10 simple guidelines for a good CV/résumé

Imagine this. You get a piece of paper with a name on top. You want to understand quickly which position is the best for this person. What would you like to see there?

Let your skills and personality shine! We will make sure that the employers notice.

1. Keep it simple!
Treat your CV/résumé like a personal story. You have little time and space to communicate a clear message with examples. Include only the information that’s relevant to the skills you want to show the employers.

2. Keep it clean!
Make your important points easy to spot. Choose a font that is easy to read and keep your font and font size consistent. Title your
CV/résumé sections properly and clearly.

3. Studentship status
Will you be enrolled at a university by Spring – Summer 2016? Let us know. If you are close to graduation, or in-between curriculums, you should make it clear as well.

4. Experience that shows skills
You do not need official working experience to showcase your skills in creativity or project management. Mentioning activities or achievements will let the employers know that you really stand by your claims.

5. Examples
Small examples of how you have used your knowledge and skills go a long way. Remember, the most relevant ones, go to the top!

6. More verbs
Positive verbs like “achieved”, “helped”, “initiated”, “volunteered”, “increased” make your examples work! It’s best that you skip the “I” pronoun. If you have positive numbers to mention, make sure to include them as well.

7. Mistakes!
They are easy to make. Everyone makes them. Even if a strong CV/résumé is not rejected straight away, it might be at a disadvantage later on because of them. Make sure to avoid them.

8. Length
A CV/résumé that’s informative without being lengthy shows great communication skills. Choose the experience and education that support the message you are telling the employers.

9. Picture or no picture?
Applicants from Europe are used to including pictures on their CV/résumé, while American candidates do not. It's not a crime to include one, but maybe you could use the space a bit better.

10. Only your CV/résumé will do
Any extra attachments like academic results or certificates will not be considered. We value your word.

Word of advice: Give your CV/résumé to a friend or a family member. If they can correctly describe your skills and background after having a look at it, you know you’re good to go!