A candidate’s curriculum vitae is of vital importance to a successful application. A tsunami of tips and tricks can be found on the internet and social media. In our 25 years of recruiting we have had the privilege and pleasure to receive countless cv’s by letter (even handwritten), fax and nowadays e-mail. We want to offer you our perspective as experienced recruiters. This is our opinion, our expertise and our truth.
Curriculum vitae literally means ‘course of life’, and that is exactly what it should reflect: the course of your professional life. Using a template or creating your own, there are no rules. We advise you to remain within your skill set. Don’t get lost in layouts, colors and font sizes. Make sure it is clear, maximum 2 pages and, most importantly, contains all relevant information for the recruiter. Be concise and consistent. Help us to easily find what we need to make a first assessment of your profile.
Your starting point is personal details: name, contact details (phone and email) and place of residence. Any other information such as for example your date of birth or social status are nice to have but not necessary. If you choose to include a picture, we advise you opt for a professional one, and definitely not a selfie.
Giving us a clear view on your career objectives is your written elevator pitch. Why should we read on? Get our attention, be honest and open on your goals and ambitions. If you have an atypical profile, this is your chance to explain why we should consider you. Motivate your choice to apply, and essentially shed a light on what makes you unique. Be bold, you only have a few lines.
Now that you have our attention, we want to read more about your job history. What is important: dates, employers and undoubtfully the details of each job. Briefly describe your main tasks, responsibilities and achievements. Are you applying for your first job? Don’t be shy and include student jobs or volunteer work. Where did you make a difference? Can be small, can be big… Show us what the professional you stands for.
What else do you have in your backpack? Education is an important factor. We might be looking for a specific background or level. Mention your highest degree and any other training you consider relevant. Arcadius is specialised in recruiting management support and administrative professionals. Languages are key, so include your level of knowledge. IT skills are valued. Be very specific about the packages you master and at what level. MS Office is not a package, Microsoft Excel is. Remember that moving to an interview stage includes online tests, so be honest.
That’s it. You have now included all the basic information we need to assess if you are a potential match to the profile we are looking for. Print to pdf, name your document properly, attach, and send with a short accompanying email mentioning which vacancy you are applying for.
At Arcadius, we match our candidates in the best possible way, not only to a job but also to a company culture and a manager’s needs & personality. We appreciate the time and effort of every candidate’s application. Your curriculum vitae is your first crucial step in the recruitment process. We hope our perspective has lifted some of the clouds around how you can make the perfect CV.
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