active verbs,
(adjectives and adverbs) as possible. and as few qualifiers
When you have written the CV, get someone else
look at it and tell you how to make it better. (friend/senior/teacher) to take a
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Types of CVs
All CVs contain more or less the same information, but the manner and sequence in
which it is presented differs. On the basis of the style of presenting information, CVs can
be categorised as Chronological CV, Functional CV, Combination CV, CV with profile,
Targeted CV, Mini CV, Non-traditional CV, etc. Each of these types has itsown useand
purpose; therefore, choose the type of CV that suitsyour purpose andthe context of your
application. In this unit, two main types of CV, Chronological CV and Functional CV, are
discussed in detail.

Chronological CV
Chronological CV is the most common and popular format of writing CVs. In this format,
you list the details of your education, expertise, special skills, training, experience,
accomplishments and so on in areverse chronological order (the most recent qualification
or experience first).
Chronological CV is used to draw the attention of the employer to your academic and
professional qualifications. It is used to project an overall summary of your career rather
than to highlight any specific aspect.
Achronological CV works best if you are still a student or a fresh graduate and, therefore,
do not have any special accomplishments or specific skills to highlight. It will also work
well for those who have a steady career graph and have been in the same field of study or
work over a period of time and are applying for a position in the same field.
there are gaps in your education or career, or if you have shifted from one fieldHowever,
if
to another
too often, a chronological CV is not suitable as it calls the
to the gaps. prospective employer's attention

What to Include
A
chronological CV usually comprises six sections:
1. Personal Information
Name, date of birth/age (only if required), postal address,
email address. contact phone number,
Keep this section as short as possible. Do not give any
essential. For instance, do not give more than one postal or emailinformation that is not
number. Make sure that your email ID sounds professional. Do not give address or phone
or over-the-top email ids like'askwho@.. or funny, flippant
'worldpeace®...!. Noneed to specify your
gender, marital status or religious affiliation as they're not necessary.
CV Writing: Chromologieal CV, Fuctional CV 107

2. Education
List the most recent qualiication first. P'rovide the years of study and the names of
the institutions where you have studied. Include the subject options you had taken in
your course, Include grades/divisions,
3. Experience
List the most recent experience first. Provide the name of your employer, job title,
and more importantly, what you actually did and achieved in that job, Internship and
part-time work may be mentioned as well.
If youhave more tthan one kind of work experience, give the one that is directly
relevant to the job applied for first and others sutbsequently.
4. Skills

P'roficiency in languages, computer skills or any other skill.

5. Interests and Achievements
An employer will be particularly interested in activities where you have had
responsibility or leadership or which involve you in relation to others in a team.
Aone-person interest, such as stamp-collecting, may be of less interest to them, unless
it connectswith the work youwish to do. Give only enough detail to explain. If you
have won awards or honours or have published any articles, jointly or by yourself,
give details. If you have been involved in anytypeof volunteer work, provide details.
6. References
Usually, give two names--one from your place of study and one from your work
place. Ifyou do not have any work experience, give the reference of an older family
friend who has known you for some time. Make sure that the referees are informed
and are willing to give you areference. Give their contact phone numbers/emails/
addresses.

Covering Letter
When youare sending aCV orajob application, include acovering letter. Inthe covering
letter, provide ashort (3-5@ines) profile or personal statement describing your current
status and career objective. Do not repeat any inform.ation that is included in the CV, and
do not copy someone else's statement.
Lastly, take a photocopy of the filled-in application, the covering letter and the CV and
keep themwith you so that you remember exactly what you had written. When you are
called for an interview, take this copy with you.

Sample Chronological CV
(Note: Theactual CVshould be more descriptive and should be at least two pages or
more).
108 English in Action: A Textbook for College Students

Raj Peter
Flat 10, RegalCourt Apartments, Abids, Hyderabad 500 001
Mobile: 07592 45396, Email: [email protected]
Education
2010- 2012 Osmania University
MA English - Distinction
Project Title: "Teaching English as an Indian Language"
2007- 2010 Nizam College
BA - First class
English, Economics, PoliticalScience
Employment
2012 - present Prime Technologies
Language Coordinator
" Responsible for arranging training for fresh recruits
"Lead a team of six Language Trainers
" Successfully rolled out an online language software
" Organised workshops for the development of language modules
Skills Writing and editing
"Compiled and edited the company newsletter
" Created and edited content for the company website
Computer skills
" Microsoft Office- Word, Excel and PowerPoint
"FrontPage, PageMaker, Corel Draw
Languages
" Fluent in Hindi, Telugu, English
"Currently learning to speak Chinese and Esperanto
Interests and Achievements
" Active member of Hyderabad Rocks!': Helped raise awareness
about the need to protect the rockscapes of Hyderabad
"Employee of the Year Award (2015, 2016): For contribution to
corporate life
" Best Student Prize at Osmania University (2012): For overall
performance in academics and extracurricular activities
CV Writing: ChronologicalCV, FunctionalCV 109

