The Curriculum vitae

The most obvious tool to market yourself is your CV. Your CV is a marketing tool designted to communicate your educational achievements, professional qualifications and future aspirations to a potential employer, normally with the aim of obtaining an interview. The preparation of a good CV requires time and effort. It is worthwhile making this initial investment as a CV is often the first objective information that a company has about a candidate. Given that recruiters look at CVs for an average of 20 seconds before deciding whether to proceed with the candidate or not, it must be concise, easy to read and visually pleasing.

Think of your CV as a marketing document. Who is your audience and what are your selling points in terms of skills, experience and personal attributes? It is important that you identify your competitive advantage relative to other candidates.

In this section you will find guidelines and recommendations as to making the most of your CV/resumé, and some samples for suitable cover letters for both internships and full-time positions. There are also hints on cultural differences for CV writing as well as ideas about timing and ways of sending your application.

Last but not least, this section offers you some explanations and tips regarding the use of your contacts - "networking".