How to write a perfect cv — step by step

In this step-by-step guide, we'll reveal the secrets of a perfect resume that will make even the most selective hiring managers sit up and take notice. From defining your target role to formulating compelling bullet points to choosing the right format, you'll learn everything you need to know to create a resume that truly represents you.

Ready to take your career to the next level? Follow this guide to write a resume that's guaranteed to attract attention.

Resume vs. LinkedIn ⚡

‍As the world is becoming increasingly digital, many companies regard LinkedIn as the new “online resume.”

🤔 So what is the difference between our LinkedIn profile and our cv?

🤔 Why do we need one?

‍LinkedIn is our public professional profile. It is not tailored to a specific position, contains much more information about us and has a wider focus in general.

In comparison, our curriculum vitae must be adapted to each individual position. I'm sure we all have a lot to show for it, but our resume is where we focus on the most relevant points. That means taking a close look at the job's requirements and highlighting our corresponding skills and experience every time we send it out.

We've already done most of the work for our resume by using our LinkedIn profile have created. The content is there. Now it's time to transfer that content to our resume.

Let's do that in a few easy steps. We don't want you spending a crazy amount of time creating a resume, so let's be really handy with that 👇

1. Choose a design and structure

‍Before you do that, take a look at these statistics:

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Do you know what that means? You only include the most relevant information in your resume that is absolutely necessary!

Step 1: Select your resume design.

• If we want to use a template, Canva or Novoresume or Ceev LinkedIn Resume Creator great options.
• Some more templates‍
• Otherwise, feel free to Google “resume/templates” and find something that works — we don't want to do all the work for you 😉.
• Don't get too crazy looking for the ideal design — pick something that's easy and readable.

‍Step 2: Select a structure

‍A few recommendations:

• ‍One page. We know it's a fight. Trust us. Maximum one page. - It's okay to start big. If you must, write everything down first and then slowly start abbreviating. Ask yourself — is that decisive? Remember, you only have 6 seconds!
• ‍Anything that appears at the top and left of your resume is seen first and is therefore considered to be the most important.
• ‍Add a skill range, which includes all important skill keywords at the beginning. This can be done in a sidebar or as a main section.
• ‍If you don't have direct experience in the area you're applying for, don't worry. Focus your resume on relevant courses, volunteer work, transferable skills, and relevant extracurricular activities. Highlight your work ethic, positive attitude, and ability to learn. Tailor your resume to the specific position to showcase your strengths and qualifications.
• ‍We want to make sure that there is white space. No one likes to look at a big block of text! Font size 9 or higher — we don't want people to squint! We use bold or italics for emphasis.
• ‍Lastly, we'll ask a friend or colleague to proofread it. You might notice something we've missed!

Now let's look at each section separately:

2. Section separation

‍Before we start disassembling, a warning — what we're giving you here are recommendations. Ultimately, it's your responsibility to create a resume that you feel comfortable with.

‍With that being said, here's an example of what we think is a great resume.

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Now let's take a look at each of the sections step by step! 👇

‍1. Contact details & summary

• photo: Just like LinkedIn - a picture of our upper body looking directly at the camera. No sunglasses, no group photos and no sinister faces please. It's Linkedin, not Tinder!
• ‍contact details: Your phone number, email address, and profiles on LinkedIn and any other platform that adds value to our professional profile (for example, your website, if you have one) To improve the user experience, we should make all of these links clickable!
• ‍Summary or biography: We can work with the same excerpt that you developed for your LinkedIn profile. In this case, however, we would like to reduce it to a maximum of three sentences, ideally two.

2. Relevant professional experience

‍All information that appears here follows in reverse chronological order, from the most recent (appears first) to the oldest.

‍Every experience should have a consistent format.‍

• job title
• firm
• Data in month/year/month/year format
• Perhaps a one-line description of the company
• A short (maximum 3 or 4) list of our most important responsibilities

‍It is very important to differentiate between professional (relevant work experience) and irrelevant work experience.

• Professional or relevant work experience. Any experience that adds value, allows us to move forward, or is directly related to the area we want to focus on in our career.
• ‍Irrelevant work experience. The time you sold ice cream when you were 14 years old. Irrelevant work experience is anything that doesn't add value to our current focus or doesn't help us achieve our long-term goals.

💡 Tip: Any time we're unsure whether to include a specific experience, we need to ask ourselves: Could I explain how that experience makes me more qualified for the role in the interview?

3. Education

‍The education section follows the same structure as the experience section.

4. Skills

‍This section is extremely important. He should be clearly visible and stand out in our resume. We should differentiate between soft skills and hard skills.

‍Add 2-5 soft skills from the Top Skills exercise

IMPORTANT: We. rate. ours. Skills. no.

Why

Our skill level is highly subjective. A 4/5 for you could be 2/5 for someone else. We therefore leave the precise assessment of the capabilities to the companies and let them determine which skill level they regard as sufficient.

5. Languages

‍On the other side We should definitely rate our languages, as there is a universal and objective way to measure your level!

The matrix below should help you add the languages you know.

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example:

• C1 English: C2 Spanish: B1 Arabic: A2 German: A2

‍Alternative language assessment systems

You can also use easier ways to assess your language skills. Either use a scaling system of 1-5 or describe your level in one word (native language, fluent, intermediate or beginner).

6. Miscellaneous

‍This section will include additional points of interest. Again, we only add the ones that add value to your profile:

• hobbies
• Awards/certificates
• Geographic mobility
• Project collaborations

‍💡 Tip: Do you need any more info? Here is a video from Google, where their tech recruiters give us some resume advice!

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Creating the ultimate resume doesn't have to be a daunting task. With these easy-to-follow guidelines and a focus on what HR managers really care about, you can create a fascinating document that showcases your unique skills and experience.

Crafting the ultimate CV doesn't have to be a daunting feat. With these easy-to-follow guidelines and a focus on what hiring managers really care about, you can create a mesmerizing document that showcases your unique skills and experiences. If you need further support with your resume, check out an AI-powered resume builder platform to give you a leg up and on on the right path to a successful search.

Your CV is your chance to make a dazzling first impression, so take the time to make it perfect and let it shine! Best of luck in your job search! 🚀

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This item belongs to The ultimate guide to securing your dream job in 2023! Join us on a journey of discovery as we explore the secrets of building and promoting an outstanding professional identity, the art of creating a winning resume, LinkedIn profile, and networking strategy, and learn the best strategies for finding opportunities, passing interviews, and making the right career decisions. Watch the full series here on! Join us in our next chapter, where we'll give you the 7 essential steps to create a standout LinkedIn profile that will help you shine in 2023, will deliver.

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