A CV is a sort of business card to present to a potential new employer. What’s more, in combination with the cover letter, the CV might prompt a future boss to invite you for an interview. And who knows what that might lead to?
A CV differs from person to person, but the parts contained in such a document are frequently the same. Below you´ll find them all, accompanied by a brief explanation.
CV´s exist in various forms, with one occurring somewhat more often than the other.
A good example of this is the functional CV, where you organise the document on the basis of the different skills that you believe you have. This isn´t the most common variant: that would be the chronological version, also called the timeline CV. In it you show chronologically what your work experience is, what positions you’ve held and what education you’ve had. The parts of CV´s are as follows:
Personal detailsEducationWork experiencesSkillsExtra space
These parts of CV´s reveal who you are on the basis of the so-called NAR details (name, address, residence). We distinguish the following mentions:
Name (first and last name)
Address
Date of birth
Telephone number
E-mail address
You might also mention the following facts:
Academic title
Driving licence (whether you have one or not)
Nationality
Under the heading “Education” you indicate the studies you have done. You begin with the most recent ones, followed by any studies that preceded them. Always mention the following:
Degree obtained (yes or no)
Years
Name of study
Place of study
Any specialisation
An overview of the various employers you have had. It is also important to indicate exactly what added value you represented for this company. As with education, begin with the most recent job, followed by the one that came before that, etc. Specify at least the following elements:
The years
The description of the position
The title of the position
Name of the company
The part about skills goes into more detail on your specific qualities. This includes e.g. mentions about the use of particular software packages and your abilities when it comes to speaking foreign languages. It is also possible here to mention competencies that you believe you have.
Along with these fixed parts, a CV often also has the necessary space for two or three extra sentences which can tell more about your personal goals. Here you can also say what kind of team or type of company you would prefer to work in. We also want to emphasise here that you are not limited to these parts. If there is still extra room, you can naturally fill it in with any information you think the employer should know.
The curriculum vitae or cv determines the first impression a potential employer has of you. Be sure to pay enough attention to the content and the format of it. Download our cv template for free and increase your chances of a job interview.
1. Download the example as a Word file
2. Enter your details
3. Export as a PDF
4. Mail your brand new resume along with your motivation letter to companies
5. Don't hesitate to send in your resume to Robert Half, we are happy to help you with
your job search
6. Print it and take it with you to your first interview
