What to Include
A CV should include the following information:
Personal Details
Make it easy for a recruiter to identify and contact you. Your name should serve as the header for the C.V. and should be in large font. Include current phone numbers (including the country code) and your email address. List your home and term-time addresses. In Europe, you should include your date of birth and nationality.
Professional Objective
Professional Objective can be added to the top of your CV to focus recruiters at a glance to what you type of position you are looking for. The Objective is not commonly used in Europe and using it is a matter of preference. If you do decide to include a professional objective, it must be very succinct e.g. "Internship in Investment Banking" or "Position in Consumer Goods Marketing". Given that objectives narrow your options, it is better to leave them out if you are exploring several career paths simultaneously.
Education
Note the institutions you have attended and the degrees (including concentrations or majors) you received in reverse chronological order. List dates and locations. Include exchange programs. You should not include High School Education. Training courses , seminars and extra-curricular activitites, where relevant, can be included in the "Additional Information" section (below).
Work Experience
List your present and past jobs, including internships, in reverse chronological order. For each position held, note the employer, department, dates, location, job title, and a summary of your responsibilities (bullet points are recommended). For unknown companies, provide an one-line description of the firm's business, size and customers.
When writing about experiences, emphasise results achieved. Focus on the impact of your work: what you achieved and how it made a difference. Demonstrate a track record of achievement and growth. Use "action" verbs whenever possible (see list below). Bullet points are commonly used to list your achievements. Examples:
- Achieved a 30% cost reduction in advertising materials without diminishing quality
- Formulated a sales strategy for EU countries resulting in an increase in sales of 24%
- Established a B2B Channel that increased annual export sales by 16%
- Increased web visits by 58% through an advertising campaign
- Reached an increase of 180% in credit card sales
- Obtained the ISO 9001:2000 certification in 3 months
- Improved cash flow by 6M¤ in 5 months
- Decreased delivery time from 4 to 2 days
Do not include your reasons for leaving any job or salary information on your resume.
