Building your CV

For a well-organized CV, it is advisable to include at least the following topics.

Personal details

Keep your personal details compact so you have more space for more interesting things that are important to your CV.

• Place a correct and fresh passport photo
• First name and Surname
• Street name
• Postal code City
• Date of birth
• Phone number (mobile)
• Email address (naam@mail.com)
• LinkedIn: nl.linkedin.com/in/firstname

The personal profile

Adding a personal profile makes your CV stand out. Make sure you are brief and to the point, but do try to characterise yourself. It is important that you tell something about yourself, your achievements and your ambitions, but be careful not to be too standard. Are you responding to a specific vacancy? Then use the most important keywords from the vacancy text.

Here are some examples of a personal profile:

• As an enthusiastic woman, I go for my goal, I do not avoid challenges and I am eager to learn. My work attitude is positive, precise and creative.
• My greatest achievements to date: I have completed my secondary school diploma with very good results, making me one of the 10% best students in the Netherlands. I graduated in Commercial Economics with the highest average score of the program.
• It is my dream to work for a leading company in the FMCG industry. To fulfil a role there in which I can combine my passions: innovations and sustainability.

The trainings and courses

Work in a-chronological order, put the most recent training or course at the top and work your way down, so your first course is at the bottom. Did you get your diploma? If so, name it.

Example of an education:

• Education: Master Economics and Business
• Specialization: Marketing
• Institute: Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Period: September 2018 – July 2019
• Subjects: Marketing Research and Analysis, Branding, Sales and Account Management, Strategic Marketing, Marketing and Developing New Products, New Media Analytics and Sustainability and Innovation.
• Diploma achieved: July 2019

Example of courses taken:

• Google Online Marketing (2017)
• Cambridge English B1 (2014)
• Elementary Accounting (2014)

Always name the training and courses separately, but they may fall under the same heading.

Work experience

It is important to mention at least the name and location of the company, and of course your job title. Show that you have grown in your work experience, by showing that you have learned something new each time you worked for different employers.

Example of work experience:

• Job title: Marketing intern
• Period: August 2018 – December 2018
• Company: ErasmusTalent
• Work: (work with bullet points)

• Investigate potential areas for further growth;
• Create and implement a social media strategy;
• Organizing events;
• Maintaining customer relationships.

Ancillary activities

Have you performed any special activities that are (indirectly) related to your work? Mention these in your CV, things like voluntary work, a year on the board of the student union etc.

The skills

What skills do you have? List these in your resume.

Examples of computer skills:

• Microsoft Word;
• Microsoft PowerPoint;
• Microsoft Excel;
• Google Analytics;
• Adobe Photoshop;
• IBM SPSS Software.

Examples of language skills:

• Dutch (preferably supplemented with your level);
• English;
• German.

Examples of personal skills:

• Working together;
• Responsible;
• Motivated;
• Focus;
• Leadership.

The hobbies

Do you have any special hobbies and would you like to share them on your CV? Do so! Remember that what you write down needs to be true, for example if you list your hobby as tennis but you have never played tennis it might be better not to mention it.

Examples of hobbies:

• Travel;
• Tennis;
• Reading;
• Music (playing, listening).

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