Do you ever just sit down and worry about the constant rejection from employers? Have you ever wondered what are the important tip to consider for a perfect European CV? If you fall under this category, take a deep breath, relax and read this;
Writing an European CV could be tiring, but it’s also another thing to construct your CV in a way that your employer is in awe of your experience, use of language, and mostly the format and style used in writing your CV.
Studying and working in European countries is a major desire for many, both national and international alike, but this privilege comes with a lot of requirements and criteria. Thus this channels our mind to the important tips of a good European Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Before we take a look at the most important tips to look out for a perfect CV, it is important to bear in mind that despite the fact that employers look for the same qualities in applicants, different CV format and style exist within the various countries in Europe. So, it is important to pay attention to what entails in the country you intend to send your application.
it is important to bear in mind that despite the fact that employers look for the same qualities in applicants, different CV format and style exist within the various countries in Europe
In writing a European CV, the following must be paramount;
Table of Contents
1. Adapt your CV to the Europass template
The Europass CV is one of the widely used CV format in Europe. It is easy-to-use and familiar to employers and education institutions. With this template, you are been guided to fill up the necessary information such as your skills, educational background, training and work experience. It is as easy as it goes!
2. Language
After you have chosen your template, the next thing that should be duly considered, is the language in which to write your CV. Special attention should be paid to the language in which the employer wants. When applying for a job in an English speaking country like the US or UK, your CV must obviously be in English. If you are applying to non English speaking country in Europe like Italy, Spain, and France etc., it should be in the language of the country. However, if you are applying for an international role (E.g. consulting, supply chain…) in an American or British company located in Europe , sending your CV in English is generally well perceived. Some countries in Europe such as Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland and Scandinavia, often accept their CVs in English as well.
However, if you are applying for an international role (E.G. CONSULTING, SUPPLY CHAIN…) in an American or British company located in Europe , sending your CV in English is generally well perceived.
3. Profile or Objective.
When writing your CV, in UK or in America for example, your profile or objective usually comes first and it’s detailed with some highlights about your background and goals. It is an introduction about you and aims in a few lines. While writing the objectives, it is advisable to use friendly keywords to seek the attention of your employers. However, this may not be applicable in most European countries. For example in Italy, you are required to put your name as the title while in France it is common to state the role you are applying for.
4. Photograph.
Most European Countries like Italy, France, and Germany etc. always like their applicants to insert a small-sized passport photograph at the top right hand corner of their CV. whereas in the UK and in the US, this is unattainable because of legislative laws of equal opportunities for every applicant. It can be argued that by just looking at your picture, applicant could be subjected to unintentional bias from your would be employer. I would say this is something you should least worry about as every applicant in European countries are treated fairly. With that said, if you are adding a photo, just ensure it is a nice looking photo of you.
5. Personal Details
In some European countries like Italy, Spain etc. you are required to give valuable information about yourself. Information such as your date of birth, marital status, nationality, marital status, and number of kids are sometimes required. However, the most important message to provide are your right residential address, mobile number, email, and website should not be omitted in a CV. It is often advisable to go through your CV and deliberately ensuring you kept the right address and telephone number because that is the only way the company can reach out to you.
6. Work Experience
In this section, you are to list the companies and organizations you’ve worked with starting from the most recent one, positions held, and the year you started work and ended. While detailing your work experience, you should always use powerful verbs to emphasize your previous roles in the Organization by using words like organized, planned... and ensure you relate them to the new job you are applying for to gain favor in the company you’re sending your application to. For example, even working in a shop or a restaurant involves working in a team, providing quality service to customers and dealing with complaints.
7. Educational Background
This is considered to be one of the most important parts of your CV. In European countries like France or Germany, Education comes first in a CV. Your education background hints at the employer an idea of your education, qualifications, and date. Your educational background should include your academic result for both college and post-graduate alongside the name of the institutions.
8. Key Skills
Your key skills are a necessity and very important so make them sound powerful while writing your CV. Your key skills should entail what you are capable of doing and also mirror on areas you’ve added value. You should have at least three to five skills in bullet points.
9. Achievements
As they say, CV is a document to market you. So are your achievements. You can show off your accomplishments using strong adjectives such as “excellent writing skills”. Proof of your accomplishment includes copies of your educational certificates, certificates from different fields or competitions you partook in are usually requested for, and can be presented at the interview stage.
10. Number of pages
The number of pages of an European CV depends on what is attainable in the country you are applying. For example in the UK it is best to have a 2 pages CV. In France you might need to stick to one page. Whereas in Greece, the more the better with 3 to 5 pages allowed.
In conclusion, having mention ten important tips to consider for a perfect European CV, here are a few more to consider:
- Do not use dull colors and too many colors for your CV
- Do away with ambiguous words as your CV must be clear and easy to read
- Keep your CV updated.
The perfect European CV is attainable by following the relevant steps in scripting it down. Each step stated above is a major key in getting not just a good, but a Perfect CV, from adapting your CV to Europass template down to determining the number of pages, are sacrosanct to a CV. Wishing you the best of luck in your next dream job!
I would like to hear from you: What are your thoughts on this subject. You can share your thoughts and experiences with me and others in the comments section below!
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