10 Tips for a Good CV

Your CV is the first thing a recruiter sees. It determines how much time a recruiter will spend on your candidature and whether they will contact you for a personal interview.

Experienced recruiters review over 1,000 CVs a year and decide in a few seconds whether the profile could fit the job they are looking for. It is therefore important that your skills and experience are clearly visible. If your candidature is a potential «match», a detailed check takes several minutes. Certificates and diplomas are checked and compared with your CV.

Tips from our Recruiters

We asked our Kelly Recruiters what they look for in a CV and what they notice in their day-to-day work. Here are ten tips for a good CV, including a template:

1. Choose a clear CV design so that the information is easy to find.
2. Apply with a clear CV format. Apply with a PDF document in which all (relevant) files are summarised.
3. Customise your CV and include a short personal profile for each individual position you apply to.
4. In addition to your name, you can also add a title (e.g. an academic degree or a professional certification such as PHD, FA, EFZ).
5. If you have a profile on LinkedIn, add the link under the personal details.
6. Your CV should be 1-3 pages long and highlight the most important points. Details are in your reference letters or can be asked for in an interview.
7. Attach a short cover letter to your application in which you highlight specific points about the position you are applying to or mention information about the desired workload and availability.
8. Sector/profession-specific information: e.g. for IT professions programming languages are important or for Life Sciences professions laboratory skills, etc.
9. If you are at the beginning of your career, write down your goals or career aspirations. This will give you a better idea of where you want to go.
10. Pay attention to details and check your candidature for typos and spelling.

Free CV Template

Download our free CV template now. You'll find more tips on how to design and structure your very own CV.

We wish you much inspiration and success for your future applications.