2022 LATAZ

NATIONAL
CONFERENCE
- SOLWEZI

CV
WRITING
 PRESENTER
GERTRUDE MUSONDA
HOD LITERATURE
AND LANGUAGES
KASAMA GIRLS’
SECONDARY SCHOOL

BA. ED, English.

DIP. in Edu.
English/ ZL.
 OUTLINE
1 2 3
Introduction To CV writing
What is a CV? Is a CV necessary?
Who needs a CV?

4 5
What to include in a CV.
6
How to write a CV. Conclusion
References
 Introduction to CV Writing.
 Main Objective
To Equip Learners with knowledge on how to effectively
write viable CVs through which they can market
themselves inorder to easily acquire Jobs of their Desire.
 Introduction to CV Writing.
 A curriculum Vitae, more commonly known as a (CV) is
an essential document that opens doors not just for
jobs, but for fellowships, grant application and more.
 A curriculum Vitae , is a really industry specific
document; it concerns itself with extensive listing of
achievements.
 A curriculum vitae should not be a list of everything
you have ever done, but a market document that
 Introduction to CV Writing cont’d
 In a twenty (20) second scan, the recruiter should be
able to see evidence of your ability to do the job.
 A CV is usually the first document that a prospective
employer looks at when screening candidates for job
interviews, scholarships, programmes, grant
application, or bursaries.
 What is a Curriculum Vitae?
 A curriculum Vitae whose acronym is CV; is a document
that job applicants use to showcase their academic and
professional accomplishments.
 A curriculum Vitae is an overview of your life’s
accomplishments, especially those that are relevant to
your career interests.
What is a Curriculum Vitae? Cont’d
 A curriculum vitae is an exhaustive listing of all the
significant achievements in your career. This includes
education, research, work, experience publications,
presentations and anything else you have done in your
professional life.
 It is a document which reflects your academic and it
gives one a picture of the author. It is mostly used
when one is applying for a job or a position in an
What is a Curriculum Vitae? Cont’d
Institution and it should reflect all the relevant
information in as concise a manner as possible.
 Is a CV necessary ?
Who Really Needs a Curriculum Vitae?
 It is a necessary document because the prospective
employers use the CV to shortlist candidates for
interviews.

 It is used to apply for positions within areas where a

person’s specific knowledge or expertise is required
e.g.
 Who Really Needs a Curriculum Vitae? Cont’d

 Medicine
 Law
 Education
 Development Work
 Research outside Academic.
 What to include in a CV
A good CV should reveal the following information;
 Personal identity; name and contact
 Date of Birth, Place of Birth
 Gender
 An overview of your academic achievements.
The education background should be written in a reverse
(descending) chronological order; starting with the latest
level of education completed.
 What to Include in a CV. Cont’d
 Work experience/ history
 Interests
 References, about two or three at the end of your CV

The Introduction
This should include your personal and contact details.
 How to Write a CV Cont’d
In the main body of your CV;
1. Start with the job specification.
 The starting point for CV writing should always be
the skills and experience the recruiter is seeking. Your
task is to clearly convince the reader of your ability
to do the job.
 When writing about work description, use brief
sentences. For example, instead of saying;
I taught English, coordinated Production Unit and
helped pupils start the Writers’ Club.
 How to Write a CV Cont’d
you can put it as;
 Instructor English, coordinated PU, Matron Writers’
Club.
2. Use Active Language.
Use action words in your CV.
Consider starting sentences with verbs rather than
using pronouns such as ‘I’.
 How to Write CV Cont’d
Avoid passive terms such as ‘I had to’, ‘I was involved
in’, ‘I was required to’.

Examples of Active Words;

achieved, analysed, coordinated, created,
demonstrated, designed, developed, evaluated,
improved, increased, initiated, lia ised, managed,
negotiated, planned, persuaded, supervised and so on.
 How to Write a CV. Cont’d
3. Brainstorm your skills.
Think of examples of the skills you have gained and
how
you acquired them. Draw examples from your work,
internship, volunteering, study and interest.
 How to Write a CV. Cont’d
4. Attention to detail
One spelling or grammar error can be all it would take
for a CV to be rejected, as many employers regard it as an
indication of carelessness and poor motivation for the
job.
Triple check all spellings and grammar then ask someone
to proofread the final draft.
 How to write a CV. Cont’d
Reading it out loud to yourself is a useful technique
that can help you identify any errors.

