MODULE 2

CV for remote work application,
LinkedIn profile/ registration at platforms

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YOU WILL LEARN:

  • What to include in a CV/Elements
  • Language to be used in a CV
  • How to create a CV step by step

Every CV has a structure and some rules that need to be followed so it can leave a strong first impression. Every element included in the CV is important and together it makes a whole that makes the candidate stand out. Follow the simple rules mentioned in this module and your CV will be your key to success.

1.

how should one CV look like: design, elements, structure, colors, number of pages, language to be used, tips on what should we pay attention while writing a CV

What to include in a CV/Elements:

  • Contact information – In this part you should include your full name, address, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile.
  • Academic history- Include your education i.e., post-doctoral programs, graduate school, undergraduate school and high school. Also, it is important to include the title of the degree you have earned, the year when you finished your education, and the name of the school.
  • Professional experience- In this part you should include in reverse date order the work experience that you have. Include the name of the organization where you worked, your job title, how long you were with the organization and a summary of your experience and achievements in the organization.
  • Qualifications and skills- This is a list of hard and soft skills and qualifications that a person has developed throughout life.
  • Additional elements (Optional) e.g. trainings, courses you have completed, certificates
  • Languages- Include the languages that you know and include the level of each language which can be: beginner, intermediate, advanced, proficient, fluent, or native level.
  • Digital skills- List the computer skills that you have earned throughout life. In today’s society most workplaces use software like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel which are seen as one of the basic digital skills needed for job positions.
  • Awards and honors- This section includes a list of competitive scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships, teaching or research awards. For each award you should add the name, the year received and the name of the organization you received the reward from.
  • Publications- Include relevant publications for the job that you are applying for. This part should consist of citations of presentations, papers, studies, books or other publications. Also, it is advisable to include the co-authors, date summary, volume, page and DOI number.
  • Professional associations- Mention the organization's name, location or chapter, and the dates of the active membership.
  • Grants and fellowships- This part should include the name of the grant or scholarship, the date awarded and also the institution that gave the award.
  • Licenses and certificates – This part should include the name of the license or certificate and also the date when the license was earned and the name of the institution who gave the license.
  • Volunteer work- Include the name of the institution you volunteered in and how long you were a volunteer.
  • Hobbies and interests - This part should include one or two lines about outside interests and hobbies.

2


cv Design

Design is important since it will make the CV easier to read and to attract the reader’s attention.

• It is advisable to use white or off-white paper.
• Use 2.4 m paper.
• Use a print that is on one side of the paper.
• The font should be professional, clear, and easy. Professional fonts include: Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri. The font size should be between 10 and 14. The fonts and font sizes should be consistent throughout the CV.
• Use one-inch margins on all four sides of the CV. This will maximize the white space between the sections. Also, use 1 or 1.15 line spacing between the text. After subheadings use double-line spacing.
• Typefaces should be nondecorative, and it is advisable to choose one typeface.
• The CV should not include italics, scripts, and underlined words, and also do not use horizontal or vertical lines, graphics, or shading.
• The length of the CV is determined by the content; however, it should be kept between one and three full pages, and leaving it 1½ pages is not seen as professional.
• CVs are usually black and white however, an individual can add other colors to make it more creative.
• The paragraphs should be brief and there should not be more than five to six lines. If there is a need for more than that, break the sections into several smaller paragraphs.
• The headings should be sectioned and they should be larger than the text or in bold.
• Use professional header format for the contact information.
• Everything should be listed in a reverse chronological way so the employer can see the work history and most recent achievements first. The CV must be divided into legible sections starting with Contact Information, Personal Statement, Work Experience, Education, Skills and ending with Additional Information.
• Use clear spacing and bullet points.
• The document should be named to look professional. (e.g., AnaSmith-CV)
• It is advisable to save the document in a .PDF file extension so it can be opened and read on any machine. (Unless the job position requires another file extension)
• Include necessary information and do not include information (unless asked otherwise) like gender, information about your family, photo, marital and health status.

