A CV includes the following sections:
Header - Include your full name, and primary contact details (just phone number, and email ID are enough). Make sure the email ID is professional looking.
1. Profile Summary
A brief about your current/previous work profile, and your key strength areas. Don't automatically include a separate 'objective' line at the beginning of the CV. More often than not, separate objective lines are too general and take up valuable space at the top of the CV that could be better used to focus on the skills that prospective employers need. Use your cover letter to explain your career objectives.
Use a professional profile or qualifications section in your CV's primetime space to give the employer a quick but concrete capsule of your achievements and skills. Write it when the rest of your CV is complete and you've already decided what your strongest qualifications are.
2. Work Experience
Details that highlight your role(s) and achievements in your previous organization(s). A good rule of thumb is to limit each bullet to one or two lines of text with three to four accomplishments for each position. The section of the CV for your most recent position should contain more bulleted accomplishments than your previous positions.
3. Academic Details
Your educational qualifications should be listed in a reverse chronological order (latest degree first). The list should include - degree, college/university/school, and year of completion. Place your education after your experience if you've been in the workforce for more than four to five years. If the degree you earned is the most relevant or impressive detail of your education section, highlight it. If the school you attended is the selling point, emphasize it.
4. Extra Curricular Activities
Significant achievements in non academic activities. Try not to list insignificant extra curricular activities here. This section can be avoided if you feel you do not have significant extra curricular achievements.
5. Social Engagements
This section is completely optional. It includes any significant social work done.
6. Personal Details
This includes your Date of Birth (optional), and address. This section is completely optional. Avoid mentioning unnecessary details such as: Marital status, height/weight, and similar non - work - related information as they rarely add anything of value to your qualifications.
If there are other crucial sections which are taking up most of the space in your CV, then avoid the following sections:
- Extra Curricular Activities
- Personal Details
Remember, the ideal size of a CV is 1 page, unless you have several years (or a variety) of experience which must be listed down. Keep your CV crisp and professional.
To look at a sample CV, and learn how to write a good one, go to Lesson #1.