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Instructions for using the Europass curriculum vitae

(http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu)

Introduction

Drawing up a curriculum vitae is an important step in looking for any job or training. The CV is often the first contact

with a future employer. It needs to seize the reader's attention immediately and to demonstrate why you should be

given an interview.

Important! Employers generally spend no more than a minute on each CV when making an initial selection from

applications received. If you fail to make the right impact, you will waste your opportunity.

Read the following information carefully before entering your details into the template.

General recommendations

Before starting to write your curriculum vitae, remind yourself of a few important principles:

Take care over the presentation of your CV

Set out your qualifications, skills and competences clearly and logically, so that your specific attributes are

easily seen.

Give proper attention to all relevant detail, both of substance and presentation; there is no excuse for

mistakes in spelling and punctuation!

Concentrate on the essentials

a CV must be brief: in most cases, two pages are enough to show who and what you are. A three page CV

may be considered too long in some countries, even if your work experience is outstanding.

if your work experience is still limited (because you have just left school or university), describe your

education and training first; highlight work placements during training (see online examples);

concentrate on essential information that brings added value to your application: work experience or

training which is old or not relevant for the application can be omitted.

Adapt your CV to suit the post applied for

Systematically check your CV every time you want to send it to an employer to see if it corresponds to the

profile required; highlight your advantages according to the specific requirements of the prospective employer.

A good knowledge of the company will help you tailoring your CV to the appropriate profile.

Take care: do not artificially inflate your CV; if you do, you are likely to be found out at the interview.

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