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General CV Examples & Writing Guide

A general CV is a CV that has all the basics you can build on when preparing for different jobs. What do you need to know about writing one?

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General CV

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General CV

When writing a CV, it’s commonly accepted that you should use CV keywords to personalise your CV and make sure your job application looks unique to the company. However, what if you could have a CV that generally presents your information without needing individualities? Could you write an engineering CV or a graphic designer CV and always submit it as-is? That’s the intention of a general CV. Here’s what you need to know about these types of CV.

What Is a general CV?

A general CV has all of your CV elements pre-loaded into the CV sections. It includes your work history, education, general skills and any other applicable fields. It can give you a good starting point for just about any company, as it goes through your years of experience and showcases the most important parts of it, which is the purpose of a CV.

How to craft a general CV for any need?

A general CV prioritises your work history, education and skills. From there, you can include all of the important headings the perfect CV will typically have.
 
CV profile
Your CV objective is a short 40 words section at the very top of a professional CV. This is what the recruiter will see when they first look at your CV. The best way to create one is to consider what you would tell a hiring manager to show you are the best candidate for the job. That information should be what you use to write an effective summary.
 
Skills
Next is your skills section. The skills will usually depend on which industry you’re in; skills for software engineering are necessarily going to be different from skills for a project manager. Remember to include both hard skills and soft skills on a CV. You can determine which skills are most important by looking at a CV template for your job through CVHelp. List the skills as individual bullet points.
 
Work history
Your working experience section needs to include all relevant experience you have, both part time and full time. This may include only jobs in the actual field of the new job you’re pursuing or, especially in the case of someone going through a career change, jobs that have experiences you can connect to this new job. Always put them in reverse chronological order with the most recent ones first.
 
Education and professional qualifications
You also need to list your education on your CV. If you have a college education, including a bachelor’s or associate degree, list it in this section. Otherwise, you can list your high school education. Additionally, avoid including your grades, unless requested. Instead, consider graduation honours like cum laude or the Dean’s List.
 
Other applicable sections
There are also other sections you might want to include in a CV. These might include hobbies, certifications, awards and extracurricular activities, among others. These are often most helpful when it comes to writing a great resume when you’re fresh out of school. Remember that you don’t have to create a CV template on your own. You can find great CV samples and options at CVHelp, including a CV maker to aid in your job search.

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What to update on your CV?

When you write a general CV, you’re writing it as a baseline. From there, you need to update the CV for every application so you’re ahead of the other job seekers. Here are a few things to add for an up to date CV:

  • Company name
  • Relevant work experience
  • Keywords for the job description
  • Extra sections, if pertinent
  • Specific achievements and skills

The exact job title you’re looking at will need a different set of skills and achievements. Remember to include the things you excel at that are also what the company is actively looking for.

FAQ: general CV

Have questions? We’re here to help.

Is a general CV a good idea?

It depends. It’s a great idea to use this as a baseline so you can switch up your CV for other jobs. However, you shouldn’t write a single CV and then submit it to hundreds of jobs. If you’re looking to get job offers, you should start from this template, then update the content in your CV.

When should I give my general CV an update?

You should update your general CV at least every few years. It’s most important to update your general CV whenever something big changes, like getting a certification, switching jobs, going to school or changing careers.

Can I take a general CV to a job expo?

You can, and this is typically what they’re used for. However, it’s often better to come prepared with business cards and an “elevator pitch” about who you are and what you do. A general CV doesn’t allow you to personalise your approach to every person, which means that your CV can come off as lacking. If you take the time to instead talk directly to each person who might be interested in hiring you, you’re more likely to get a job offer.

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WRITTEN BY Ho

Ho is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and editor with two decades of experience in content strategy, creation, and development. He holds a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from Johns Hopkins University and his background includes experience aiding military veterans as they transition to civilian careers.

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