The CV is a key to make contact with a company. It represents you in content but also in form. The success of your job search depends on its correct drafting.

What goals should you be setting yourself in writing your CV?

- To get as many interviews as possible.

- To sale yourself, but not boast.

- To not belittle yourself (too short a CV)

- To put forward what may be of interest to the company you’re targeting for a position.

It is very possible to have 2 versions of your CV if you’re searching in different directions.

Do not state your expected salary on your CV. You will determine it during the first interview.

The content of the CV:

A CV is divided in 7 subject headings:

1 / Marital Status and Name and address:

You must give your name, first name, address and telephone number. Give only one address! We strongly advise you to put your age and to give your email address. You will assess for yourself the need for giving your marital status and nationality. If you’re not leaving in the area, specify if you’re willing to relocate for the proposed job!

Double check for any mistake in name and address.

2/ Picture :

We strongly advise you to attach a picture if requested in the ad. Send a plain and recent picture. If not requested, you’re under no obligation to send one. However, it allows the recruiters to memorize your application more easily. Place the picture on the top right.

3/ Title :

The title is an important item in a CV; it allows the recruiter to understand your course at a glance.

The title makes reading easier.

Example: “PRODUCT MANAGER, 10 years experience in children’s wear”

4/ Work experience :

For each job fulfilled, you must state exact dates (month and year), the occupation, the company, the location and your responsibilities (work done and results achieved). Don’t forget to quantify: turnover made, number of customers, of files…

We advise you to use action verbs when you describe your tasks, such as “acting, coordinating, communicating, creating, delegating, evaluating, participating…”

We recommend that you classify work experiences by anti-chronological order (starting with your last experience). It will be easier for the recruiter to understand your career than with a chronological classification or a CV per position, which is much more difficult to understand.

Beginners must indicate training periods under that heading.

5/ Training :

The order of the “Training” and “Work Experience” headings may be changed. When you have more than 5 years work experience, we advise you to put “Training” under “Work Experience”. Explain school acronyms.

That heading must be relatively brief.

6/ Languages and Computer skills :

Although not compulsory, we advise you to create this heading. For languages, favor “bilingual, conversational, average, beginner” to “read, spoken, written”. For computer skills, state what software you master at a good level.

7/ Spare Time:

It must be the last heading. State what activities (sports, passions, centres of interest, voluntary work) you have on a regular basis because you must be able to talk about it. Although short, that heading must not be botched up because recruiters often use it as conversational topic.

The form of the CV :

Before being read, a CV is looked at. Steer clear of colour paper or squared paper. Designers may use a more customized and coloured paper and work with two colours to make it more attractive!

A CV must appear in length.

Leave margins and lighten the page.

Have a few people read your CV to check spelling, vocabulary and punctuation.

If possible, we advise you to have your CV fit in one page. In any case, it should never exceed two pages.

Conclusion :

Recruiters are inundated with CV’s in reply to ads and with unsolicited applications. The important thing is to be noticed quickly, to stand out.

Your CV must be attractive at first glance!

Carole GLASMAN

CG CONSEIL R.H.