http://www.esade.edu/talentcareerforum/students/curriculumvitae

Students

How to prepare your Curriculum Vitae

How to prepare your CV

A simple and efficient document

Professional experience

Hobbies and other important data

Other sources of information and/or examples

How to prepare your CVThe resume is the equivalent to the first impression a company will have about you. In this document you willhighlight the academic, professional and even personal experiences that best reflect your personality andyour way of working.

It is absolutely crucial that your CV is well drafted to ensure that it will not shut any door. It is very common inthe first job forums or presentations you begin to compare your resume with your peers. The first logical thoughtis that they look all very similar, and it is normal to get inspired by the CV of colleagues or friends. Your CV doesnot need to be prettier than others, have more content or grab more visual attention. What is important is thatyou understand why the company needs it, so you can adapt it the best way possible and get the results youwant.

A simple and efficient documentA CV is a business card, a presentation of the person and professional you are. So it should contain allrelevant information about you. In addition, companies manage hundreds of resumes per day and must do itvery quickly, so the fact that a CV occupies more than one page often predisposes negatively to the interviewer.Gather all information into a single page, organize it logically and, above all, make sure that the points that thecompany may consider relevant for the position you are applying to stand out as much as possible.

In your resume you must put the information in a schematic way so it could be understandable at first sight.The information should be arranged chronologically so that the interviewer can get an idea of your entireacademic and professional path. For this reason, the periods of time spent on each thing has to be clearlyreflected. Also, try not to leave “blank periods” in your CV because they tend to look suspicious. If you do leavea period of time unaccounted for, assume that they will ask about these periods during the interview.

Professional experienceWhile a student is preparing their first CV, they wonder about the company’s perception of the lack of workexperience (or very little). If this is your case, do not worry, the interviewers are aware that an undergraduatestudent does not have nor need to have professional experience. If you are worried about addingprofessional experiences on your CV, and are considering putting that you were a waiter or hostess in a summerconference, Consider this: Depending on how you position it in relation to the rest of your resume it can beperceived in one of two ways…as an example that you have good attitude and willingness to work or as a way ofoccupying space unnecessarily. In order to be relevant it must show that it taught you something that will beuseful in your future career.

Also, it is very important that you go further than naming your title or position: describe your responsibilitiesand what you learned. When a company hires a young professional, it is not interested in the position he heldduring an internship or a full-time job as much as in the practical training he received at that time. Remember toinclude also a brief summary of the company (what it does, where it is, etc) in case it is not widely known.

Hobbies and other important dataBe sure to include your hobbies and personal interests. For the company to know if you have the profile for theposition, they must know you as a person. Besides, think how you occupy your free time says a lot about yourpersonality.

Use the classic "traveling, movies and reading" only if it is really true. One objective of the interview is to verifythat you speak the truth on your CV and it will not cost the interviewer anything to ask you to comment the lastbook you've read.

Other sources of information and/or examples

http://www.resume-resource.com/resume-tips.html

http://www.resume-resource.com/examples.html

http://jobsearch.about.com/od/sampleresumes/a/sampleresume2.htm

http://www.resume-help.org/resume_writing_tips.htm