The key to success: find out how to write a good CV!
When you decide to take up or change a job, it is worth preparing your CV – Curriculum Vitae. Its content is of great importance for the first impression we make on a potential employer, which may decide about our employment.
Is a CV for working abroad different from a traditional one? Generally speaking, no, but it is worth paying attention to several aspects, such as the language in which it is written. Want to know more? We invite you to read further. In this article, we would like to introduce you to the most important rules for writing a CV that will help you find a job in the Netherlands and beyond!
Remember that you can write your CV yourself or use free creators available on the Internet that will make the process of creating a professional CV easier.
A solid CV is the key to success
Is it always necessary to prepare a CV? Of course not. Some employers, such as Duijndam Works, do not always require their candidates to send a CV. To apply for employment through our agency, simply complete the short registration form. However, attaching a well-prepared CV to the application can improve the entire recruitment process. Additionally, we can be sure that we have included all important information about our professional career and other issues that the recruiter may ask about during the interview and that we may simply forget about. Before you start creating your CV, remember that if you are applying for a job in an international company or looking for a job abroad, it is worth checking the requirements of a given job offer in which language the CV should be written. Once you know what language you will use to prepare your CV, it’s time to consider what information about us should be included in it – we are in a hurry to answer!
What is a good CV?
First of all, when it comes to content, it is worth writing factually, clearly and, above all, truthfully, especially when it comes to our experience and qualifications. Any false information in your CV will be revealed sooner or later – this can happen even at the interview stage or during work. Especially when going to work abroad, posting false information is quite risky because it may result in immediate loss of job and the need to return to the country. Many employers appreciate honesty regarding qualifications and are willing to train an employee to perform specific tasks. Therefore, it is always worth focusing on honesty and reliability when creating a professional CV. Instead of embellishing reality, it is worth focusing on your actual achievements and skills that you have to offer to the employer.
Before you start…
When planning to prepare your CV, it is important to understand that there are several key elements that should be included in this document. The necessary information includes not only standard sections such as professional experience and education, but also details about any language skills or certificates that may be relevant to working in a given position. Therefore, it is important to carefully review the employer’s requirements and expectations contained in the advertisement and to adapt the content of the CV to the specificity of a given job offer.
What should a CV contain?
Personal data
At the beginning of every CV, it is important to introduce yourself. You must provide your name, surname, full date of birth and contact details such as e-mail address and telephone number.
Correct contact details help employers act quickly and efficiently. Lack of or incorrect information may delay the recruitment process or result in the loss of the opportunity to contact a potential employer. Therefore, it is worth ensuring that the information provided is accurate and up-to-date.
Education
Another important aspect is our education, including completed schools and courses that may increase the attractiveness of our candidacy for a specific position.
However, please remember that it does not make sense to provide information about all schools completed. It is worth including information about the school where we obtained the highest degree of education or the school where we obtained education related to the position we are applying for, if we have one. From the employer’s point of view, not all information is important and may unnecessarily lengthen our CV. Therefore, it is worth focusing on presenting those aspects of our education that are most important for a given position and industry. In the case of many offers, especially those related to work abroad, the level and type of education are less important than the experience or skills you have, but it is still worth including them in your CV.
Professional experience
Professional experience is the key and most important part of every CV, also when applying for a job abroad. A potential employer wants to know what we did before, how long we did it and what our responsibilities were. In the case of performing technical or logistic functions, it is also worth mentioning what qualifications and certificates we have obtained that we could use in our next job. When describing professional experience, let’s focus on a broad discussion of tasks that may be related to the position offered and will emphasize our value to the employer. When applying for a job offer in the Netherlands, due to the specificity of this labor market, it is worth including a detailed description of all experience gained in this country in your CV, even if it is not strictly related to the offer you are applying for. Thanks to this, we have a chance to have a wider selection of offers and better match them to our candidacy.
Interests
Even though interests are not crucial when looking for a job, they are a valuable source of information for the employer. They can help the employer see additional potential in us that could be used.
Clause – processing of personal data
The employment company or agency must receive your consent to process personal data for recruitment purposes. Therefore, an appropriate clause should be included in your professional CV. A CV without this element is incomplete.
Example clause:
I consent to the processing of my personal data by [company name] for the purpose of recruiting for the position I am applying for.
If you are interested in more than one job offer from a given employer, it is worth adding an additional clause so that your consent to the processing of personal data is effective not only in one recruitment, but also so that the employer can consider your application multiple times. To do this, include the following formula in your CV:
I also consent to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of conducting future recruitment by the above-mentioned company.
Summary
Searching for a new job and the recruitment process can be stressful, so it is worth preparing well and systematizing information about us in the form of a well-written CV. Are you planning to work in the Netherlands? You are in the right place. Duijndam Works, as a certified employment agency in the Netherlands with over 25 years of experience, will easily help you find a job in line with your experience, expectations and predispositions. Fill out the application here and if you want, attach your CV prepared with the help of our tips – and we will take care of the rest and we will be happy to we will help you find a new job in the Netherlands!