40% of the CVs that arrive at the hands of human resources personnel or the person of the company in charge of the selection of personnel, contain errors of spelling and other errors.

Do we pay enough attention to the CV? If you are one of those who prefer to cause a sensation from the first moment, you are in luck! Today we will see how to develop a good curriculum vitae with some key elements that will make you stand out.

When it comes to looking for work, everyone wants to work in their specialty, get a position of responsibility or well paid, and be valued by their future contractors. Especially if we take into account that in Spain, 68% of those under 25 have a job for which they are overqualified. «Then do we have to resign ourselves?» «Should I settle for what I find?» No!

You can belong to the remaining 32% who find a job adjusted to their level of education or their preparation in general. How to do it? Well, for starters, getting them to select your CV from among all the loads of applications from other applicants like you for a job interview.

For this you only need to know the factors to take into account when making your curriculum vitae, and handle them properly.

How to prepare a good curriculum vitae in the XXI century

The classic CV has entered into crisis … Job search platforms and professional social networks have radically changed the way of understanding the concept of curriculum. And although many companies still request a document prepared by the applicant, in digital format or even on paper, the guidelines we all followed to prepare the CV have become obsolete.

Until now, the resumes had practically all the same structure:

• Personal information

• Academic training

• Work experience

• Languages

• Computing

In the sections that we have listed there is vital information that should always appear. But can you surprise the head of personnel doing the same thing that everyone does? Will you read your CV carefully if after the first 10 you see that yours is exactly the same? In short, can you hope to attract the attention of 21st century companies with a twentieth century curriculum …?

In addition to all the data mentioned above, to surprise the scouts you have to offer something else. Here you have some few ideas!

Elements to add to your résumé that will surprise your future employers

Some of the ideas, sections or elements that you can include to innovate in your CV can be the following.

1. A short presentation explaining who you are

In conventional (ie obsolete) curricula, it was possible to reconstruct all academic and work life without addressing one to the person with decision-making power over the vacant position. This has to be changed.

We recommend you to include a small biography at the beginning. Do not be cold or talk about yourself in the third person, try to add a human touch to the text.

Observe the following examples.

«Miguel Vázquez was born in Toledo in 1990. He studied first in Toledo, moving to Madrid to study Secondary, and graduating years later in Advertising and Public Relations at the University of …»

Let’s go with another version:

«My name is Miguel Vázquez, and since I was little, I was attracted by television commercials. I wrote scripts and taxed my first advertising spots at a very early age, a vocation that always accompanied me, and that led me to study Advertising and Public Relations at the University of … »

The first is impersonal, cold and corseted. The second, however, tells a story, humanizes the applicant and allows staff selection to empathize with the person after the CV.

Very important: do not miss the extension! With about 3-5 lines it is more than enough.

2. The definition of your goals

The ability to set goals and focus all efforts to achieve them is one of the most important keys to achieving professional success, and your future employers, (you know!)

Talk about your goals, make clear what your expectations are within the organization. If you want to occupy a position of responsibility with possibilities of promotion, do not be afraid to mention it.

Professional projection is not something to be ashamed of or that should be hidden from your superiors

3. The narration of your experiences

Most people do not explain why they ended their experience with a particular company, hide their participation in projects that did not reach a successful conclusion or omit what they learned in each of their work experiences.

If you left a job because you were looking for a better opportunity, you do not have to hide it. Did you have an entrepreneurial adventure that did not prosper? Do not hide it! In other countries, «failure» is something that is often breast-fed, and is not considered a source of shame. Here this is also beginning to change.

A person with projects that have been ruined is a person with experience; each failure is just another step towards success.

4. Opinions of your old bosses

The recommendations of bosses, managers, etc., is one of the functionalities of platforms such as LinkedIn, which adds more value to the work profile of users. Why not include recommendations in your curriculum?

When you ask your old bosses to ask them to be brief and flee from the topics («is proactive», «an excellent professional», etc.), and focus on explaining why what you did was important for the company , and for what reasons you did it so well.

5. Your blogs or web pages

It is increasingly common to have a website owned. Especially in some professions, such as journalism, marketing, etc.

If you have your own blog or website, include links, and explain what they are about.

Do not include links to your social networks: those of human resources will visit them equally. But referring them to your blog or web page you have total control over the information presented there (remember that you should always take care of your image in this type of online spaces).

If you already have your own portfolio of works or projects on your website, you can direct there from your CV

So here we come today with the key elements that will make your CV stand out. Now you know more factors to take into account when making your curriculum vitae.

And if you are (or have been) one of our guests in one of the Vitium student flats for students, maybe you can tell some of your experiences in an environment of study, companionship and enriching experiences.

So… Are you Ready to succeed with your CV?