CV

The CV is an overview of your experiences, competencies, merits and your general ‘profile’. You therefore have to limit all the things you include in your CV and find a balance where you include enough information to paint the right picture but still keep the CV clear and easily comprehensible.

This means that every time you need a CV, you have to reconsider what is relevant and how to best communicate your message and target the specific company and job.

Your CV is more important than you might think – most employers skim your CV through as the first thing to see if you match the need – and in many cases they only read your application if your CV is a match. That's why it's a good idea to make sure your CV is relevant, targeted and easy to skim for the person you are sending it to!

➡ Here, we will help you get started.

Download our CV guide

Target your CV at the recipient every time

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What should a CV contain?
- A headline that clearly indicates, that this is your CV
- Subheadings that specify what each section is presenting e.g. “Education”, “Work experience” ect.
- A distinct specification of when the different activities included in your CV took place.
- Always remember to list the activities in reversed chronological order, so the most recent ones are first in each category.
- Contact information - including your LinkedIn profile
- A profile text or summary
- An overview of your relevant educational background
- An overview of relevant work experience
- Any relevant volunteer work - if you had the energy to do that
- Language proficiencies
- IT skills
- State that you can provide references if requested (do not include them in the CV itself)
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What else can a CV include?
A resume can also include:
- A photo
- A text that describes something more ‘personal’, such as leisure interests - but think about what the purpose of writing it is. It may e.g. be that something is mentioned about social events or the tone of conversation in the workplace, which can be difficult to show in a technically heavy and factual CV. Here it can be an idea to add something "personal".
- Overview of academic publications, if any
- Other information that may be relevant to the recipient
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What about the form of the CV?
In terms of form, there are some recommendations:
- A layout that suits you and your professional/academic profile. If you’re a graphic artist, it’s of course an opportunity to show your professionalism instead of just telling a future employer about it.
- For a ‘traditional’ CV, a length of 1 to 3 pages is recommended. A one-pager can be a good idea, but primarily as a kind of ‘business card’ e.g. when you’re visiting fairs or other networking purposes.
- Communicate as simply as possible without losing meaning.
- Always think about how to give the best overview, in terms of both the timespan and content of your experiences.
- Be sure to draw the reader's attention to the most important parts. Use bold, italics, or underlining typographies as tools to catch the eye - for example, words that you consider to be keywords using your knowledge of the company and any job posting.
- Make sure the most important section comes first. If you are looking for an internship, it is likely a part of your education, and therefore it makes sense to list your education prior to your work experience in your CV. On the other hand, the opposite makes sense if you have relevant work experience in relation to a job you are applying for.
Having said all that, there is no fixed formula for writing a good CV. There are alternative methods to communicate your CV. For example your LinkedIn profile can be a great supplement to the traditional CV, or perhaps you can make a video presentation of yourself.

All in all, the most important message is that you – with the above mentioned elements in mind - make the right "CV" for the right situation, whatever it may be.
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What about the profile text?

The profile text is a guide to the reader of the CV.

Your CV should include a profile text or some kind of summary that serves as an introduction. The porfile text should be short and precise - about 5 lines. The purpose of the text is to summarise your experiences and competences so that your overall profile stands out more clearly to the reader.

The profile text is important because the reader will read the top half of the front page of your CV most thoroughly and then skim the rest (at least in the first place). So you help the reader by targeting the text so they do not have to look for why you are a match for the job.

Target the profile text

Therefore, it’s a good idea to revise the profile text every time you send out your CV. It may not be necessary to rewrite it altogether, but you should tweak it to fit as closely as possible to what is required in the position you are applying for. Here, research is the foundation, on which you must build it all.

Show how your experience is relevant

If your experiences are pointing in different directions - one pointing towards the field of communication, one who points to some shop experience and a master’s degree in public health science with a bachelor’s degree in health care - you have to help the reader see a common thread through your profile.

All your experiences may be relevant, but it requires a translation from sporadic picks to an overall narrative. If one of the experiences you’ve mentioned in the CV doen’t fit the narrative, it is possible that it is not relevant enough to be included in the CV.

The profile text should be short - max. 5 lines.
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How do I make my CV stand out in the crowd?

Sometimes it may be valuable to include something a little different in your CV, because it can spice up the narrative. It can show that you have a perspective on something that lies outside the ‘direct course’. Perhaps you have spent a few semesters studying something significantly different from your current study - and perhaps it may have been a factor in choosing to switch to the study you’re currently working on or have just completed.

What may seem like totally ‘irrelevant’ experiences are not necessarily irrelevant at all. For example, you may want to show the reader that you have worked continuously, from the age of 15 until now. Perhaps you have had various leisure jobs or you have always helped on your father's farm when harvesting. Even though the jobs might not be professionally relevant, both stories show that you are hardworking, proactive, helpful and that you don’t mind pulling up your sleeves when needed. It doesn’t necessarily fit into your professional narrative as such – but it surely says something about you. Sometimes it is better to show your willingness to work than to tell about the will to work.

There are no fixed rules for which experiences should go in a CV - so it's entirely up to you. Just make sure to include the most important things.
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Where can I find CV templates and examples?
Create a nice CV and application with Jofibo

As an AAU student, you have access to Jofibo, which is a simple and user-friendly tool that makes it easy to set up your CV and application in a clear and beautiful design.

With this tool you can focus on the content of your application and CV rather than design and graphic setup. All AAU Careers' good advice on CVs and applications in Denmark are built into the guide in the tool.

At Jofibo, there are various templates to choose from. You cannot edit the templates, as it is the concept that it is simple and easy and with a few clicks and a bit of text you can make a nice CV and application.

You can:
- Download it as a PDF and upload or send it wherever you want
- Share your CV with a link directly from the platform, which you can insert on on SoMe profiles like LinkedIn and similar platforms
You can use Jofibo as long as you have an active AAU email - i.e. during your entire time at AAU and 3 months after graduation.

Make a CV and application with Jofibo here

More Examples and templates

Find examples and templates here: