Keywords: CV, curriculum vitae, resume, admissions, medical school application, college, dental school
1. Keep it CLEAN & ORGANIZED
Tables
The best way to do this is to make tables in Microsoft Word and hide the borders. Click “insert” at the top, create a table, and under “borders” – select “no border”.
Doing this will keep straight columns, and rows and have your CV looking its best!
Organization
Keep your experienced separated into discrete sections – Education, Research, Publications, Extracurricular. And each experience should be grouped into chronological order. Make sure to include dates (month/years from start to finish) and a location for every activity.
Style
Use a professional font like Times New Roman or Helvetica – this is no time for comic sans. Keep it at a size of 10 or 12.
2. Use ACTION VERBS
Highlight your strengths and display your energy as the motivated hard-worker that you are! Source: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/action-verbs-to-make-your-resume-stand-out
Look at these two examples and tell me what sounds better:
A) Brought together students to raise $1000 for cancer research at the children’s hospital
B) Spearheaded a fundraising campaign to generate $1000 for pediatric cancer research
Need I say more?
3. Display the strengths from your experiences TAILORED to what your employer/school is looking for.
Most graduate programs (medical, dental, veterinary, nursing school) want students with the following characteristics.
· Hard working
· Motivated
· Team Player
· Take criticism well
· Excellent communicator
· Intellectual curiosity
· Leader
So when you describe your activities in the one or two sentences that are allotted, use it as a way to describe a snippet of your life or experience where you embodied those characteristics
4. Convey INDIVIDUALITY through your vernacular.
As a last line at the bottom of your CV, write “personal interests” – should include 3-4 descriptive activities that are unique to you alone. As an example, mine are spicy food competitions, snowboarding, and running an Instagram cooking page.
5. Proofread, ask your friend/family to proofread, and then proofread some more.
Print it out and see how it feels in your hand.
Check out my own CV on the “about me” page (link) to see how I utilize the tips I am telling you to create a professional CV. Contact me to see how I can personally help!
-Dr. Ahmad
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