Referees
Ms Samina Mirza Prof. MS Rao
Head, HR and Training Head, Department of English
Prime Technologies Osmania University
Hyderabad 500 032 Hyderabad 500007
Mobile: 079040 55444 Mobile: 071181 82711
Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Exercisel
1. Explain the differences between CV, résumé and bio data.
2. Describe the structure of a chronological CV.
3. Construct a chronological CV in response to each of the following advertisements.
(You may assume that you have all the required abilities and are eligible to apply.)
a. Wanted: Aservice advisor at our Kolkata office. Preferably an MBAwith a minimum
of 2 years of relevant experience. Apleasant personality and good communication
skills are essential. Please send your detailed CV to Topcel Toyota, 25, Ganesh
Chandra Avenue, Kolkata, 700013. Email address: [email protected]
b. Awell-established private limited company dealing in foreign trade would like to
hire a lady secretary with a bachelor's degree and good command over English
and stenography; knowledge of the French language is an added advantage.
Applywithin aweek. Box No.8625, The Times,New Delhi, 110002. Email address:
[email protected]
c. Wanted for areputed company an Estate Manager for disposal of land and
building situated near New Delhi. Persons with experience of working with
reputed builders may apply. Salary commensurate with experience. Apply in
strict confidence to Box 8622, The Local Times, Hyderabad, 500003. Email address:
[email protected]
d. We are a reputed IT company looking for software professionals for our
development centre in Warangal. Experience of 1to 4years as asoftware engineer
in the IT industry is preferred. Fresh graduates in engineering with extensive
exposure to designs, development and testing will also be considered. Apply
within a week with a detailed CVtoClarity Solutions, 34, Maitri Vanam, Ameerpet,
Hyderabad 500045, Email address: [email protected]

FunctionalCV
2conal CV (also known as »skills-based CV) highlights your skills and abilities rather
than your acadenmic
qualifications or employment history. Instead of giving information
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n achrOnological order, a functional CV organises your skills into various categories.

Functional CVs ane job-speific, and they work wel ifthere are gaps in your career or if
you have changed tracks too often or if vou had several short stints of employment rather
end.
than one continuous career. In afunctional CV. the summary of the career comes at the
of
A functionalCV projects vour transferrable skills and helps you to draw the attention
the prospectiveemplover to only those aspects of your career that you want to emphasise.
It also gives the emplover an opportunityv toquickly assess whether or not you have the
skills that are required for the job.

What to Include
A functional CV has the same elements as a chronological CV, but they are arranged
differently.
1. Personal Information
Name, date of birth/age (only if required), postal address, contact phone number, email
address. After this,you may add a brief personal profile (in 4+5 sentences) focusing on
your key strengths and outlining your career objective (i.e., the position you aspire for).
2. Skills and Abilities
The focus of a functionalCV is on the skills and abilities that you possess rather than
when and where you have acquired them. So, instead of listing the jobs you have
done or their designations, mention the 'functions' you have performed followed by
evidence of your skills in those roles.
3. Career History
Abrief summary of your career. Instead of a job title, describe your role and
responsibility in each job.
4. Education and Training
Again, ins tead of merely listing the academic degrees you possess,mention the skills
you have acquired in each of the courses. See that you highlight those skills that are
relevant to the job you have applied for.
5. Interests and Achievements/Additional Information
Mention your interests,particularly those that are relevant to the job applied for or
those that reflect on your personality.
6. References
You may give two references, as in a chronologicalCV. However, in this format,it is
also acceptable to write 'Available on request'.
Also, as with the chronological CV, add acovering letter and keep acopy of the completed
application for future reference.
CV Writing: Chronological CV, Functional CV 111

Sample Functional cV
(Note: The actual CV should be more descriptive and should be at least two tothree pages).

