Most potential employers read the CV before reading the letter of application. They must find the most important information on you and your career in your CV. Your CV contains a number of important details, therefore it must be easy to read, and be attractive and clearly structured. You should therefore draw up your CV in a schematic way, using the following categories: Personal information: put your name, address, telephone number and e mail address at the top of the page. Experience: this is the most important part of your CV as far as employers are concerned. Pay special attention to this part, preferably starting with your most recent experience. List all the jobs you have had to date and briefly describe their content. Indicate the most important tasks involved, using key words and perhaps mentioning responsibilities you have held (for instance, the number of employees, budget responsibilities, etc.) and/or add information on the company (number of employees, turnover, etc.). You should mention your professional successes and major projects you have completed. Young graduates can list training periods or other examples of professional experience. Training: we advise you to start with your most recent training course, which is often the most important for your career. Moreover, it is better to start with upper secondary school education or university. Mention the title of your dissertation and/or doctorate and, perhaps, your results. Additional training: mention the seminars and training which are important given the post you are applying for and the company you are contacting. Skills and aptitudes: in this part of your CV, you are being asked to describe demonstrable facts such as computer skills, technical skills and other aptitudes. Language knowledge – you should use a separate section as language knowledge is very important in Belgium. Adapt your covering letter according to the company you are applying to or the advertisement. Describe yourself in your letter. Mention your personality as well as your profile. State clearly what your strong points are and how you are different from other candidates with the same degree. Make sure that your letter stands out. If you are applying speculatively, you are applying to a particular company, but not for any particular post. This makes it more difficult to write a covering letter as you cannot gear it to a specific job. Therefore it is important to state clearly and convincingly what your career objective is. Remember, there are no guidelines for covering letters and each employer will have his own personal opinion about this. Source: European Union © European Communities, 1995-2009
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