CV's/Resumés
Writing a
good curriculum vitae (CV) for the
Dutch employment market
A good CV is the starting
point of any job search campaign and
yet it is often the most neglected
part of the process. Why is it important
to spend time preparing a good CV?
Often it is the first and only information that an employer
will receive about you. The CV is
your prime marketing tool, an opportunity
to "sell yourself" on paper.
It demonstrates how you could meet
an employer’s needs.
It is essential to get it right when moving to a new country
where your personal network is limited
and even the names of your previous
employers may not be recognised locally.
A CV is not a detailed history of
your life, it is a well-structured,
easy-to-read presentation of capabilities
and accomplishments. It’s purpose?
To encourage a prospective employer
to invite you for an interview. Busy
managers often screen initially on
the basis of quality and clarity of
presentation, so it is important that
your CV sets you apart from other
applicants.
When applying to internationally
oriented companies, it should be written
in English, unless specified otherwise.
How can Outpost The Hague
help you?
A CV
workshop entitled “Your
CV – a Marketing Tool”
is provided on a regular basis. The Outpost The Hague Careers team runs a CV Clinic entitled "First steps towards building a great CV". The dates are available at the Calendar of Events.
Careers Consultants can also advise
on whether improvements are necessary
to your CV in order to market your
skills and experience most effectively.
Tips
for Writing a CV
The following will provide you with
some tips on how to prepare a concise
CV. .
Common faults to avoid are:
- too long or too short
- hard to follow
- long paragraphs and sentences
- taking up half the first page
with educational qualifications instead of working experience
- giving only job titles or
basic job details, without clarifying personal achievements
or job/company dimensions
- irrelevant information
- abbreviations not recognised
in another language or country
- unexplained gaps
Length
and presentation: Try to fit on
two pages. Use bullet points to lighten
text and list achievements.
Personal data: Put
name, address, telephone, fax and
e-mail details at the top. Other personal
data can go at the end.
Dates of employment:
The year is enough, unless you had
several changes within a year.
Job titles: Use a title that
is readily understood by most people,
even if not precisely the one used
in your organisation.
Career history: List your
experience in reverse chronological
order, with the most recent position
at the top. Substantiate your work
experience with specific achievements
and add any dimensions in terms of
numbers, costs, savings etc. Use active
or "power" words to describe
your accomplishments. For example,
"I was the person chosen to co-ordinate
the college fund raising team for
home-coming week" becomes "Co-ordinated
college fundraising team and raised
$5000 per annum." There is no
need to use "I", this is
implied.
Company information:
State the name, and unless well known,
a bit about what they do and their
size.
Education: Highlight the most
relevant qualifications first. State
the name of the college and the date
obtained. When moving to a new country,
keep your titles in their original
form and, if you feel it helps, add
‘equivalent to…’ Do
not state that you have an equivalent
title, unless you have been formally
authorised to use it. Mention any
professional examinations passed.
If you are a college graduate, you
can leave out secondary schools.
Courses attended: List only
the most recent or relevant.
Languages: Be clear about
your level of proficiency.
Interests: Optional, unless
they add an extra dimension to your
application.
Referees: You can provide
them at the interview if requested.
You don’t even have to state
"references available on request",
this is assumed.
Nationality (or dual nationality):
Can be important in view of work permit
requirements.
Additional information: An
employer doesn’t need to know
your weight, height, health, children’s
names. Nor do you need to mention
‘clean driving licence’
unless specifically required.
A final check:
Does the most important information
(your main selling points) appear
prominently on the first page?
Ask someone who doesn’t know
your job well to read your CV. Do
they get a clear picture of your experiences
and capabilities?
If you are applying for a specific
vacancy, have you adjusted your CV
to show where you meet the employer’s
requirements?
| Examples
of power words:
created wrote
instructed negotiated
analysed
produced improved
planned designed
trained completed
founded performed
studied
increased advised
managed
developed edited
supervised translated
prepared collected
co-ordinated
|
A special note on electronic
CVs:
Employers,
faced with the high cost of sorting
, assessing and filing file hard copy
CVs or resumes, are increasingly using
electronic methods to manage the process
more efficiently. This includes scanning
CVs, accessing Internet home page resumes.
This means that using the most appropriate
key words to describe your desired
job area or skills are even more essential
than with a paper copy. It is possible
that no human eye will see your CV
until after the first computer sort.
wrds
used in a job ad or profile. These
may be broad (non profit, public relations,
advertising) or specific (Photoshop)
depending on the employer’s needs
and yours.
Additional
resources
Books
" The Perfect CV" by
Tom Jackson. Publisher: PIATKUS, ISBN
– 0749916931.
"Creating
a Successful CV"
by Simon Howard. Publisher: Dorling
Kindersley, ISBN – 075130770X.
"The
Brilliant CV" by Jim Bright:
Joanne Earl. Publisher: Pearson Education
Limited, ISBN – 0273654853.
These books are available for reference
from the Careers Section of the Outpost
The Hague library.
Online Sites
The Curriculum Vitae Company:
www.cvcl.co.uk
The "Free Guides" include
tips on CV writing and Job interviews.
Impressive
CVs: www.impressiveCVs.co.uk
Tips for CVs and covering letters,
and different types of CVs.
The CV Store: www.TheCVStore.net/JobSeekerTools.htm
Includes general job-seeker advice
on interviewing, CV preparation, self-assessment,
etc.
|
