Learning and Leadership › Women’s Academy › Professional Skills and Career Development › Professional Resume Writing › Course Materials
A CV is the first document an employer or university sees from you, and they usually spend less than a minute reading it. In this course you will learn to present your experience, education and skills as a clear, honest CV that meets international standards, even if you have little formal work experience.
Go to the course and start learning
Course details
| Level | Beginner to intermediate |
| Estimated duration | About 12 hours (19 lessons, 7 tests, your own CV and cover letter) |
| Prerequisite | Familiarity with Word or Google Docs |
| Language of instruction | Farsi-e-Dari (with key English terms) |
| Cost | Free |
| Assessment | A test after each section and a final exam; pass mark 70%; certificate after Academy approval |
After this course you will be able to
- Understand the standard structure of an international CV and Europass
- Describe achievements with action verbs and numbers, not just duties
- Tailor your CV to each job advert or scholarship and use its keywords
- Build a CV that automated screening systems (ATS) can also read
- Write a short, effective cover letter
Course outline
Section 1: CV foundations
- Lesson 1.1: What is a CV and how is it read?
- Lesson 1.2: Types of CV and choosing the right format
- Lesson 1.3: Gathering raw material: a full list of your background
- Section 1 test: CV foundations
Section 2: Parts of the CV
- Lesson 2.1: Header and professional summary
- Lesson 2.2: Education, courses and certificates
- Lesson 2.3: Experience: work, volunteering and projects
- Section 2 test: Parts of the CV
Section 3: Strong writing
- Lesson 3.1: Action verbs and the achievement formula
- Lesson 3.2: Skills and languages
- Lesson 3.3: Little experience? Transferable skills and honesty
- Section 3 test: Strong writing
Section 4: Design and screening systems (ATS)
- Lesson 4.1: Readable, professional design
- Lesson 4.2: Automated screening systems (ATS)
- Lesson 4.3: Building a CV with Google Docs, Word or Europass
- Section 4 test: Design and ATS
Section 5: Matching the opportunity
- Lesson 5.1: Reading an advert and tailoring your CV
- Lesson 5.2: CVs for scholarships and university admission
- Lesson 5.3: Final review and feedback
- Section 5 test: Matching the opportunity
Section 6: Cover letter and sending
- Lesson 6.1: The cover letter: structure
- Lesson 6.2: Writing a cover letter: from template to final text
- Lesson 6.3: Sending your application, following up and your online profile
- Section 6 test: Cover letter and sending
Section 7: Final exam and certificate
- Final exam: Professional Resume Writing
- End of course: certificate and next step
Week-by-week learning path
With about 30 to 45 minutes of study and practice a day, you will finish this course in 7 weeks:
| Week | Topic | Weekly output |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Foundations | Lessons, practical exercise and short section test |
| Week 2 | Parts of the CV | Lessons, practical exercise and short section test |
| Week 3 | Strong writing | Lessons, practical exercise and short section test |
| Week 4 | Design and format | Lessons, practical exercise and short section test |
| Week 5 | Matching the opportunity | Lessons, practical exercise and short section test |
| Week 6 | Cover letter and sending | Lessons, practical exercise and short section test |
| Week 7 | Final project and final exam | Completed project and a score of 70% or more |
Final project
A complete one-page CV in English (and a Europass version) based on your own real experience, tailored to a real job advert or scholarship, plus a 200-word cover letter.
Project assessment criteria:
- Standard structure and readability
- Achievements with action verbs and numbers
- Match with the keywords in the advert
- A specific, polite and error-free cover letter
Key course terms
CV / Résumé
Professional summary
Action verb
Achievement
ATS
Keyword
Cover letter
Reference
Assessment and certificate
- After each section: a short test (70% recommended before continuing)
- Practical exercises in each lesson are for learning; send your questions via Questions the link provided.
- End of course: final exam (pass mark 70%) and submission of the final project
- Digital certificate after review and approval by the Academy: Request a certificate
Teaching approach
Each lesson includes learning objectives, explanations with real examples and images, key terms in Farsi-e-Dari and English, common mistakes, a practical exercise, a self-test and a summary. In every lesson you can put your questions to the teacher using the Questions button. The courses are impartial, free and open to all young people.
Get ready now
- List all your education, courses, volunteer work and skills, even the small ones
- Save three job adverts or scholarships that interest you
- Review lesson 4.3 ‘Professional email’ in the Basics course
Free and reliable resources
These resources were selected by the Academy team. Most are in English; Chrome’s Translate feature can help if needed. Large files (books, exercise files, videos) will be placed in the Academy’s official Google Drive folder when the course opens and linked from this page.
- Europass (European Union), the official free tool for creating a CV and cover letter
- GCFGlobal, free illustrated tutorials on work, computer and life skills
- Grow with Google, free digital and work skills training from Google
- OpenLearn – The Open University, hundreds of free short courses with a certificate of participation
Help and questions
Questions about this course: [email protected] · All courses: Online Learning Centre · Active course: Computer and Internet Basics
Women’s Academy, Afghanistan Youth Parliament · Free and open to all young people