Are you going to change your job? Are you looking for new opportunities? Then you will definitely need instructions on how to write a CV (= resume) so that you will be noticed and will get an invitation to an interview (and an offer then :)
So how do you write a CV?
The first thing I'd like to say is that there are many services where you can create a resume: from work.ua to foreign sites with lots of designs and fonts. Now we will not dwell on what font to use and design, let's deal with the text of the CV: what to write, how to write and what for.
My personal advice: try to create a CV via LinkedIn (there you can download a CV in PDF format, which is generated based on the information provided in your profile, or you can edit the information if you want to customize your CV for different vacancies). Here is where you can download a resume on LinkedIn:
What to write in a CV?
STEP 1: Contact Information
Usually, the first thing written in a CV is your contact information: name, surname, mail. Important: Your e-mail address should include your initials, it shouldn't be an address with a funny name created at school. This has to be taken seriously.
What about photo? To add or not to add? In fact, adding a photo is NOT mandatory, on the contrary – it is better not to add. And if you send a resume to an American company, forget about the photo, you definitely don't need to add it.
STEP 2: Information about yourself
What to specify in this section? Don't worry, you don't have to mention the names of your siblings/pets here. This part of a CV is an opportunity to briefly tell the employer the most important information about you, something that will show that you are a match, your skills and experience meet the requirements of the vacancy and you are the person who is needed for this position.
What exactly to write here?
- Who you are
- What position are you applying for (what you want to do)
- What are you doing now
- Briefly about your skills, how you can be useful to the company (here you have to think about the company's pain and which of your skills will help get rid of them)
- What languages you speak and other important information which may be useful for this vacancy.
- You can also write about hobbies. At the very least, it will show that you are an active and versatile person.
Lifehack: carefully (very carefully) read job description, pay attention to all the details: the requirements for the candidate, must-have skill, what will be a plus, tasks you will have to do. And in this section, provide the most relevant information to mention as many skills and abilities as needed for this vacancy. Let's look at the example below. Read, highlight the main points, mention them in your CV. Perfect :)
STEP 3: Experience
Important! Fill the section with working experience with the most "fresh experience", the current position at the top. As it is much more important for an employer to understand what you are doing now/where you have been working recently, and not what you were doing at the very beginning of your career.
Tip: if you are a specialist with extensive experience, do not indicate the place of work where you worked at school, after school or your summer part-time jobs! So as not to distract recruiters from the latest and most important information, which will play a crucial role.
Let's move directly to the experience. Ideally, indicate both your functions (what you did) and your achievements. Functions can be specified with the help of nouns "search, writing, communication", but achievements, I advise you to write with verbs in the past tense "increased, created, improved". If you can add some quantitative indicators (for example, increased by 2 times, accelerated by 20%, etc.), this is the best option. Include numbers. An example of what you can write in functions and achievements:
Tip: if you have little experience, or you do not have it yet, it's no problem! You can specify your volunteer activities, student projects or case championships. Such information will be valuable if there is no other professional experience.
Step 4: Education
Here everything is clear. Indicate where you studied:
- University
- Major
- You can also specify your average grade (optional, but European and American employers may need this information)
Step 5: Courses, certificates
Did you take courses? Did you receive certificates? Perfectly! Add this information here. Even if you took courses where no certificates were issued, this is not a problem at all! Feel free to indicate all the courses you will need to work in this position.
Step 6: Skills (hard and soft skills)
Now you should read the description of the vacancy again. Carefully read what skills candidates should have, and fill in this section accordingly.
Also indicate languages you speak!