The C.V.

A properly written C.V. can – in many cases – mean the direct way to the interview. What would the future employer like to see in the C.V.?

Naturally, it is not the best strategy to simply repeat the expectations included in the job advertisement. It is much more important to give truthful information and data related to us and to describe our most important skills and abilities. Sincerity is important as it is unpleasant if we are caught lying during the interview.

C.V.s can be put into two categories: one is the short resume and the other one is the professional C.V.
It is worth attaching a cover letter to the short one.

In this case, the resume should only contain our basic data: personal data (name, date of birth, address, phone number, e-mail address) as well as data concerning education, qualifications and previous workplaces.

What the employer is most interested in is your career: where and when you have worked, for which companies and in what positions, whether you have worked continuously, how much time you have spent at each workplace and why you have changed workplaces.

In the short resume it is enough to list workplaces in a chronological order, possibly starting from the latest one and going back in time to the first one.

Young people starting their career, those who are applying for subordinate positions or would like to find a job in the field of administration, customer service, assistance or skilled and semi-skilled work can write a short resume. It should not exceed a length of 1.5 pages.

The C.V. contains detailed information related to the applicant`s most important duties in the given position, it is descriptive in its nature and its length is about 2-3 pages. It briefly summarises the most essential activities performed and results achieved by the applicant in the given position.

This way the employer can draw conclusions concerning the applicant`s career development, current abilities and professional competence. This type of C.V. is particularly important in middle and senior management positions and in positions where special skills, expertise or not too frequent qualifications are expected.

Clarity is essential for both types of document be it handwritten or typed. It is, however, a fact that typed documents are more welcome.

You shouldn`t think that the future employer would look for information concerning where you have been employed not quite legally. Many employers are sceptical when seeing workplaces that are not included – holes in your C.V. – due to similar reasons. They question your persistence, seriousness and reliability since this way you may also suggest that you may want to hide something.

In the case of career entrants, the employer is most interested in their professional practice, ambitions, goals and orientation and their expectations towards their future (first) workplace, interest in the sought position and fields will feature during the interview.

If you also write a cover letter, it must reveal at first glance which job you are applying for and what the motivation is behind your application. You must also be careful to include the addressee’s data properly in the cover letter.

What you should observe when writing your C.V.?

• Be concise, structured and informative

• Include your studies and work experience

• The data included in your C.V. should always reflect the truth about you. Your command of languages and computer skills can be easily checked.

• The appropriate length is important and should not exceed 2 pages even if you are an experienced employee. You can improve the length of your C.V. if you only include the past 10-15 years. In the case of senior applicants, it is not necessary to include former experiences.

• Do not forget to add your name and contact data.

• Summarise your former positions in 2-4 sentences, describe your duties, what company management systems you have used, etc.

• If you speak a foreign language at least at a level that allows communication, it is practical to prepare your C.V. in all these languages. It is a very good point and you will probably easily make it over the obstacles in the language interview. The foreign-language C.V. should never be shorter than the Hungarian one.

• The personality of the candidates is largely reflected by the C.V. they have prepared; therefore, it is practical if you do not base your C.V. on a template but prepare a unique, tailor-made one.

• Always attach the documents required in the application procedure, even in an application via e-mail.

• The cover letter must be addressed to the employer. It is advisable to add the candidate`s name and contact data, possibly also the reference number.

• Read the job advertisement thoroughly and apply only to a job the requirements of which you believe you can meet.

• When applying to a new job, you should consider what information is publically available on social media sites on the Internet. Check what pictures are public since there might be photos available to anyone that might not show you in a good light.

Parts of the C.V.:

1. Name

• The name should always be included in the C.V., possibly at the top of the document

2. Personal data/contact data

• Place and date of birth
• Address
• Temporary address (only if other than address)
• Telephone number
• E-mail address

The most frequent mistake is that the C.V. does not contain contact data. It is essential that we do not give a fixed or work phone number.
Candidates often include a funny e-mail address. Such e-mail addresses do not fit a C.V. and make the candidate seem unserious.

3. Qualifications

Be careful to keep a chronological order. It is practical to start with the latest qualification and go backwards as these qualifications are the most interesting ones for an HR specialist.

4. Work experience

Chronology is important here, too: it is advisable to start with the latest experiences. Make sure that there are no visible gaps in the list. It is a frequent mistake that only the name of the position is indicated next to the workplace or the description is too lengthy. It is enough to list the activities here. You should not give a negative description about your previous workplace. It is important to highlight the experiences that are essential for the job you apply for.

5. Formatting/style

You should not send a bulky, unstructured text as a C.V.: pay attention to the chronology and the formatting, use the means of highlighting, such as underlining or bold text.

6. Customising

Pay attention to freshness; make sure there are no grammatical or spelling mistakes in your C.V. Use the spell-checker to check your spelling. Read your C.V. before sending it, if necessary, several times since the lack of preciseness is very visible. Always update the date, the family data and the address.

7. Photo

A passport photo is enough. If an application with a photo is requested, don`t send your C.V. without it.

8. The name of the document

It is best to name the file after yourself, marking the Hungarian and the foreign-language C.V. in the file name.