At the beginning, you need to realize that your CV is the very first contact through which you come into contact with your potential employer. So be careful, you can impress your resume and make the right and necessary first impression. The basic task of the CV is to present you, your education, your career so far and all the experience you have gained. With a well-written CV, your chances of a new job can be raised, but on the other hand, you can also sink. That’s why we bring you all kinds of advice and tips on how to prepare and write the right and bulletproof structured CV. Here you go!
1, Your personal data
Pay particular attention to the correct indication of your basic contact details. They will ensure that the HR consultant / HR can contact you at any time. Always list them at the top of your resume on the first page. Edit and in particular the accuracy of the contact details, in particular the telephone number in the format with the international prefix (+421) and the e-mail address. Create an e-mail that contains nicknames or old forms of e-mail addresses from the time you set up your first mailbox (example macicka589@xxxx.xx. I would emphasize that you do not respond via your work e-mail. omegou responds with a private) email, all full names and surnames and thus the correct telephone number and postal address.
2, The photo
Don’t be afraid to add your photo to your contact information. The HR consultant / HR team can perceive you more personally. However, be careful about choosing your photo. Whether it is suitable for a formal document and not from a holiday on the beach, or a mirror in the elevator or in the bathroom.
3, Education
As part of the education, start with the highest level of education attained. In doing so, write down the full name of the school and not the abbreviations. Also, don’t forget the field you studied at the school, or the degree you obtained and the year of graduation.
- Also write information about the unfinished study in the CV. If you are still at school, be sure to indicate your estimated time of graduation.
- We have a tip for graduates to state the title of their diploma thesis, especially if it is related to the position to which they respond. However, do not forget to prepare for the fact that the employer will also ask about the content and your overall output from the thesis.
- It is not necessary to state the primary school in the curriculum vitae. Only mention it if it is the highest completed education.
Complementary education – courses, retraining exams, trainings, … All these “fashion accessories”, currently in connection with the position you apply for in the selection process, will embellish and withdraw your credit. Remember the following:
- Name of the institution which provided the additional training, duration or where you completed the study (certificate, authorization, diploma, etc.)
- However, select only those courses that are relevant to the job offer. You can mention the others later in the interview, so that you do not appear pre-qualified in your CV.
4, Work experience
In connection with your work experience, do not forget to arrange them, chronologically, and thus from the most current back to the past. For each job, provide the full name of the company and the job position in which you worked. The month and year of arrival and departure are also a great help for the HR specialist. However, the most important part is a description of your job description. Try to capture the most important things from your job, but stay concise. It is this description that will provide the best possible assessment of whether you are the right candidate who should hold the advertised job position.
Summary:
- At the same time, briefly and very clearly describe your job description, so that it is clear what you were in charge of and what you were responsible for. Describe it in your own words, so don’t literally copy the job description from your employment contract from your employer. Be sure not to use internal shortcuts. These may be incomprehensible to the consultant. To get the best description of the job description, you can help at pozicie.sk.
- If you have worked for a lesser known, smaller company, it is good to mention what this company deals with (eg IT company, manufacturing company, automotive, etc.). If you report to an employer abroad, your company may not be known there at all, so describe it with caution.
- If you already have a higher number of jobs, pay attention to the last three or the four most relevant jobs. Others just need to mention in a nutshell. If you get an interview, there will be more space for the older ones.
5, Knowledge
You can also add to the individual jobs the knowledge that you have acquired during the work in the given job position. So evaluate how you know the specific knowledge and skills required by the job position. In particular, select such knowledge that a potential employer may consider beneficial and exceptional for himself (knowledge in project management, various decrees and certificates for the operation of equipment within specific specializations, etc.). Please note that if you have experience with something that is not completely normal, don’t forget to share it. Therefore, list any significant and significant work projects or achievements that you have achieved.
6, Language skills
Write down specific languages and don’t forget to add the levels at which you speak them. Mark the levels with the classic markings (A1 – C2). If you are unsure, get tested by a language expert to see if your level actually matches that listed on your resume. HR consultants often check the stated level directly at the interview.
Summary – main points:
- Choose one of the standardized levels: complete beginner (A1) / beginner (A2) / intermediate (B1) / intermediate (B2) / advanced (C1) / expert (C2).
- You can also test your level of English online at tracktest.eu.
- If you are a language school student, don’t forget to mention this in your CV as well. Employers will appreciate each extra activity.
- Please note – it is not recommended to mislead and deceive, the personnel specialist can test your knowledge directly at the interview.
7, Computer skills
List the specific computer knowledge that you have mastered and is necessary to perform the work for which you are applying.
- Choose a rating from the levels: basics / advanced / expert
8, Driving licence
Only show your driver’s license if you are an active driver. Remember to specify the group of driving licenses precisely and the information on the approximate mileage will not damage you either.
9, My qualities
However, you do not have to mention this part. If you want to mention it, describe your personality. Please be original and don’t just name general adjectives like “communicative, independent, creative” and others. Don’t be afraid to write your knowledge in longer sentences and then base your statements with concrete examples.
For example: “I am a team player” can be expressed as follows: I have demonstrated the ability to cooperate and team spirit by working in an international team. In addition to this, I have always taken care of my new colleagues outside the workplace (for example, took them to lectures or showed them the city).
Summary – main points:
- Capture your positive aspects, never mention the negative ones.
- If you attach a motivation / cover letter to your CV, pay attention to your qualities, especially there.
10, Hobbies
11, References
References are a much sought after part of every resume today. When making references, be sure to contact people in advance and ask for their consent so that you can include them in your resume. Also, don’t forget to acquaint them with the job position you are applying for, so that if your potential employer contacts them, they can prepare. A link to your personal website, projects or works that you want to present yourself to may also be part of your CV.
12, Cover letter
Many times, together with the reaction to the job offer, we also receive the so-called cover letter. It is a text that justifies why you are interested in the job position. Indicate in it your motivation to respond to this particular offer. With this cover letter, you will keep the personnel in your memory.
Summary – main points:
- enter the name of the position you are interested in in the subject of the cover letter / email, don’t forget to be brief – optimal lengths are max. two paragraphs,
- if you have something that you think didn’t fit into your resume,
- mention it right here, be sure to highlight the relationship between you and the job position,
- explaining why you are responding to it and why you think you are the right candidate,
- if you have something that you think didn’t fit into your resume, mention it right here,
- be sure to highlight the relationship between you and the job position, explaining why you are responding to it and why you think you are the right candidate.
- Before sending, make sure that everything is both factually and grammatically correct and free of typos.
- Edit the formal and graphic page of your resume.
- Therefore, use a maximum of two fonts, a neutral font (such as Times New Roman) and an appropriate size (12).
- Remember to update the date and location of your resume.
- Don’t mislead, overestimate, or underestimate. Write the truth and believe yourself.
- When applying for creative positions, play around with the graphic design of your CV. Your resume does not have to be in the prescribed structure. There are no limits to creativity. Use a picture, a graph, icons – anything that graphically presents you. However, be careful not to “wait” too much so that the personnel does not get lost in it.
- Get inspired by online resume examples. However, do not copy them. If someone helped you with your resume, make a final check to make sure the final information is true.