"Hide not your Talents. They for use were made. What's a sundial in the shade."  (Benjamin Franklin)

 

COMPOSING A WINNING RESUME

Backgrounds and content
  • In today’s world of international matrix structures, chances are you will have to sell yourself to someone who does not speak your native language. So you may need to provide your resume and/or curriculum vitae (CV) in English. It is essential to always have an up-to-date English copy ready.
  • Many of the executives who make hiring decisions read CVs and resumes electronically while travelling. It’s helpful if they are both easy to read and understand.
  • Your career – your story – should be accurate and compelling. Talk about accomplishments and avoid redundancies.
  • There is no “one-size-fits-all” resume. Tailor the content of your resume to the job description you are applying for.
  • In today’s fast-paced working environments, it is quite rare for decision makers to take the time to read two or three application documents (CV, work certificates, diploma, etc.) in parallel. Therefore, it’s best to put all relevant information into your CV or resume. If necessary, your CV may fill two or more pages.
  • What you put in your CV is your face to a potential employer – it’s your marketing vehicle. If the content does not attract attention, it is unlikely that you will be invited for an interview.
  • In addition to your personal information, think like a salesman and start your CV with a clear, concise positioning statement or objective that is 2-3 sentences long and tells a potential employer your unique personal propositions.
  • For each position you have held, provide a description of your responsibilities and accomplishments. Stick to describing your core functions. Also mention hard facts (reporting to, power of attorney, turnover, reports, results, etc.) to give to the reader an impression of the dimensions of your responsibilities.
  • Add your educational background, language and technical skills, training, affiliations/appointments, licenses, etc.

 

Some technical hints

  • Select an easy-to-read type face and letter size, chose a comprehensive layout, take advantage of the spell-checking functions in Word.
  • Set up your resume in reverse chronological order, starting with your current or most recent position. Start and end dates should include the month and year. If you held several positions in the same company, provide the start and end dates for these as well.
  • Send your resume in PDF format.
  • Do not put scans of certificates into your CV as this might boost up file size and companies may have file size restrictions for incoming email.

 

To your advantage

 

Be Smart. Provide all your complete contact information (private address, private or mobile phone, and private email address). These days a good part of communication is done via email or social networks. By providing your private contact details, you make sure that all communication between you and us during the recruitment process remains confidential. We also frequently face situations in which candidates provide only their company mobile phone number and then are difficult to reach once they have left the company.

 

Be Cautious. Be sure that your LinkedIn, Xing or other professional network account is linked to your private email address only. This is the only way that you can prevent emails coming through these networks from being viewed by someone at your current company.
Interview