Career Zone EN
CV tips from Shell recruiter Marianne Derksen
How do you write a good CV? Marianne Derksen, former graduate recruiter at Shell, knows. She offers tips and tricks.
What do you, as a recruiter, look for when reading a cover letter or CV?
If a CV isn’t good, I don’t actually read a cover letter. Large companies like Shell receive a huge number of applications, so it’s crucial that your CV is completely up to date. A CV should be easy to read and contain relevant and concrete information. A CV is your way of selling yourself; it’s your pitch and your opportunity to showcase your achievements. A mere list isn’t enough.
What advice do you give students?
Extracurricular activities are very important to us. Students who are studying nominally but haven’t done anything besides their studies aren’t what we’re looking for. Make sure you do more than just study!
During extracurricular activities, you’ll learn important skills employers are looking for, such as building and maintaining working relationships, planning, handling difficult conversations, and working in a different environment. And if you don’t want to continue in academia, I definitely recommend and internship outside of the university.
What do you dislike about a CV?
What I find annoying is a CV lacking information or an unreadable unstructured CV. Recruiters don’t have the time to spend 10 minutes poring over a CV. Or sometimes students have a detailed personal profile with a lot of generalities. I prefer to see factual information, for example, evidence of why you’re a team player or why you’re results-oriented.
- “Think from the reader’s perspective!
- A CV must be relevant; you have to sell yourself to the recipient, who has a specific perspective. Create a different CV for every employer. Every organisation is different and has different needs. Try to find out as much as possible, for example, through the website, a recruiter or friends. The reader is looking for proof of your suitability in your CV, so make sure you provide it!”
- A CV must be relevant; you have to sell yourself to the recipient, who has a specific perspective. Create a different CV for every employer. Every organisation is different and has different needs. Try to find out as much as possible, for example, through the website, a recruiter or friends. The reader is looking for proof of your suitability in your CV, so make sure you provide it!”
- Ensure proper structure:
- Education
- A CV should be reverse-chronological: make sure the most recent education is listed first. Try to be as clear and specific as possible: include years, an expected completion date, and, for example a high GPA (7.5 or higher)
- Work experience
- Include any experience relevant to the position. This could include internships, volunteer work of management positions. You don’t always have to exhaustive, as long as it’s relevant.
- Extracurricular activities
- It’s crucial to clearly state what you’ve done in addition to your studies. Consider, for example, a year on a board, volunteer work work, high-level music, ‘top sport’, activities for a political party, your own business etc. Provide a brief explanation and be as specific as possible: what kind of organisation did you manage? Did you receive compensation? Did you have results you’re proud of? A recruiter wants to be able to assess the weight of the position.
- It’s crucial to clearly state what you’ve done in addition to your studies. Consider, for example, a year on a board, volunteer work work, high-level music, ‘top sport’, activities for a political party, your own business etc. Provide a brief explanation and be as specific as possible: what kind of organisation did you manage? Did you receive compensation? Did you have results you’re proud of? A recruiter wants to be able to assess the weight of the position.
- Education
- Ensure a readable CV with a good layout.
- Use headings and bullet points to ensure the recruiter quickly sees what’s relevant.
- Ensure the formatting is correct. Furthermore: a CV should be up to date, written in an active style, and should be a maximum of two pages.
- A photo is welcome but not required. A photo can contribute to a positive image. Ensure a neutral photo is used.
- You can briefly mention hobbies. They are important for the complete picture of a person.
