If you want to increase your chances to be invited to the interview by potential employer make sure you prepare your CV according to the instructions below.

The importance of adequate CVs

Resume is your first contact with a potential employer. By looking at your CV an employer acquires first impression of you and decides whether your resume will be taken into further consideration. Keep in mind that employers do not have too much time to go deep into the content of the biography, which is why you need to give them all the relevant information presented in a concise and clear way.

Resume must meet certain general form that is expected in the business world. If not, you will not be considered sufficiently professional as a candidate. Adequate preparation of your CV also helps to better prepare yourself for a job interview because you had a chance to think about the important things related to your career.

The structure and form of CV

• The preferred length of a CV is 2-3 pages.
• It is not desirable to use more than one font (different font can be possibly used to emphasize section titles).
• Do not use random pictures, colorful characters or background color should be avoided.
• The font size should be moderate or smaller (eg, Arial 10) for biography to be transparent.
• It should be avoided using too many effects on the text (eg. at the same time underlining and bolding words).
• Pay attention to grammar and spelling.
• It is desirable to write a CV in both, Serbian and English.

The style of writing CVs

It is desirable that your CV meets the requirements of the position which you are applying to. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the key issues (ie keywords) that are highlighted in the job opening and point out the appropriate information in the resume accordingly. Describe in more details your qualifications which are essential for the given position, while putting less focus on the other.
Avoid narrative writing style, but use incomplete sentences (preferably in third person), type: Attended training … was responsible for the ….results achieved).

Content of the CVs

Adequate CVs should contain the following sections:

• Personal data: name, address, telephone number, e-mail. (It is not necessary to specify: nationality, marital status, number of children).
• Formal education: the name of the educational institution, faculty, specialization, degree and title acquired.
• Work experience: list your jobs in chronological order starting from the most recent
• Additional education: if there are many, it is desirable to mention only the most relevant trainings for the position in question.
• Knowledge of foreign languages: this section should also contain the level of knowledge (e.g., advanced, intermediate, basic).
• Computer skills: Indicate the name of the program that you actively use (eg, Word, Excel …).
• Additional skills and qualifications, for example. Category C driving license, touch typing, etc.

Photography

It is not mandatory that your résumé contains a photo, unless expressly required by the employer. If you want to include a photo, make sure that you look positive and professional. Do not use clippings photos from various events where you can see the outlines of other people. Take a picture for the purpose of your CV against neutral background and on good light. If you do not have an adequate photo for your CV, better do not put any.

The most common mistakes in writing CVs

• Writing in first person
• Poorly described previous job experience (e.g., copied from the workplace systematization)
• Include too much content or text
• Too many different fonts, inconsistent style
• Information about previous employment should not be stated on the first page
• incomplete, inaccurate, illogical data (e. Omitting the date)
• Too many details on completed courses
• Omission of experience that are not in the labor booklet
• No indication of personal achievements
• Too much personal information
• too uniform or too “creative” CVs
• unprofessional e-mail address
• typographical and spelling errors
• Use abbreviations that are not known to others

If you follow these instructions, you can be sure that your CV will be taken seriously. Good luck!