What You Should Put On your First CV
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You should begin with your name and contact information. You might want to include your mobile number, email address and LinkedIn page. But, there’s no need to add your date of birth or home address.
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Next, give a summary of your experience and goals. Include a bit about who you are, your skills, achievements, and what you would bring to an organisation. Don’t add things like salary requirements or reasons for leaving your last opportunity.
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Add your work experience and education. You should include: The company name, Job title, key responsibilities, key achievements and dates worked.
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Add in any relevant industry associations you’re a member of or awards you’ve gained. Do you have your skills in coding languages, software or databases? Add them here!
If you’re writing your first CV, 1-2 pages should be enough. And remember the golden rule: Never lie on a CV.
What To Include On CVs For Internships
The main thing is to keep what you’re saying short and engaging. Summarising your experience and aspirations on one page is ideal. If you’ve been involved in something that needs more explanation, then you could attach an extra page. But leave all the key points on one page. Remember, at the beginning of your career, you are unlikely to have lots of experience.
Make sure you highlight and showcase the skills you have such as:
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Organisation
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Motivation
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Passion
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Attention to detail
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Creativity.
The hiring manager will be more interested in your ability to come up with solutions or tackle challenges than your experience that matches the role exactly.
This article was written by Chantel Rademeyer, Director of Falcon Brook Search. Find more CV tips here.
