Writing a CV 101
By Max Griera, 3 minutes.
Ever wondered how to write a good CV? Then this is your lucky day! Career and job coach expert Ms Grootenhuis, the person behind the company Job Atelier, gave us some tips on how to approach this common but sometimes challenging task. Here is her advice in ready-to-go bullet-points:
Make sure to have a professional picture. So no, no pictures of you flexing at the beach!
Serious email address. Imagine sending an application using the email “burritolover@gmail.com”; unless you are actually applying to With Love Burrito or BABs, trust me, you do not want to convey such an image.
Use a nice structure and design to guide the reader through your CV. Try implementing a clear narrative and having a good repertoire (show a wide set of skills and interdisciplinarity).
Show the organization how you fit them, so tailor the content of the CV according to the “soul” of the organization.
Focus on practical experience and things that connect you to the job on a personal level, such as hobbies, small side jobs and extracurriculars. Even though you may think these are not important, many employers look at them seeking added value. As HE Dr Riina Kionka (EU Ambassador to South Africa) and HE Thierry Béchet (EU Ambassador to Norway) said during the ECA special event “A Career in Diplomacy”, this type of extra information gives the employers the chance to evaluate whether the applicant is a dedicated person and if he/she is a team player.
However, DO NOT put everything you have ever done. As much as it can surprise you, your employer does not care if you won an arts & crafts competition when you were 15yo. Avoid including unnecessary information.
The CV needs to show you can do the job; tailor the CV to each position you are applying to.
Everything must be true. Although this point is quite obvious, you would get surprised by the number of people that lie on their CVs. Imagine the beautiful face you would put if your boss unexpectedly asked you to communicate with a Chinese client in mandarin because you put “fluent” in your CV when, in fact, you only took a year of introductory class.
Quick to read. The last thing HR wants to do is to read the bible 2.0. Keep it short, two pages maximum.
Take a look at the document’s name before sending it! Once in high school, I had to submit a paper for my Business Economics course. I remember I hated the assignment, and as the tempered and expressive person that I am, I named the document “IHATEYOU.docx”. My teacher then gave a whole explanation the next day about the importance of checking documents’ names, while intensively looking at me. I was more red than Charles Michel’s face after sofagate.
Point out key information, and make sure to include keywords in the job descriptions. Let’s win those algorithms!
Ask someone to review it.
No unexplained abbreviations.
No sensitive data from other companies you worked on. You don’t want to be a corporate spy!