How to write a CV?

In order to find a good job quickly, it is necessary to write a good CV. It is often said that a Curriculum Vitae should be visually attractive to draw the attention of recruiters. We do not believe this to be completely true – after all, a CV is first and foremost a document. Writing a CV is an important part of the recruitment process – it is an opportunity to test if you are able to present important information about yourself in a manner which is clear and matches the position you are applying for.

What information should be in your CV?

1. Personal data

Start with providing basic information such as your first and last name, address (in particular the town/city), telephone number and e-mail address.

Make sure that the phone number and e-mail address are both correct. A typo may make the recruiter unable to contact you. This is particularly important if your e-mail address is unusual (i.e. other than firstname.lastname@servername.com).

On occasion, candidates provide their work phone number. This might not be the best idea. Remember that your CV may be used by the employer right after you apply, but in certain circumstances you may not be called until after some time (for example due to the recruitment process being halted and restarted later). This is why it is safer to provide your private telephone number, which will not change when you decide to part ways with your current employer.

2. Education

You can describe your education before or after describing your professional experience. If your relevant professional experience is sparse, it will probably be best to start with your education. If you have a wealth of work experience, include it before your education record.

Remember to put all information in chronological order – with the latest entries at the top. At the bottom, include information about the secondary school you attended (high school, vocational school, etc.) such as: education start and end year, school number, location and class profile/specialisation. Above it, include information about your BA programme, MA programme and/or further education: education start and end year, name of the university, location, programme and specialisation information. If you are still in education, make sure to include this information in your CV (e.g. “2014 – current”).

3. Professional experience

This is the most important part of your CV – the majority of your time should be spent fleshing it out. Describe your professional experience in chronological order – the latest at the top, the oldest at the bottom. Make sure to include the following for every position:

• exact employment start and end dates (e.g. March 2007 – June 2010)

• employer name

• position name

• responsibilities

A detailed description of your major responsibilities in a given position will make the recruiter’s job easier and allow them to quickly check if your professional qualifications match the requirements of the employer. Past responsibilities is a very important part of every CV as people in similar positions (e.g. forwarder), but working for different companies, can perform different duties. As an example, a forwarder in company A may be responsible only for organising transports, but in company B, they may also be responsible for acquiring new clients.

4. Foreign language skills

Knowledge of at least one foreign language is required or desirable in the case of most employment offers nowadays. As a result, some candidates describe their language skills in their CV as higher than they really are. This is not always a sound strategy. It is important to remember that the information from your CV will be verified during the job interview.

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Mistakes frequently made by candidates: