In France, providing recruiters with a top-quality CV is essential to getting hired. In this article, Mister Bilingue breaks down all the most important things to bear in mind for writing the CV of your dreams!
Writing a CV can be a bit of a minefield: it's got to combine substance with pizazz, all while sticking to all the rules! A recruiter wants to find out about all the most important aspects of your professional experience and what sets you apart from other candidates within seconds of setting eyes on your CV. So, it's up to you to make their job as easy as possible by putting the most useful information front and center!
The Mister Bilingue team is here to help with a step-by-step guide for creating the CV of your dreams... and the dreams of your recruiter, too!
Ready? Let's go!
In France, it's very important to keep your CV to one page. It's essential that the person reading your CV doesn't feel overwhelmed by an unnecessary amount of information, so we advise saving the content of your personal memoir for another time.
You need to get to the point and capture the reader's attention with the information that you think is most relevant to the job that you're applying for.
What are the most relevant pieces of information to include on your CV?
Bear in mind that there will always be time to get into the nitty-gritty at the interview stage (this could be your knowledge of the Netflix catalogue or your gift for cooking pasta al dente, for example).
Let's assume you already know this: it's important to prioritize the information that will lend your CV the most credibility in the eyes of the recruiter. For a permanent position in marketing, for example, your part-time job in a bakery will be of less importance than the freelance work you did for another company's marketing department. It may sound obvious, but it's worth bearing it in mind!
Also, don't waste too much time explaining each of your old positions in detail: the recruiter doesn't need to know how many coffee breaks you like to take. Simply state your position in the company, how long you worked there and give a short summary of the different skills you acquired in the role.
Note that recruiters spend only 31 seconds on average considering each CV. That's barely the time it's taken you to read this first section (we see you skim readers), so all the more reason to make it both simple AND effective!
Finally, make sure to be as honest as possible about the information you include on your CV. First of all, it's simply not a great idea to lie to your future employer, and secondly, it's very easy for them to check whether everything you've said is true or not (we would also really appreciate it if you didn't apply for the position of cardiothoracic surgeon, if you're not in fact a doctor).
When it comes to the language, we recommend sticking to French. If you're applying to a French company, you should show that you're willing to integrate into a French office. Plus, you can't assume that every recruiter is bilingual in English. Be nice!
Your spelling has to be perfect. Afterall, it's not unheard of that recruiters will eliminate a first round of CVs according to spelling mistakes.
To avoid this problem, simply ask one of your friends with an eye for detail to take a look at what you've written. Wouldn't it be shame if your CV ended up in the bin all because of a typo?
To be a credible candidate you have to demonstrate your ability to fulfil the requirements of the role in question. And what better way to show them that you're the long-awaited solution to all their problems than to show off your professional experience!
This is the most important section of your CV, so we advise choosing what you include by asking yourself the following two questions:
What skills are required for the position I'm applying to?
Which of my past experiences would highlight my suitability for this position?
Your goal is to convince the recruiter of your suitability to the role, so it's essential that the experiences included on your CV correspond to the skills required for the position.
The more relevant your experiences are to the position, the more the recruiter will pay attention to your application. So be sure to select the past experiences to include by asking yourself if they really have a place on your CV.
The "Education" section is where you can bolster your legitimacy as a professional in the field, especially if you the position calls for specific technical and theoretical skills. Now's the time to bring out the certificate that made your parents so proud!
Take note: the recruiter is only interested in information related to the position they're tasked with filling. So make sure you have a handle on the education criteria you're looking to highlight: if the position in question requires education to post-graduate level, it probably isn't necessary to include your GCSEs (you can save those for your parents)…!
Finally, don't forget to showcase your language skills – this is key to enhancing both your credibility and legitimacy as a candidate. Here you should be as specific as possible by including concrete information about your level.
There are a few ways of doing this:
English: Bilingual - TOEFL score 788
German: Fluent - 3 years in Munich, Germany
French: Mother tongue
And you never know, those three years of Latin and Greek at school may even be worth mentioning!
Companies aren't generally looking to hire clones devoid of personality, but rather dynamic people with an open mind and the ability to see beyond the bounds of their professional sector.
By taking a little time to reflect on your personal journey, you'll quickly come up with a few nuggets of information that make you more unique and set you apart from the crowd. This could be certain technical skills, a sport-related or artistic hobby, or even a simple passion for Netflix!
The important thing here is to not only prove that you're human (yes, you are, we can confirm), but also to demonstrate the interpersonal skills that bring out your personality:
Have you played football every day for five years? You're a committed team player!
Are you passionate about role playing and strategy? You have a creative mind and a sense of perspective!
Are you part of a charitable association? You're dynamic and kind-hearted!
Do you love throwing yourself in the mud in a fit of giggles? You're a five-year-old child, kindly leave this blog.
Most people have a habit of downplaying their personal qualities when it comes to writing a CV. However, it's precisely these details that make you stand out as a person and help communicate your personality to a recruiter.
Each person is unique, which is exactly the reason why each CV should be, too!
It's not compulsory to include a photo on your CV in France, but we strongly recommend doing so in order to tip the balance in your favour.
First of all, a photo makes your CV that bit more personal, allowing the recruiter to better remember your specific application.
Go for a photo that is serious, energetic and cheerful all at the same time and, importantly, taken in a professional environment. This will enable you to set the right tone with the recruiter from get go and to start off with a good first impression.
However, do be careful when it comes to your choice of photo. Obviously, a photo from your last dinner out with your family or from a night on the town with your friends would certainly not be a good idea. We can't stress enough: credibility and legitimacy!
Having doubts about your choice of photo? Don't panic, here we've put together all the cardinal sins to avoid when it comes to choosing the right photo!
Don't be shy to liven up your CV with a bit of colour. This will make your CV not only more aesthetic but more unique, too. This could be as simple as putting the headings in colour, for example (Education, Professional Experience, Languages, etc.).
Doing this will highlight the structure of your CV while making it that bit more visually pleasing.
If you're a creative at heart, why stop there? You could even add icons or a graphic to your CV to make it more fun and easier to understand.
Bear in mind, however, that the goal is to provide a document that is as easy as possible to read for the recruiter. So we certainly don't recommend going so far as to add seven different 3D graphics in 54 colors to your document. The recruiter will thank you, believe us.
To sump up: the most important thing about your CV is the substance, the presentation works in service to that substance, to make it more accessible and more attractive.
If you're looking for a little inspiration, take a look at the CV put together by Marisa Mayer, the manager of Yahoo, as an example.
On every CV there should be a small amount of space dedicated to sharing your email address and telephone number. No contact details, no job!
If you're present on one or more social networks, it may also be appropriate to include your handles as a way of giving the recruiter the opportunity to see a little more about what makes you tick.
That means that if you have a LinkedIn account, for example, you can highlight additional skills or experiences that didn't make the cut for your CV. There's one more reason to finally get around to updating your account!
Or, if it's stunning photography that you're passionate about, including your Instagram handle or a link to your personal website will allow you to shine a light on your creative side!
That being said, always make sure to be selective when it comes to deciding which social media profiles to share and why. Remember that the recruiter wants to know things about you that are relevant to the position you've applied for. This means that it would be inadvisable to include your Facebook or Instagram profile if your posts have no relevance to your application or, worse still, portray you in a bad light.
*TO RECAP:**
How do I write the perfect CV?
So, is your CV good to go? We hope so! If not, scroll back up to the top and start again.
If you've paid attention to our tips, congratulation, you now know everything you need to know about writing the perfect CV and piquing the interest of your future employer! Pretty good for just ten minutes of reading online, no?
Now all that's left to do is to apply for your job of choice. Go on, take a quick look at our bilingual job offers!
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We hope that our tips have been useful, and we wish you all the best in your job search.
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