Dos and Don’ts in CV Writing at Undergrad Entrance Level

The Curriculum Vitae (CV) is often the first level of impression formation by the panelists while judging the candidacy of any student. The CV has somewhat lower importance at undergrad level than at the senior positions. At this stage, any panelist would understand that the student has just left  school and may not have too much to show for it. However, in the modern world and with the competitive nature of school education, there are several students who shine through this period. They can create a great first impression by the plethora of certificates won till date. There are however some basic maxims that students must keep in mind while drafting their respective CV. 

Following are pointers that students must make sure while drafting their CV:

• Academics must only be highlighted if the student has a minimum of 70% or 7 CGPA in the respective semesters. Otherwise, a mere mention of the years is enough till one is actually asked a question. Conversely, if someone has exceeded in academics, this needs to be highlighted. 
• One must never start off with family details. Personal details must be mentioned towards the end. The CV must be started off with an educational qualifications such as school and year of passing. 
• There is no need to write a Name tab. Instead the CVs headline must mention the name of the student followed by a CV, this is explanatory enough. 
• References are important so if a person can mention 2 of them from different backgrounds, it will add brownie points to the assessment. Ideally one of the references must be from school. The more senior position, the better in this case. The other person must be from any other background such as the coordinator of some volunteering assignment participated in. 
• Volunteering assignments have become increasingly important so due mention must be made. It must not comprise of too many fund-raisers, but also some hands-on participation. 
• While mentioning awards won or positions held, one must go chronologically from most recent to oldest unless any of the older ones is of particular importance, like an award at national or international level. Unless crucial, one must avoid putting in data under this tab below 9th standard , as that is considered too junior. Winning gives greater credibility than simply participating.

There are some colleges such as the Symbiosis University that give out their own format for CV writing. In such cases the given formation must be adhered to. At other times, these above mentioned points must be kept on default mode as they are the bare essentials.