The curriculum vitae (CV) – your career

General recommendations

 Your CV should describe your personal career.  List your activities in reverse order (from the most recent to the oldest).  Make sure the layout is clear and the font is easy to read.  Make sure the text is error-free and the wording clear and precise.  Make sure your CV is personal and shows an authentic picture of you.  It should be no more than 1-to- 2 pages long.

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Contact Data

Do: Complete data, professional mail address. FHNW address can be used, too (visible sign of being a student). Photos only in Switzerland (rules: professional quality, neutral background, adequate dressing (regarding industry or function). Don’t: Suspicious mail address (e.g., Doom-Master@hotmail.com).

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Personal data

Do: Citizenship and date of birth are mandatory. Foreign citizens: residence permit. A short profil with three to four elements improves the meaningfulness of the CV. Don’t: Marital status is optional only. Citizenship must be mentioned when there are uncertainties about working permits.

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Education

Do: For students, this comes before work experience. Major study fields and project works can be mentioned. Study semesters abroad should be stated in any case. Don’t: Detailed list of all subjects at the university. Elementary school not required (only when abroad).

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Work experience

Do: Employer, function, pensum. Main activities are listed in note form (check the relevance for the specific application). Don’t: Too generic formulations (“helped“, „assisted“ etc.), too extensive lists.

Additional activities

Do: Activities and engagement beyond education and work experience. You show committment in other areas. Don’t: Your hobbies will be shown in the “interest” section only.

Language and IT skills

Do: Use the European Language Scale to grade your language skills (A1, A2, B1 etc.). Be honest when it comes to your real competences. List diplomas and certificates you attained. Don’t: Basic skills and competences with no relevance for the specific application shall not mentioned.

Interests (Hobbies)

Do: Your interests give a more differentiated picture of your person. Try to be specific. Don’t: Generic formulations such as “sports”, “reading”, “travelling” without further comments. Avoid interests such as “meeting with friends”, “socializing” etc.

References

Do: Provide references when explicitly asked for. Don’t: References are not provided if not explicitly required. In this case, you can omit this section.

Layout of CV (Page layout) 5

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«Modern» layout

You can let your imagination run free when it comes to the presentation of your CV. However, keep in mind that the document must be appropriate for the addressee. Here are some examples of "modern" and "fresh" layouts.

Presentation of language and IT skills

English  MS Word

Spanish  MS Excel