A CV is a short summary of your life. It has to be written so that it catches a potential employer's attention — short, to the point, yet convincing and credible. You will only get the chance of a face-to-face meeting if you prepare your CV with care.

What does a good CV look like?

Your CV needs to stand out, but avoid overdoing it. Do not use garish or unusual coloured paper — white or its shades (off-white, pastel grey) are the right choice.

Keep it concise and to the point: one page is best. If it does run onto a second page, your work experience must still be on the first. Type it, and print it on a laser or inkjet printer.

What a good professional CV contains

Education

Starting from the present and working backwards, list your qualifications — schools and courses.

Work experience

Again, starting from the present. Begin with the company, then the position you held, and finally the tasks you carried out. Companies are interested in your tasks and responsibilities — be factual and do not get lost in detail. Set the positions you held in bold.

Languages and computer skills

List the languages you speak, any language exams you have taken, and your practical level. Your knowledge of software belongs here too.

Personal details

These are secondary when your application is assessed, so they can go in the header or footer in a smaller font — saving space as well. Your phone number and e-mail address should not be your current employer's, but your private contact details. Ideally the e-mail address should contain your full name.

Interests and hobbies

This is where you can stand out from the other applicants: team sports make a good impression, and might even match your future manager's own interests.

The most common mistakes

  • Too long — more than two pages
  • Too detailed — unnecessary duties, overly personal information
  • Starts with irrelevant information — always begin your career history with your current job
  • Spelling mistakes — have someone read it through

CV with a photo — salary expectations

If a photo is requested, place a passport-style picture in the top corner of your CV. It should be no larger than 2-3 cm and strictly passport-style. Do not begrudge the time and money for a professional photo — it pays for itself quickly.

If the job ad does not ask for a photo, we do not recommend sending one. Subjective impressions can just as easily count against you.

Salary expectations: only state a figure if you are asked to. You do not yet know the role in detail, so it is worth giving a range rather than an exact number. If you would rather not give one at all, explain in your cover letter why you left it out.

One more tip — successes and results

We strongly recommend this not only to managers but to applicants at every level: write about your successes and the results you achieved. Everyone has something in their career they can be proud of.

Concrete examples:

  • Sales growth of 140% achieved by me / my team
  • Organised two large-scale events that brought a 20% increase in revenue
  • Ran four projects simultaneously, all delivered on time
  • Grew the number of new clients by 125%
  • Reduced customer complaints by 45%

Do not overdo it — one or two results per role is enough. If you look at your CV with a business mindset, this is one of the things your employer will care about most.

Is your CV ready?

Once you have written it, browse our current openings — you can apply to the roles that suit you with a single click.

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