A curriculum vitae gives your potential employer a good idea of who you are, what your skills are and how they can be used best. It goes without saying that you want to highlight ALL your qualities, but nobody has time to read a CV of dozens of pages. No matter how beautiful or interesting the content is.

With this blog and the 'CV checklist' below, we will help you make sure that your CV is short and to the point (scannable), without missing any essential information.

LIMIT YOURSELF TO NECESSARY INFORMATION.

Although every CV is unique and personal, there are a number of fixed elements that will always recur.

1. Personal details
2. Education
3. Work experiences
4. Skills

• Personal details: more than your name and date of birth

In the section 'personalia' you should include the following information:

1. First and last name
2. Address
3. Date of birth
4. Telephone number
5. E-mail address

You may also include the following:

1. Academic Title
2. Marital Status
3. Nationality
4. Driving license (yes or no) 
5. LinkedIn 

• Education: don't forget your extra courses, workshops...

Under the heading 'education' you list the studies you have followed (and completed), starting with your most recent study. Include at least the following points per course:

1. Period [month, year].
2. Name and specialisation of the programme 
3. Place of study [College, University - City].
4. Diploma obtained (or not) 

Courses and workshops also belong here, preferably with an indication of whether you have obtained a specific certificate for these or not.

• Work experiences: scannable description of your range of tasks

In the section 'work experiences' you include all your relevant (work) experiences, including internships and student jobs... Here it is best to mention the period, the name of the company, your position and a short, concise description of your duties. Think carefully about which tasks you highlight: preferably choose a selection that matches the position you are applying for. This way your future employer will immediately see why you are the ideal candidate.

• Skills: what qualities do you have?

The section 'skills' says something about your different qualities, things in which you 'excel' (compared to others). This includes, for example, mentions of your language skills or the mastery of specific software. Furthermore, it is also possible to dedicate this section to personal competences, such as organisational, analytical skills, stress-resistance, etc. This way you give your potential employer a better insight into your exact skills.

CHECKLIST CONTENTS

In addition to the sections already discussed, there are a number of extra points of interest that should not be missing from your CV. So, do you want to be completely sure that you have covered everything in your CV? Make sure you go through the questionnaire below before submitting your CV:

1. Have you included all your contact details? 
2. Is your CV shorter than two A4 pages and can your potential employer find the most important information at a glance?
3. Are there any chronological gaps between the activities?
4. Did you emphasise achievements and apply your skills to the profile expectations of the job?
5. Did you really say something about yourself? A CV should only contain facts, but your future employer would like to get to know you better.

Finished? Send it ...