It cannot be repeated often enough: drawing up a CV is undoubtedly the most important stage of the recruitment process.
It is the key which will open the door to the recruitment interview.
Your CV is much more than a visiting card, it is like an advertisement which extols the virtues of a single product, you! If it has been drawn up and adapted to the post for which you are applying, it will be a powerful marketing tool which will inform the recruiting officer and, even more, arouse his interest!
So take all the time necessary to groom your CV: layout, structure, grammar and above all content are all features which merit your full attention.
Here are some tips to assist you in drawing up your curriculum vitae.
Relevant information
Your career has various stages, all important. When drawing up your CV, it is vital to sort out and keep only the information relevant to the post for which you are applying. A frequently committed error is to send a standard CV, not adapted to the post. In the same way as the letter of motivation is rewritten, the CV must also be reframed. The experience or training which is important for one post may not be for another!
Structure
Your CV is full of information. So that the recruiting officer can see “the wood for the trees” the CV must be clearly structured. It is therefore important that you organise your CV in separate sections:
• Personal data
• Experience
• Training
• Knowledge and aptitudes
• Languages
• Other
You can perhaps give references from former employers at the end of your CV.
• References
Leave plenty of spaces, to freshen your CV. It will be more pleasant to read.
Style
Be brief! A CV of more than two pages will have little chance of being read attentively to the end. A good CV is not necessarily a long and detailed history of your career. Only mention important facts, and keep the details for the recruitment interview. Do not hesitate to underline or type in bold those significant key words which will attract the reader’s attention.
Use short rather than long sentences and keep the syntax simple. Make sure your style is consistent. Favour the present or the future tense, relying on action, rather than the subjunctive or the conditional. Above all, do not use the third person: at best your style will be considered old-fashioned, and at worst pedantic!
Make sure your spelling is good. A CV, however good it is, will be declined if it is full of mistakes. Careless spelling or clumsy typing will not inspire confidence. So have your CV reread.
Content
Personal data
• Name: repeat it on each page of your CV in case the pages become separated
• Forename
• Address
• Telephone: if you use a GSM number, make sure your message service is reliable
• Email address: avoid professional addresses and personal addresses which are frivolous, like littlebunnnyrabbit@yahoo.com
• Date of birth / age: specify your age so that the recruiting officer does not have to calculate it
• Nationality
• Status: use cohabiting rather than single if you live as a couple
Experience
This is without doubt the most important part of your CV. Indicate all the posts you have held, mentioning the name of the company and the dates you held the post. Using well-chosen key words to give a brief explanation of the tasks assigned to you: in fact the same title may be given to jobs with very different aspects from one company to another. You can also give a more concrete overview of your previous functions by describing the responsibilities you assumed (for example the number of people reporting directly to you, the amount of budget entrusted to you and so on) or the major projects with which you were involved.
If you cannot demonstrate any real professional experience, you can mention training courses, student jobs, temporary tasks and even your gap year abroad! What matters is that you can explain what you have learned which might be useful in your professional life.
Training
As your most recent training is often the most important, mention it first. You can mention your secondary education but certainly not your primary education! Do not forget to give the name of the establishment and the dates of training. Indicate the title of your final thesis if the subject is relevant to the post for which you are applying. If you wish, you can mention the grade obtained.
Further training need only be detailed if it is of added value for the post concerned.
Knowledge and aptitudes
This section will enable you to highlight your practical knowledge. Command of IT software, technical knowledge and so on should be indicated, and the degree of your command or knowledge of them (from an idea to full command).
Languages
As linguistic knowledge is vital at work, it is preferable to mention languages in a separate section so that they are abundantly clear. List the languages you speak, including your mother tongue, and give an estimate of your level, both orally and in writing. Giving grades or “+” to assess your knowledge does not fully account for your skills. Explain your abilities in words, such as fluent, normal conversation, an idea and so on. NB. If the post does not require them, then do not mention the languages of which you only have an idea.
Other
In this section, you can give more personal information. You can mention character and personality traits which might be of interest to a prospective employer. Be realistic and give examples to demonstrate your qualities.
You can also mention what you do with your leisure time, as this gives an insight into your character. Avoid activities which are too trivial, such as reading or television, and highlight activities which might be advantageous in the post you have applied for. An original activity may be mentioned to make you stand out and to draw attention to your CV. But make sure your leisure activities are not too extensive, or the prospective employer might gain the impression that you will not have enough time to dedicate to your professional life.
References
If you give them, make sure the persons you mention are aware of your doing so and that you are sufficiently known to them so they can talk about your aptitudes and abilities at work.
General aspects
It cannot be repeated frequently enough: be honest! Even the slightest falsehood will eventually come out. Similarly, do not conceal empty periods in your career: mention them and, if necessary, explain them (sabbatical, bringing up children, etc.).
Finally a question which is often asked: should I use chronological order for my career or not? The preference for one or other system is subjective. But it is often true that the latest professional experience (or the latest training) is also the most important. As such, it should be mentioned at the head of the list. Anti-chronological order is therefore more frequently used.
There you are! You now have all the fundamentals to draw up your curriculum vitae so that recruiting officers will want to meet you.
Ready? Then apply!