A convincing Curriculum Vitae
Your CV is always the first and sometimes the only thing that gets read. So a convincing and clear CV is essential. We have prepared 15 tips for you to help you write a strong CV. Still stuck? View the two model CVs for inspiration.
1. Make sure your CV is always completely up-to-date.
2. Check whether you need to adjust your CV for each application: try to incorporate key words from the job ad in your CV.
3. Make your CV personal. Add an attractive but businesslike photo and explain in brief (no more than 3 lines) who you are, what you are looking for and what you have to offer.
4. Divide your CV up into 5 headings: personal information, education, work experience, other work experience and additional information.
5. Make your CV no longer than 2-3 pages. If you have a lot of publications, list them in a separate appendix, to which you refer in your CV.
2. Check whether you need to adjust your CV for each application: try to incorporate key words from the job ad in your CV.
3. Make your CV personal. Add an attractive but businesslike photo and explain in brief (no more than 3 lines) who you are, what you are looking for and what you have to offer.
4. Divide your CV up into 5 headings: personal information, education, work experience, other work experience and additional information.
5. Make your CV no longer than 2-3 pages. If you have a lot of publications, list them in a separate appendix, to which you refer in your CV.
1. Keep personal information brief. First and last name, address, private e-mail address, date of birth and mobile number are sufficient.
2. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is fully up to date and include the link in your CV.
3. List your education and work experience in reverse chronological order. In other words, start with your most recent job. Clearly state the timeframe (mm/yyyy – mm/yyyy).
4. All relevant work experience counts, including internships and graduation projects. List these under ‘work experience’ and not under ‘education’.
5. Under ‘work experience’, state your role (and the title/objective of your research), but above all describe concisely your duties, responsibilities and achievements.
6. List the most important techniques/skills you applied or learned in the corresponding time period. That way, the recruiter will know when you gained this experience and how long for.
7. If you have a lot of work experience, describe older positions (more than 7-10 years ago) briefly, so that your CV does not get too long. This also puts the emphasis on your recent experience.
8. Keep sentences short and regularly use bullets. Don’t write reams of text! That will not put the recruiter in a good mood. Consider the relevance of everything you put down and above all be honest.
9. Thoroughly check your spelling one more time! Preferably get someone else to read it.
10. List references (name, organisation, job title), but without contact details. Do check with those individuals beforehand that they are happy for you to give their names!
2. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is fully up to date and include the link in your CV.
3. List your education and work experience in reverse chronological order. In other words, start with your most recent job. Clearly state the timeframe (mm/yyyy – mm/yyyy).
4. All relevant work experience counts, including internships and graduation projects. List these under ‘work experience’ and not under ‘education’.
5. Under ‘work experience’, state your role (and the title/objective of your research), but above all describe concisely your duties, responsibilities and achievements.
6. List the most important techniques/skills you applied or learned in the corresponding time period. That way, the recruiter will know when you gained this experience and how long for.
7. If you have a lot of work experience, describe older positions (more than 7-10 years ago) briefly, so that your CV does not get too long. This also puts the emphasis on your recent experience.
8. Keep sentences short and regularly use bullets. Don’t write reams of text! That will not put the recruiter in a good mood. Consider the relevance of everything you put down and above all be honest.
9. Thoroughly check your spelling one more time! Preferably get someone else to read it.
10. List references (name, organisation, job title), but without contact details. Do check with those individuals beforehand that they are happy for you to give their names!
Example CV's
Still stuck? View the two model CV’s for inspiration.
Get your CV checked for free!
If you have already incorporated our CV tips, you can have us check your CV for you. We have expertise in chemistry and the life sciences and we know what is important to mention. We’re happy to help! Submit your CV for a free check. The only thing you have to do ‘in return’ is to allow us to register your CV so that we can keep you informed about our current vacancies.
More than just tips
Of course, we can offer you much more than just tips. Based on your preferences, we can help you find the right job. Not registered with us yet? Please sign up right away, then we can get to work on your behalf! What’s more, with our vacancies update we’ll keep you informed about job vacancies in your field weekly.