CV requirements

Everyone who is looking for a job faces the question of writing a resume. And in such a case, do not forget that this is not just a free description of you as a specialist, but a real document with its own technical requirements. A resume drawn up in accordance with all standards will certainly impress the recruiter. Moreover, in different countries the requirements may differ (therefore, to create a CV, you cannot simply translate a Russian-language resume into English).
Requirements for CV design
The volume of the document should not exceed 2 A4 pages. The best option is 1-1.5. Format – most often doc, less often – PDF.
Failure to comply with the design standards leads to the fact that it is difficult for a recruiter to read the document, find key information in it. In this case, your resume may be completely ignored.
The following mistakes should be avoided when designing:
- Lots of styles.
All resumes should be written in one font; you can use lists and bold headings to highlight information. Sometimes applicants are too zealous with the design, as a result of which there is a lot of italics, underlines, and other highlighting in the document, which looks “clumsy” and complicates the perception of information.
- No spacing between lines and paragraphs.
In Word, the spacing settings can be found in the top menu. “Continuous” text without indents is extremely difficult to read.
- Missing lists.
It is difficult to do without them in sections such as “Achievements” or “Work experience”. It is not allowed to put all enumerated variables on one line.
Requirements for individual resume sections
Photo
Placed in the top or right corner. Format – vertical or square. Size – 35×45 mm recommended as in standard documents.
Residence
It is customary to write here not only the city and the region, but also the readiness to move and travel.
Contact details
This section requires a phone number and email address. In this case, the name of the latter must be neutral and businesslike.
Title
The official name of the open vacancy (one is required).
Key Skills
5-7 basic skills in the form of a list, except for PC and language skills – they are usually indicated at the end of the resume.
Achievements
Up to 5 key achievements, also as a list.
Work experience
Places of work (either the last 3 or all of the last 10 years) are indicated in reverse chronological order. In addition to the names of companies, you need information about their field of activity, city of location, period of work in them (in the format “month, year of start of work – month, year of graduation) and, of course, your position and responsibilities (5-7) in each of the firms … Responsibilities are formalized in lists.
Education
Reverse chronological order must also be used here. Format for listing educational institutions: year of graduation – name of institution – faculty – specialty – qualification. When specifying the courses passed: year of completion – name of the educational organization – name of the course.
Additional information
We indicate the levels of proficiency in foreign languages and PC using the generally accepted classification. For English, these are designations such as Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate, Advanced, Fluent; for German: Beginner, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper-Intermediate, Advanced, Proficiency. For PC: user, confident user, advanced user, programmer.
Recommendations
It is customary to write “Recommendations are provided on request”.
In order not to get confused in all the requirements for design and drafting, you can use a professional resume template:
It meets all modern standards, so you just need to replace the information available there with data about yourself.
Requirements for writing a resume in English
The criteria for CV (Europe) and resume (USA) are different from the requirements for a Russian-language resume. Points to watch out for:
Date of birth
The date format is different in different countries, therefore it is recommended to write the month in words (or be guided by the format of the country in which you plan to work).
Objective Section
It specifies the desired position.
Academic degrees
In our country and abroad, the names of qualifications are different, this should be taken into account. For example, in other states there is no Specialist degree. When specifying the qualifications obtained at the educational institution, be guided by the country in which you are going to find a job.
In addition to all that has been said, consider the requirements that the employer may put forward in the vacancy text. For example, send a full-length photo, attach a test assignment, a portfolio, send a resume in a specific format, or indicate the desired salary in the document.