2.1


Language to be used in a CV

Communication is an essential part of any job. Employers often look for language skills and that is why language proficiency must be included when making a CV. It is important to include language proficiency since it may attract the employer and make the candidate stand out. Also, language proficiency shows that the individual can communicate with a vast range of people. The ability to speak different languages shows that the individual is a hard worker and is prone to accepting challenges and learning new things. The language skills that can be included in a CV include any other language in which the individual can be at a beginner, intermediate, advanced, proficient, fluent, or native level.

A good structure, format, tone of voice, and language leave a good first impression. This means that using the right language skills determines the selection of the candidate for the job position. While writing a CV, use formal and professional language. Use proper grammar skills which include using correct tenses and voices. When describing a previous job use the past tense. On the other side, when describing a present job or task use the present tense. It is advisable to use one tense per sentence. Action words play an important role in using the correct language. That is why you need to use active verbs constructively.

2.2


Colour in CV

The main purpose of the CV is to promote the individual and make you stand out. Color plays an important part in making the CV to stand out. CVs are traditionally black and white since they create the highest contrast between the text and the background. In CVs people use color for highlighting important parts however, people should leave the underlying text clear. Use color appropriately and do not exaggerate with including too many colors. Use high contrasting colors and do not use light colors on a white background. People can use pale backgrounds with dark lettering (If the CV is printed in black and white it will not show the pale background). The best colors for CVs are neutral colors, darker shades of blue, gray, purple and similar colors. It is advisable to avoid bright colors. (e.g., green, red, yellow) The choice of whether to include color in the CV is based only on the individual and the job position. Conservative job positions like finance, law, baking and so on usually choose candidates who have black and white CVs since it makes the candidate look mature and reliable. However, in today’s society people tend to use a lot of colors in CVs.

2.3


Number of Pages

CV length presents an important factor in the choice for the right candidate. The traditional length of a CV is between one and three pages. It is important to include relevant experience, education, and skills to the CV. One-page and two-page CVs are considered the two most widely used length of CVs. For academic CVs there is an exception since the individual must include all the important accomplishments and the CV may be longer. The CV should be combined in a way that shows all the relevant facts that are necessary for the job position. If the CV has the wrong length that shows that the individual does not know how to present relevant information.

3.

How to create a CV in 7 steps


  • Pick the correct CV format to attract the reader’s attention.

  • Contact Information

    This part should include the person's full name, professional title, email address, phone number, LinkedIn profile, and home address.

  • Personal Statement

    A short paragraph that provides an overview of the personal qualifications and skills.

  • Professional Experience

    Start with the most recent job position and then list all the work experience chronologically descending including the job title, name of the company, the dates worked, and also mention responsibilities and achievements for each position.

  • Academic History

    The academic/education history should be sectioned in the following way: Degree name, institution name, timeframe, and graduation year, and it can include optional sections like GPA, courses, and honours if they are relevant for the job position that the individual is applying for.

  • Key Skills and Qualifications

    List of professional and relevant skills and qualifications that you have developed however, take into consideration the job position that you are applying for so it can match the necessary qualifications and skills.

  • Languages(optional)

    Include the languages that you know, and include the level of each language which can be: beginner, intermediate, advanced, proficient, fluent, or native level.

  • Additional sections (optional)

    Activities that you have been a part of and you think that they are necessary for the job position that you are applying for. This section can include: Industry Awards, Computer skills, Professional Certifications, Publications., Professional Affiliations, Conferences Attended, Additional Training.

4.

What is LinkedIn, why is important in today’s remote business field and how to make a great LinkedIn profile (explained step by step) tips and examples

watch the short video

5.

Platforms for online work, explanation how to register and why are these platforms useful. List of countries and link to registration.

Platform work refers to paid work through online platforms. With the development of global competition, the constant demand to expand the knowledge base of the employees, and the need of building networks have increased the need for virtual work. This means that work is no longer tied to an office location and office hours. There are different terms for platform-mediated work such as digital labor, crowdsourcing, gig work, on-demand work, and so on. Platforms for online work range from small websites to world companies. These platforms offer training and development to the company and the employees. Online work platforms allow an employee to work at their own pace and have more flexibility than working at the office. These platforms are useful since they may access talent from everywhere and allow people from all around the world to find a job in the necessary field. Another important benefit of online work platforms is that it attracts a lot of young people since it allows flexible working hours where young people can work to earn as much as they need. People can choose when they want to finish the job and it allows them to plan their day based on their needs. Businesses also benefit from online work since it can reduce costs that they would need to pay for full-time workers in an office. Employers can terminate the job of the employee if the employee did not submit a good quality job. The payment of the employee/freelancer depends on the quality of the work and online working platforms have a nurture merit/base system.

