Drawing up a CV

A chronological CV is a clearly structured curriculum vitae where a person’s journey is easy to follow. The information is presented in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent level of education and most recent work experience come first.

A chronological CV is suitable if your previous work experience is directly related to the post you are applying for, if you are continuing in the same field and you wish to highlight your development in it.

However, writing your CV in chronological order may not be suitable if you have a lot of breaks in your working life or change jobs very often, as a chronological CV highlights these aspects. But it also depends on whether you are comfortable explaining the reasons for the breaks and job changes, or whether you would rather focus on the skills and experience you can bring to the table.

A functional CV is structured in a way that emphasises key professional and generic skills and demonstrates your suitability and competence through your previous experience. Necessary skills may have been acquired through previous full-time or part-time employment, volunteering, studies, mobility, in a student or professional organisation, etc. The functional CV also provides brief information on recent educational and professional experience.

You might consider using a functional CV if

• you start to enter the labour market;
• you have little work experience;
• you have experienced a break or a few in your career;
• you take a completely new route in your working life;
• you are applying for a job that is only indirectly related to your previous work experience and you have little direct experience in a new field;
• you feel overqualified for the job.

In the personal or contact information section, enter your name, address, telephone number and email address. If you wish, you can also include your LinkedIn account, website or blog address, if you have one and would like to use it to promote your learning and career path and suitability for the employer.

When describing your work experience, please give a brief overview of your previous positions in different companies, including length of service, duties and responsibilities. Start from the most recent position. If you wish, you can highlight skills and experience that are relevant to the requirements of the job offer. If your work experience is scarce, you could, for example, write down the tasks you completed during your traineeship.

When outlining your education, name the relevant studies, including the length of studies, the educational institutions and the level of education obtained.

The CV introduction is a brief overview of yourself, usually after the personal information at the beginning of the CV. The introduction should consist of two or three sentences to catch the employer’s attention. It should describe your experience, skills and strengths that match the requirements of the job you are applying for. You can also include your career goals and expectations for your future job.

Certificates, diplomas and recognition If you own certificates and attestations proving additional skills related to the position you are applying for – (project) management skills, teamwork skills, ability to use or develop software, etc. – please attach them to your CV. You can also give information about recognition for your achievements, e.g. in studies, different jobs and projects, especially if they describe your professional development.

Adding your organisational membership details is your chance to show your social activity and contribution. If you are an active member of a professional association, specialised student society, student corporation, voluntary association, professional organisation, etc., please write this down. If you have a responsibility, have organised something in these associations, or have otherwise worked with one of them, be sure to mention it.

In the section describing your self-development, you can write down any further training and continuous education, open access e-courses (MOOCs), summer schools, etc. that are relevant to your professional development or are important for your application.

Volunteering experience also deserves to be on your CV, as you can develop a wide range of skills through volunteering. Volunteering shows your employer your experience as well as your attitude and values. When including volunteering in your CV, please also mention the tasks you were responsible for.

Adding referees can increase your credibility with employers. Think about the people who might be suitable to recommend you and ask for their consent. You do not have to include the contact details of your referees in your CV, but the employer can ask you for them if they wish.

Among other things, when applying for an academic post, you will need to prepare an academic CV, which should include details of your research activities (projects and publications), teaching, supervision and administrative work, in addition to the ordinary CV. To do this, you can find guidelines on the website of the relevant higher education institution, which should be followed. An academic CV is not a document where excessive creativity is used to catch attention.

The University of Tartu has compiled guidelines for the application documents and regulations for academic staff. If you have any questions when preparing your CV, consult a career counsellor.

The Europass CV is a Europe-wide CV that is sometimes asked to be filled in when applying for a job. You can create and save your CV in 31 languages and share it with employers across Europe.

To create a Europass CV, you need to create a Europass profile, add the necessary information about your education, training, work experience and skills, and then follow the instructions to create a suitable CV for a specific job offer.