Professional CV Compared to General CV

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     As the title says, here will be a general CV posted against a professional one. Although the main aspects are the same, the layout and certain focuses will differ.



(Click the arrow in the top left of the box so see a bigger version of the CV, or click here to be taken to the Google Drive viewer)

     This is a general CV to apply for a 'normal' job. Although nothing can really be defined as a 'normal' job, something that would be applied for as a part time job while at university is what will be referred to as a normal job. When looking at this CV and the professional CV below, they are very similar visually and in structure. Where they differ mainly is the content that's focused on. A general CV will want to see more about transferable skills and how the candidate will be good for any job. The work experience is also not split into relevant and general experience, it is all in one 'experience' section, but still in reverse chronological order. The experience will be the same, however, in terms of content. Many of the jobs listed here will talk about transferable skills both in a general CV and a professional one. The education and qualification section will also be the same. Some certain 'normal' jobs may require a complete list of GCSE's, but once a degree is earned it is probably wise not to include a full list.



(Alternatively, click here to be taken to the Google Drive version)

   A professional CV usually follows a certain criteria, which will be different for different countries. Established companies who may receive thousands of CV's each month will have to filter out at least half of them straight away though - which will be done by first impressions. If a CV doesn't follow that country's standard, it will be binned almost instantly. Unlike this, the general CV can, to an extent, follow any structure if it's logical. But obviously if a CV looks too unprofessional, even for a normal job, it may still be thrown away.
     The personal profile is usually written last and is a maximum of six lines. It highlights relevant skills for the job, as well as personal attributes. It is wise to mention any degrees as well. This section needs to be reflective and in third person. Education is the same as a general CV. It is in reverse chronological order.
     Experience is split into relevant and general experience to organise the two and keep them separate. Again, these go in reverse chronological order, but will have more in-depth descriptions, highlighting certain skills attained from that job. Essentially, the experience from a general CV can be copied into a professional CV, but the relevant experience needs to be separated.
     Clearly it is a very bad idea to say anything negative about yourself in a CV, especially in the skills section. The idea of a CV is to make the candidate stand out from all of the others. The skills section is where all the relevant and general skills are mentioned, aiming to highlight any skills that were required and desired on the application form. Any extras from there are a bonus but should always be included.
     If there is space, all references from past employers would come next, but if there is not enough space, stating that references are available on request is acceptable.

     Quite often, a candidate may hand in a covering letter with their CV. The covering letter is only one page and is written in a formal style. The letter should be made to look nice as it is the first thing a potential employer will read. It is also usually done when applying for a particular job or company, so the letter is tuned to that company. It will state knowledge of background information of the company itself, including important breakthroughs for the company - essentially glorifying the company. The candidate should also state why they would be an integral part of the company for future movements, stating skills necessary to drive the company's success. However as a particular job opening isn't being applied for during this project, it is only a general scope using example application forms, a covering letter is not needed.