Different platforms can be used for online work such as

Upwork

upwrok.com

Freelancer

freelancer.com

Jooble

jooble.org

Fiverr

fiverr.com

Each of these platforms is similar to each other, however, different from each other. For the purpose of this Module, an explanation of how to register to one of these platforms will be provided.

How to register on Upwork

Upwork is a platform for online work that helps people connect with potential employees. It allows businesses to find flexibility and businesses from all around the world to meet and share experiences. This freelancing platform offers people to create a profile and share the skills the individual has. Also, it offers business owners to post job offers and clients can bid on the job by sending a proposal to the employer

  • The first thing that you do for each of the platforms is to find the webpage, in this case, people can go on Upwork.com and then click on sign up (It is in the right top corner).
  • The second thing is to sign up using an email address or it can be with your Apple or Google Account.
  • When you sign up then you need to add your personal information including your first and last name, a password for the account, and your location. Another thing is that you need to choose what you want to do (there are two options: “Work as a freelancer,” and “Hire for a project” – choose “Work as a freelancer”) and then decide whether you want to subscribe to get emails with tips (hit the appropriate checkbox). For this part it is important for the user to agree to the Upwork Terms of Service—including the User Agreement, and Privacy Policy. Press Create my profile which will lead the user to create and set up the profile.
  • To apply for jobs on Upwork you need to create 60% of your profile so it can attract employees’ attention. Include a photo of yourself, a title overview, your work history, and at least one skill tag. The first two sections include information about what you offer as a possible employee. Include what kind of category of work you do (choose up to 4 categories), the specific skills that you have (include as many as 10 skills), and the level of expertise (entry-level, intermediate, or expert level.)
  • The next step is to include your education (degree, area of study, additional information).
  • Include work experience which helps with credibility.
  • The Upwork platform operates in the English language however, if the individual is proficient in any other language, it is advisable to include them since businesses on Upwork come from all around the world.
  • Set an hourly rate that can be changed depending on the experience that the individual will get on this platform.
  • Include your title and overview in a way that will stand up.
  • Include a profile photo that will be credible and will show your face.
  • The next part is to add your contact details (specific information to verify the identity of the individual and this includes your address and phone number).
  • One of the last things that you need to do is preview the profile you created before submitting. (It is required to include a valid ID and an online visual verification before the individual can apply for any job).
  • With this you complete setting up your profile.

Tools to use for self-reflection while writing a CV

Self-reflection will help the individual to identify the things that are important for creating a good CV. In self-reflection, an individual should think about what skills, strengths, values, and topics matter the most. The individual can ask him/herself questions like:

  • What are my strengths that can contribute to the job?
  • What things attract my attention?
  • What are the things that are important to me?

Self-Reflection Toolkit

Look through experiences and activities and this will help you to start working on your career.

Self-Assessment

Skills audit - Use the skill audit to help you determine which skills you like and which skills you would like to achieve in your future career. What are your career interests and motivation?

Make a personality questionnaire.

Self-Awareness

Research and analyse what is your learning style and what are your skills (self-assessment)

Identify which are your strengths and weaknesses

Identify what can be seen as a future opportunity or a possible threat

Make an initial Development Plan based on the gathered information

Understand the organization and learn from experience

Analyse how you can install yourself in the organization

Investigate the company/organization Revise your Personal Development Plan based on the learned knowledge

6.

take the module 2 quiz to review what you learned

16

Quiz Module 2

1 / 10

Which line spacing you should use between the text?

2 / 10

Which of these elements is an optional element for a CV?

3 / 10

What font size should be used in a good CV?

4 / 10

What kind of language should you use in a CV?

5 / 10

How long should the paragraphs in the CV be?

6 / 10

What are the best colors for a CV?

7 / 10

When writing your academic history what information should you include?

8 / 10

How many pages should a good CV have?

9 / 10

Which of these elements are a must for a good CV?

10 / 10

What is a good email address for an individual to include in a CV?

Your score is

The average score is 70%

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