Does your CV include these 4 essentials?

Updated: 08/02/2023

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How to write an English CV
 
Writing a curriculum vitae has become so standardised, it has almost become a copy and paste activity for many people. As any manager or HR personnel would tell you, that’s not the most effective method. Here are 4 practices to help make your CV stand out from the crowd. 

Relevance 

Are you applying for one specific role or browsing different opportunities across multiple fields? 
Each role should have a CV written specifically for that position, highlighting the necessary and relevant credentials, experience and value that you’ll bring to the company.
Ignore past experiences that are not connected to this position otherwise it will look like 'padding' - that you're just trying to fill the space. We are aiming for quality, not quantity. Even if you only have 1 relevant experience, go into more detail about it. Outline the responsibilities, the action you took and the results you achieved. 

Put yourself in
their shoes

Imagine you are the employer. What would you expect from the employee? What skills must they have? What personal qualities will be considered? Will they need you to work unsociable hours or support your colleagues or even work from home? Try to get into their frame of mind and adapt your profile accordingly.
When we review teacher applications, the first element we look for is the teaching qualification. Our teachers must have a meet a certain standard of training. If they possess the relevant qualification, we then browse their experience and check the details of what they did in their role e.g whether they taught adults or children, Business or General English, IELTS or Cambridge. Finally, we try to get a sense of their personality and character. Is this person going to represent our school as we require? Will they be professional and punctual but also, will they be friendly and courteous with our students. There are just some examples.
It will be similar for your potential employer. Put yourself in their shoes and think about what they need. This is what you need to offer. 


Make a strong impact with your CV

Layout

Are you following the same, boring Europass layout that hundreds of thousands of your competitors are? Depending on your field, you could certainly add some life and dynamism which will reflect some personality (without having to even write anything). 
You may think that innovative designs may be fine for people in arts or marketing, but even if your profession is more traditional, you can still make minor adjustments to help you stand out in the recruiter’s mind. Fonts, sizes, colour and especially the layout. Instead of a classic list, perhaps box vital information into a summary at the top. You could then place the Education and Work Experience side by side in 2 columns, with the necessary highlights.
Merely changing the shape and structure will help you stand out from the crowd, try it.
Finally, regarding using a headshot photo can depend on the country of the company you're applying to. The UK for example, is recognised as an equal opportunity employer and therefore doesn't require personal information such as your date of birth, nor your photo, to avoid any possible discriminatory decision. 
Check the practice of company's country and their preferences before sending your application.  

Length

Some say 3 pages, others 2 and some, even just 1 page. We believe in keeping it short and direct, using buzz words and statistics to reduce long, complex phrases and offer only the vital information. 
Bullet points, highlights or headings and bold font are the tools that will help communicate your ultimate strengths as the recruiter’s eyes skim through the sections to find what they’re looking for, a little like this article! 

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