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The CV is one of your most important documents when it comes to the success of your application. Due to time constraints, HR managers are not able to devote several minutes to each incoming application, otherwise their working day is already full without having taken on any other task apart from evaluating the CVs.

Only those who can make it clear at first glance in their documents that they meet the most important criteria will be shortlisted and will be lucky enough to have their CV examined more intensively.

Although it’s not necessarily lucky, because you have countless influences on how you are perceived and how you can bring your most important skills to the fore. You can find out what these are and what a CV should look like in 2022 here.

Outdated standards

In order to be able to write a modern resume, you first have to understand which standards are now outdated and no longer common. This includes, for example, naming parents and siblings and their job title . This plays no role in your application and is none of your potential employer’s business. The same applies to your religious affiliation, unless you apply to a church institution.

The order of the entries in the CV has also changed. While it used to be common to list all stages of your school and professional career chronologically, a different standard has now been established. You start with your current or last station , since the most relevant content should catch your eye first and end with the last ( antichronological ).

New options for a CV in 2022

The digital age has changed the application process over the past few years, which also gives you new opportunities for your “curriculum vitae”. If you are represented on business networks such as Xing or LinkedIn, you are welcome to link them to your contact details . To do this, however, they should be well maintained and the data stored should match the entries in the CV .

If it suits your job, you can even link to other social media like your Instagram account. Are you applying to be a media designer and have an Instagram channel on which you publish your private projects? Then this is probably a good indication for your new employer that you also deal with the topic in your free time and that you have a great passion for your job .

You can now also create your application using online tools or apps on your smartphone. For this there is the application app from 360-grad-werbung.de , where you can easily enter your data step by step and send your application folder as a PDF file directly from your mobile phone.

What is particularly important in a modern CV?

Overall, your CV must fulfill two important tasks: First, it must focus on your most important skills and thus make it clear that you are a good fit for the advertised position. It is best to take the job description to hand and make sure that the content of the job advertisement is also placed in a prominent position in your CV, if possible.

Secondly, you should be remembered with your documents and stand out positively from your competitors . Choose modern and consistent designs, like these resume templates . These guarantee you uniform documents for your cover sheet, cover letter and CV and a modern look.

Do I need an application photo in my CV?

An application photo is not mandatory, so you can always send your CV without a photo. However, you should be aware that company bosses and recruiters always hire personalities and usually like to know who they are dealing with.

So how do I write a resume in 2022?

So that you can be sure that your CV is complete, we will briefly take a look at the structure and the individual components.

1. PERSONAL INFORMATION

The personal data in the CV includes your name, date and place of birth as well as optional information about your marital status and your nationality. Add to that your contact details, which should be complete . These include your residential address, your e-mail and your telephone number.

2. PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Here you gradually list your professional experiences. For the most relevant stations, you should list your tasks in bullet points in order to give the employer the best possible picture of your experience and skills.

Your entries consist of the following components for a complete resume:

• Date (period of employment, stating the month and year)
• Name and place of company (complete company name)
• your job title
• Description of your tasks (possibly also work successes, technologies used, etc.)

3. EDUCATION PATH

According to the scheme above, you will also build up your school career as well as your courses of study or further training (if available). With a certain amount of professional experience, your highest school leaving certificate is usually sufficient, you no longer have to list elementary school attendance in a modern CV.

4. KNOWLEDGE

Information about your language and IT skills is one of the mandatory details in your CV . However, don’t just list your skills stubbornly, but also make sure to convey a picture that is as meaningful as possible and state the respective level of your knowledge (e.g. English: fluent in business or MS Word: very good knowledge).

In your job description, is there any subject-specific knowledge that is worth mentioning, or are software and IT skills important? Then these should not be missing in your CV.

5. OPTIONAL

Certificates: If it is relevant to the position, you should also list the certificates you have passed in your CV so that the recruiter is aware of them without having to work through all your attachments.

Hobbies: Hobbies and interests are optional and usually less relevant as work experience increases. However, if you are applying for an apprenticeship as an IT specialist and one of your hobbies is programming, this should not be missing from your CV.

Commitment: Social commitment is well received by most employers. Unless the impression can arise that you can no longer fully focus on your job because of all the commitment, you should include them in your CV.

References: References usually only become important in managerial positions. You do not need this for applications for jobs that are not in the management area.

Driving license class: For some professions, an existing driving license is a basic requirement or can at least be an advantage. If this is the case in your job, you should clarify this from the start.

6. DATE AND SIGNATURE

The CV should always end with your handwritten signature (above your name in capital letters), place and date. This testifies to the authenticity of your information and gives your CV a certain personal touch. For your digital application folder, you can scan your signature or take a clean photo of it and insert it into your document as an image file.

keywords in the resume

Keyword optimization isn’t just for websites, it’s also for curriculum vitae. The background is that larger companies have their application documents automatically scanned for certain keywords . You should therefore make sure that certain keywords , which can also be found in the job advertisement, appear as naturally as possible in the CV . All of this, mind you, without overdoing it or making it seem unnatural. Keyword stuffing is taboo , but naturally occurring keyword optimization is helpful.

Supplementary information on the CV

As a little bonus tip at the end, we’ll do a little detour to your cover letter again . There you should not only retell your CV, but also provide additional information if possible. This gives you the opportunity to explain your motivation for your career change, to explain gaps in your CV or to further focus on important skills.