Raj Peter
Flat 10, Regal Court Apartments, Abids, Hyderabad 500 001
Mobile: 07592 4539%6, Email: [email protected]
Personal Profile

Iam apostgraduate in English with considerable industry exposure and experience in

training, content development, coordination and leadership. Iam capable of achieving
personal as well as institutional goals, as evidenced by my career graph and successes at
workplace. I am now looking for a challenging position that offers long-term poterntial in
research, training and content development.
Skills and Abilities
Training: Ihave conducted language training courses for six batches of newly
recruited personnel in the last two years. Each batch comprised 35 members and the
duration of each course was six weeks. The training led to a noticeable increase in
the retention rates of employees.
Marketing: Ihave successfully marketed language training modules for in-service
personnel. The career growth of the trainees proves the effectiveness of the modules.
Leadership: I have led a team of six Language Trainers and our team won the Best
Performance Award' this year.
Career History
Language Coordinator, Prime Technologies, Hyderabad, 2016 to date
In this position, I am responsible for:
Recruiting training personnel
Training the trainers
Coordinating with the HR department
Marketing Head,In-House Ltd, Secunderabad, 2014-15
I was responsible for demonstrating the language software developed by the company in
professional colleges in South India and procuring orders for them.
Research Fellow, Language Institute, Pune, 2013-14
My role in this job was to:
Conduct surveys in schools and colleges
Collect and collate data
112 English in Action: ATextbook for College Students

Education and Training

In 2016, Isucessfully completed adiploma course in Teaching Language' from Open
University while continuing in a full-time job.
MA English, Osmania University, 2012: Course work included writing a project report and
practice teaching. Besides learning the theoretical aspects of the language, Ilearnt research
methodology through project work and classroom skills through peer teaching.
Interests and Achievements/Additional Information
"Iam an active member of the voluntary organisation "Hyderabad Rocks!', which
works for the preservation of the rockscapes of Hyderabad.
" Iwon the Employee of the Year Award' (2016) for contribution to corporate life.
"Iwas awarded the 'Best Student Prize (2012)during my postgraduate course at
Osmania University.
"I am proficient in Hindi, English and Telugu and am currently learning Chinese and
Esperanto.
Referees
Ms SaminaMirza Prof. MS Rao
Head, HR and Training Head,Department of English
Prime Technologies Osmania University
Hyderabad 500 032 Hyderabad 500 007
Mobile: 079040 55444 Mobile: 071181 82711
Email: mirzasGemail.com Email: [email protected]

Note how the gaps in career-from 2012-13 and 2015-16-are de-emphasised in this
format of the CV. Either explain the reasons for the gaps in the CV itselfor be prepared to
give reasons in the interview.
This is only one way of writing about yourself. You can make it impersonal by avoiding
the personal pronoun: instead of writing "Iam a postgraduate in English ..." or "I have
conducted language training courses ...",you may write "A postgraduate in English .*
and "conducted language training courses ...".

Exercise l
1. Explain the differences between chronological and functional CVs.
2. Describe the structure of a functional CV.
3. Construct a functional CV in response to each of the following advertisements. (You
may assume that you have all the required abilities and are eligible to apply.)
CV Writing: Chronological CV, Functional CV 113

a) Wanted: A service advisor at our Kolkata office. Preferably an MBA with a

minimum of 2 years of relevant experience. Apleasant personality and good
Communication skills are essential. Please send your detailed CV to Topcel
Toyota, 25, Ganesh Chandra Avenue, Kolkata, 700013. Email address: topcel@
email.com
b) A well-established private limited company dealing in foreign trade would
like to hire a lady secretary with a bachelor's degree and good command over
English and stenography; knowledge of the French language is an added
advantage. Apply within aweek. Box No. 8625, The Times, New Delhi, 110002.
Email address: [email protected]
c) Wanted for a reputed company an Estate Manager for the disposal of land and
building situated near New Delhi. Persons with experience of working with
reputed builders may apply. Salary commensurate with experience. Apply in
strict confidence to Box 8622, The Local Times, Hyderabad, 500003. Email address:
[email protected]
d) We are a reputed IT company looking for software professionals for our
development centre in Warangal. Experience of 1to 4 years as a software
engineer in the IT industry is preferred. Fresh graduates in engineering with
extensive exposure to designs,development and testing will also be considered.
Apply within aweek with a detailed CV toClarity Solutions, 34,Maitri Vanam,
Ameerpet, Hyderabad 500045. Email address: [email protected]