Your CV should provide as much relevant information about you as possible in the shortest possible time. It must prompt a particular employer to call you for an interview. And since the relevant information and the specific employer will differ for each position, your CV must always be different, it must be tailored. You need to learn how to tackle resume writing.
Form is sometimes more than content
A curriculum vitae is also called a short resume or a structured resume. Both refer to the basic requirement of a clear document that will be easy to read. So:
Shorten your CV to a maximum of two A4 pages. If you don't have much to write in it, don't make it unnecessarily long: one page is fine.
Divide the CV into clear and understandable sections (personal information, professional goal, education, practice, further education, skills, personal qualities, interests).
Write simply and clearly. Have someone outside your industry read your resume and see if they understand what you're writing.
Don't overdo it with a striking design. Use a photo that is professional and discreet.
Save your CV in PDF format Surname_first_name_CV_year.
In the description of the activities of the position, do not write what you did in previous positions, but what you impact and results had.
Personal data - what to write and what not to write?
Do not write unnecessary personal information. For example, health and marital status, whether you are a smoker or place of birth. Nobody is interested in this information, because those who smoke and who are sick do not write it in their resumes. Likewise, the place of birth does not tell where you live now.
But consider, for example, your date of birth. You don't have to list it, but I recommend that you do. This is so that both parties know what they stand for. If age was an issue for you, you probably wouldn't want to work for that company anyway, so there's no point in wasting your time. On the contrary, the company, which depends on your strengths, experience and contribution, will still call you (or just because) no matter how old you are.
Position description and your Impact
In the description of your experience, do not write what your duties were in previous positions, but what you did. It shows that you care not only about doing things, but also about getting results. Check out the difference between A and B resume variants:
A: Hiring new employees
B: 34 successfully filled professional, business and middle management positions for the period 2016-2018.
Candidate A says he was hiring. Candidate B says that she has filled 34 positions in the field in two years. Let the prospective employer consider whether it is good for him or not.
So, whatever you write in the description of previous positions, try to quantify your work. And if you have nothing to brag about or your results are average or below average, stick to the description of what you did. At the same time, consider reapplying for a similar position. Maybe it's time for a big change.
Education and courses vs. values and traits
Write about your education, but if you have completed 35 business trainings, you don't have to list them all. Select only relevant courses and briefly describe them. Formal education still accounts for only 10% of what you know and can do. Everything else you learned through practice or from someone else. Therefore, it is more interesting for employers to read something about who you are and what is important to you.
How to write it? To avoid the "I'm flexible and can work independently and in a team" cliché, imagine what your superior, colleague, friend, sibling, partner would say about you. How would you describe yourself? And feel free to say these words realistically. This will add authenticity to the resume.
Create tailored CVs
What does it mean - a custom CV? Simply put, if you send five resumes to five companies, each one will be different. According to the requirements and scope of work in the ad, adjust the terminology of the resume, the scope of work and the description of your personality.
For example:
If the ad contains the word manager, and you have the word leader in your CV, replace it with manager.
The ad says you'll lead a team of five people: don't forget to write how big a team you've led so far.
The ad says they want a positive attitude. You didn't write that among your traits, because it seems obvious to you. However, please also mention that characteristic of yours. Ideally, you could demonstrate this with an example. You can write for example: I have a positive approach to life and in the team I always highlight the experience that can be gained from even a negative situation.
Keep in mind that you want to attract and inform the employer that you have written your CV to suit this company and this particular position. Because it is a position you have chosen for certain reasons and you are highly motivated to take it. As soon as the employer sees your motivation, he will prefer to invite you for a personal meeting.
If you want to ensure that your CV represent you in the best ways at all times, reach out to our experienced consultants, who will be honored to help you through the services of Valoris.org in steps that lead to a successful career.
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