10 tips for your CV

A CV is the marketing tool to enter your future career. It needs to demonstrate that you are employable and meet the requirements of the job and the organization.

Focus on relevant experience

A survey showed that 45% of employers are looking for relevant work experience. That means that you should tailor your CV to the job. For instance, you should leave out irrelevant details such as a 2-weeks high school internship or part-time jobs such as babysitting. Also, if you have some internship experiences, it is preferable to write “assistant” instead of “intern” on your job position. Additionally, try to make your CV not more than one page long.

Stand out from the crowd

An interesting CV is the chance to get noticed by employers. One possibility is to add some colors or to have a clear structure. Another alternative are infographic CVs- they are structured creatively, include colors and symbols. Of course, it is always important to tailor it to the job. An infographic CV might be fitting for a marketing position but not for an accounting one.

Choose a professional picture

When choosing your picture, please seek professional help. Several CVs include selfies or casual pictures which leave a bad reputation for the employer. Therefore, it is a good investment to go to the photographer to get a photograph, because it will make you look more professional and qualified for the job. An Interesting fact is that the US and UK regard a picture on the CV as possible frown on legal equal opportunity. However, in our services, we always require a picture because most candidates will work in customer service.

Show what you have done

Your CV should indicate your qualities. One way to show that is to mention your achievements, for instance a percentage increase in sales. Students can often make a good impression with attachments such as certificates or test scores. When mentioning the job position, try to explain the impact you made for the company.

Be consistent

Please use the same size and font consistently to not confuse the reader. Common fonts are Calibri, Verdana, Century Gothic and Arial. Use 10 or 11 point font for the main content and 12 to 14 maximum for headers. Besides that, a survey of US employers found that 49% preferred a traditional chronological CV where all jobs are listed in order.

Career objective

It is not necessary but a nice way to show what you are looking for. It should be focused to your experience and requirements of the internship. For instance: International management student with 1 year sales experience looking for a 5-month marketing internship.

Be exact

In order for recruiters to make a decision, you have to be precise in your application. Use the European language levels to describe your language skills (tests can be found online for free). A1 is the beginner level, whereas C2 is the native language level. Moreover, you can specify your language skills by mentioning tests or certificates such as TOEFL.

Proof read

Be sure to edit your resume before sending it. Please check spelling, grammar, tenses, names etc.  56% of CVs have spelling and grammar mistakes that are found by employers. Take care that your contact details are correct, check your phone number at least once. Check if your voicemail is appropriate.

References

Your CV should mention that references are available upon request. Many employers do not check references unless the vacancy specifically requires. Usually two references are sufficient. One academic one and one from an employer.

DONTS

Do not give inaccurate information about academic or professional experiences. Besides that, leave out private information such as material status or religion.