Vous avez des difficultés à rédiger votre curriculum vitae en anglais ? Poursuivez votre lecture, car nous allons détailler les éléments clés et le format d’un CV en Irlande. Ce document essentiel représente votre première opportunité de faire bonne impression auprès d’un employeur potentiel, il est donc crucial d’y apporter un soin particulier ! Ne vous inquiétez pas, nous allons tout expliquer dans cet article.
A CV, or curriculum vitae, is an important document that details your personality, education and work experience to date. Any job application will require a CV, and a good one is crucial to catch the employer’s eye and secure an interview. A CV is essentially a summary of you on paper, and it is very important that this document represents you well. Electronic or on paper, your CV is the first impression prospective employers will have of you. Continue reading to discover how you should construct a CV in English.
In Ireland, a simple layout is normally used. Although most CVs follow a similar format, the content will vary greatly depending on the candidate, as well as the particular job opening. Any CV should be tailored to a specific job application. The format of a good CV would look something like this:
- The candidate’s name and contact details (email address, phone number and home address) should appear at the top of the first page. A link or QR code that leads to your LinkedIn profile would be a nice touch. If you wish, you could also include a short description of yourself in this section. I would recommend highlighting qualities that the employer would be looking for, or perhaps qualities that may not appear elsewhere on your CV.
- The next section usually consists of work experience (if you have just recently finished education, then education would instead come next). You should list past jobs from most recent to furthest in the past, and again, focus on those which are sure to interest the recruiter. After listing the job title and key responsibilities, I would recommend adding a few lines describing your particular role and perhaps even some skills you gained or developed during your time there. The key is to prove to the employer that you have been employed in the past, preferably gaining experience in areas which would be useful for the upcoming employment opportunity.
- Key academic results should then be listed. Try to include results from exams or courses that relate to the job you are applying for, so that the prospective employer is enticed by your experience. This section should be used to demonstrate your knowledge and academic achievements related to the job opportunity.
- Following your academic results, I would recommend adding a section compiling key skills and personality traits that you are proud of, as well as interests or achievements. If you have been awarded a prize, this would certainly be worth mentioning, as well as any hobbies or life skills that help you appeal to the prospective employer. This is arguably the most subjective part of the document; you should really use your creative license here, and let your personality shine through.
- The final section must include at least two references: one academic reference, and one former or current employer. You should include the reference’s title, your relationship to them and their contact details. Be sure to select people you can trust to reassure prospective employers that you are a fantastic candidate!
Your CV should be between one and two A4 pages in length, but certainly no longer than two. It should be well-structured and concise. Try to use clean fonts with a professional look, and a font size between 10 and 12. You can find a good example of a standard Irish CV here, towards the bottom of the page.
If you are applying for a job with any of the European Institutions or simply want your CV to be more fit for use across EU borders, the Europass CV layout would be a good one to follow. This is the preferred form of CV in many European or EU bodies, and can be completed in digital form. You can find a useful guide here. You could certainly use this same format in Ireland and the UK, although it is slightly less common than the traditional format set out above.
Continuing this digital trend, don’t forget the value of a LinkedIn profile in your job search! Although not a full CV, the easy apply function within the LinkedIn app is very useful. Don’t underestimate the ability to make valuable connections through the platform, either.
You CV is undoubtedly an important document. It outlines how you can be contacted, your level of education, your job history and any other traits or achievements of note. Don’t rush into drafting this document; you must take your time to really digest your employment history and decide what should and should not be included.
When you finally come to compiling these experiences on paper, you must have a very clear understanding of them so that your personality shines through. Maintain a formal tone, ensure your CV is drafted neatly and then, once it is something you are truly proud of, you can begin to circulate it around towns, cities and the Internet! When you are, at long last, ready to apply to jobs, don’t forget to include a cover letter for good measure.
Sources
https://ie.indeed.com/career-advice/cvs-cover-letters/cv-layout
https://www.jobs.ie/job-talk/the-ultimate-guide-to-cover-letter-writing-and-cv-tips/
https://europa.eu/europass/eportfolio/screen/cv-editor?lang=en
https://europa.eu/europass/en/create-europass-cv
https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a512388/apply-for-jobs-on-linkedin?lang=en
https://www.jobs.ie/job-talk/how-to-write-a-cover-letter/