The CV should not be too long and not too short.

The length of a CV depends on the education and
working experience you have amassed over the years.
There is no rule about a CV length, but generally, two
pages is the norm.
 How to Write a CV cont’d
 There is no standard way of writing a CV. Different
organisations have their own styles of designing a CV.

 Conclusion
The references will fall here.
 Sample CV - Type 1

Curriculum Vitae
Sonnile Dube
(BA.Ed. Social Sciences - English UNZA)
Contacts
Postal Address: P.O. Box 9955536
E-mail: sonniledude@yahoo.com
Mobile Numbers: +2607777777 & +2609796666

Personal Details
Gender: Female
Nationality: Zambia
Date of Birth: 5.2.1985
Religion: Christian
ID. No: 95781
Marital Status: Married
Languages: Chinyanja, Kikaonde, English

 Career Objective
To use my acquired skills, knowledge and experience to
help the school realize that Production Unit is a
business which can be achieved through creativity and
innovation.
 Educational Background
University: Lagos
2003-2007 B.Ed. Mathematics
Secondary: St. Marys’ Secondary School
1998-2022; Merit
Primary: Twateka Primary School
1991-1997

 Other relevant experiences

(i) President Debate Club
(ii) Founder member of Production Unit.
 Attributes
Iam an achiever who works with minimum supervision and
ensures success is achieved.

 Working Experience
Company/ Institution Year Post
Ngulula Cooperative 2019 to date Farm Manager
Kasama University 2013-2019 lecturer

 Interests
reading, writing, gardening and watching soccer.
.
 References
Prof. Lee Mr. Phiri Chingaipe
University of Zambia Headteacher; Ituna Secondary School.
Confucious Institute P.O. Box 333334
P.O. Box 2223333 Kasama.
Lusaka Phone number: 0979995551
Phone number: 0977000042.

Doc. Ding
Senior Lecturer
Cavendish University
P.O. Box 88588884
Lusaka
Phone number: 0977225675/ 0955722567
 Sample CV
Type 2
PERSONAL INFORMATION
NAME: Mulenga Joseline
POSTAL ADDRESS: 666825, Solwezi
PHONE NUMBER: 077717552
E-MAIL ADDRESS: jmulenga@gmail.com
LANGUAGE: English, French, Lunda, basic Swahili

EDUCATION
2006 2008: Edmonton University - Master of Arts in Linguistic Science
1999- 2002: Solwezi University - Bachelor of Arts; Mass Communication.
1992-1996: Maheba Primary School
 FIELD AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2009-2012: Assistant Tutor, Chalimbana University
Conducted tutorial lessons for the undergraduate.

2007-2008: Teacher of English, Mulungushi High School.

2004-2006: Journalist at Tuuta Radio.

2005: Volunteer Teacher of English, Nguka Village

REFERENCES
1. Dr. Steven Sikombe
P.O. Box 77995
Kabwe
Tel: 2220088
2. Mrs. Veronica Johns
P.O. Box 20173
Ngechi
Tel: 612890
E-mail: v-johns@hotmail.uk.

3. Mr. Chiluba Mulenga

P.O. Box 4109967
Chingola
Phone number: 0979731768
Email: chilubamulenga@gmail
 Conclusion
 Now that we have discussed CV writing, it is therefore
very important that learners acquaint themselves with
this important form of writing because it is their active
voice during the short listing of the preferred
candidates who to sit the interviews.

 As teachers of English, let us facilitate the smooth

transition of candidates from secondary, tertiary
education into the Happy World of work.
 References
Sinkala, L. (2019). English Composition and
Summary for School Certificate. Page 140-147
 References
 English Achievers Senior Secondary
Learner’s Book 12 pg. 67-69
 Excel & Advanced in English
Learner’s Book – Grade 12 Pg. 43-44
 https://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/sites/careers/files/how-to-write
-a-cv-pdf
.
 https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/
what-is-a-cv
.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION.