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Your resume or CV (curriculum vitae) is a crucial component of your application. Very often the first thing the reviewer of your application does, is to take a quick look at your resume to learn the key facts about you. Afterwards he or she might read your cover letter and then go back to pay detailed attention to your resume before reading through the additional material you have provided (such as school-specific answers). So as you can see your resume is the focal point of your application. Why is that? Because reviewers know what they would like to see: A clearly structured document which is easy to read. Even though the way to write resumes varies from country to country the basics are always the same. Over time, due to the free movement of labor in the European Union, it can be expected that resumes will become even more standardized. To satisfy the majority of the recruiters your resume should include the sections listed below. Entries should be sorted anti-chronologically starting with the most recent. In general it is better to only include in your resume skills and experiences that will be of relevance for the position you are applying for. You do not want to bore the reviewer with redundant information. Get to the facts and stick with them! Personal informationIncludes name, address, telephone and email details. Additional information such as date of birth, citizenships, and a photo might still be common in a lot of European countries but not be solicited for anymore and must not influence the decision of a recruiter to hire you due to legal reasons. Consequently, you do not have to state this information. Make sure you do not use email addresses such as honeypie69@xyz.com but rather use an email adresse that consists of your name. If you do not want to completely switch to this address, simply get an additional one for you applications. EducationProvide all information about academic institutions you have attended from high school (or equivalent) onwards. Also include summer programs or semesters spent abroad on an exchange program. Moreover, you should state your (expected) grade point average or GPA in a way that people not familiar with the grading system of your country can understand. For example, if you received a 2 on a grading scale from 6 (failed) to 1 (excellent) than indicate "GPA: 2 (best: 1; worst: 6)". It makes it even easier for the recruiters if you provide the percentile you are in (95th percentile means only 5% of your class have a better grade; you can also write top 5%) or the rank in your class. Usually the examination office can give you this information or it is automatically included in your transcript. Professional experienceThis section states all work and entrepreneurial experience gained since high school. This might include permanent positions, student jobs, internships, apprenticeships, freelance jobs, trainee programs, or companies you have started yourself. Make sure that all entries include the duration (month/year) and the name, city, and country of the organization. Also include your tasks and achievements. Rather than saying "Internship in Marketing" say "Analyzed consumer behavior on the shop floor and implemented a new shop layout that resulted in revenue growth of 10%". But do not forget: Don't lie and don't exaggerate! Delivering newspapers in your neighborhood does not mean being "Responsible for the distribution of print publications in the London Metropolitan Area". Always be prepared that someone who interviews you is an expert in that area and will ask tough questions. And recruiters have a good sense to spot exaggerations and lies. They might even call your reference to verify your statements. But do not be too humble to not point out your achievements at all. If your country requires you to do military or social service you should also state this as work-experience as you usually spend about one year working in a professional environment. Language skillsIn this section you can state all skills you have that are of relevance to your application. So do not state for how long you can hold your breath if you do not intend to become a diver. Usually you should mention language and computer and IT skills. It is important that you describe the level of skills, e.g., language skills could be described as native, fluent, advanced, and basic. More detailed descriptions usually leave more questions open than they answer ("what is the difference between beginner and basic?"). Even stating that you have advanced skills in French will usually be translated into "has some knowledge but will not be able to use the language in a business environment". Consequently, the only important language skills are the languages you speak and write fluently. IT skillsWhen it comes to computer and IT skills do not waste space by listing operating system like Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP, and Vista. If relevant (e.g., in media or advertising) stating that you know Mac OS may help but everybody expects you to know Windows. In addition, you do not have to list all basic Microsoft Office programs, "standard office applications" will do. However, if you are a pro using spreadsheet software such as Excel or database software such as Access you should definitely state this. But not by simply listing the software, but by saying, e.g. "advanced modeling skills in Excel". In addition, you will not win any prize if you state that you know the "Internet" or even "Firefox", not to speak of "E-Mail". This is standard if not less! And basic knowledge of HTML will not help anybody either. Try to focus on software skills that are special: If you can use statistical software such as SPSS or Stata, state it! The same goes for special design and video-editing software, if you know more than how to open an image. Extracurricular activitiesThis is where it counts! Not so much as to what you do but that you actually do something at all. List all activities that you are passionate about: If you are the captain of a football team or if you help older people in their houses: Great! If you are active in certain clubs, associations, or parties, tell the reader what you do there. Scholarships/meritsIf you have been awarded any scholarships, grants, or stipends based on merit, it is great to list them and the duration in which you received them. You do not have to be too humble to state them but you should rather be proud of what you have received. As they are often very well known locally but not in other countries, provide a translation (ask the awarding organization for an official translation or check the English language section of their Website). ReferencesIt differs from country to country how, or if at all, you should present references. So if you are in doubt about whether or not to include them, you can always write "Available upon request". Make sure that you have permission from your references prior to putting their names in your resume. Double-check that the email addresses and telephone numbers you provide are correct. Also, always let your references know whose calls they should expect and send them the most recent version of your resume. As a rule of thumb, do not list more than three references. TranscriptsTranscripts or overviews of your grades are crucial to support your education mentioned in your resume. Usually it is sufficient to provide copies of your diplomas, degrees etc., but if you do not have official transcripts a simple table listing the courses and the grades will do, too, if you have it certified by your school. If the transcripts are not in English or the native tongue of the person you are sending the resume to, make sure that you provide a translation explaining the grading system. CertificatesIn some countries it is mandatory that you provide certificates for almost everything you mention in your resume. Thus, it is advisable to have copies of your evaluations or certificates from jobs or extracurricular activities at hand. To save time and money it is best if you scan the documents (black and white line art at 300 dpi is sufficient) and store them as a pdf file that can be printed or emailed whenever needed. Again, if in doubt about whether to include a file, do so. If the person does not need it, he or she can easily ignore it. DimensionsBe aware that the dimensions of letters vary: Whereas A4-sized paper (210 x 297 mm) is standard in a lot of countries, it is "letter" (216 x 279 mm) in the UK, and "legal" in the US (216 x 356 mm). If you know a place where you can get paper in the dimensions the recipient is accustomed to, you can use it, of course. However, as more and more applications can be sent by email it is usually ok to leave it in the format you have it. You can change the dimensions of the document in Microsoft Word by clicking "File" -> "Page Setup" -> "Paper" -> "Paper Size". |
