Curriculum Vitae
Nowadays, the curriculum vitae (or CV) is considered the most important document in any application. On one to two pages, you summarize your personal data, competencies and skills, outline your educational and professional career and give employers a first impression of you as a person.
Components of the curriculum vitae
Heading: "Curriculum vitae”
Personal data: Name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, date of birth
Application photo: (Not a must, but appreciated)
Professional career: Previous professions, arranged chronologically or thematically
Education: School education, vocational training and/or studies, arranged chronologically
Knowledge & skills: Language skills, PC and software skills, driver’s license, certificates, hobbies, interests and voluntary work, where applicable
Place, date, signature
Essential purpose of the curriculum vitae
The CV is the part of the application documentation that presents you as a suitable candidate for an advertised position. In your CV, you briefly and concisely detail your experience and qualifications and respond to the requirements stated in a job advertisement. Ideally, you will create a new document individually for each application and only list the experience and skills that are of relevance to the advertised position.
Where do you sign the CV?
The last page of the CV is hand-signed. The signature can be on the right, level with the place and date title found on the left. In the second option, the signature is second to last above the place and date. Whichever you choose is at your discretion.
Which hobbies belong in the CV?
Including hobbies in the CV helps recruiters better assess applicant’s personality. However, avoid mentioning more than four hobbies. The hobbies mentioned should, if possible, match the profession, show achievements and be truthful.
What font should be used in the CV?
Fonts such as Times New Roman, Calibri, Open Sans or Arial are particularly legible and clear. However, the trend is increasingly towards sans serif fonts, which is why Times New Roman is often perceived as antiquated. The suitable font size is 11 or 12 point.
What is meant by knowledge and skills in a CV?
These are qualifications of relevance to the job that applicants have acquired during their studies, vocational training, advanced education seminars and/or work experience. Knowledge and skills can also include soft skills, i.e. social skills.
