GENERAL

Your CV must be convincing before the other documents, such as your cover letter, educational certificates and employment references, will even be reviewed. We therefore recommend the following for your CV:

• Clear and well-organised structure
• Maximum of two pages (use both pages to present your career path clearly)
• Footer stating “CV [First name] [Last name]” and the page number (e.g. pages 1/2, 2/2)
• Font size no smaller than 10 pt
• Use short and concise wording and active verbs (see links below)
• Always list the most recent information first within each section (reverse chronological order)
  
  
• No spelling or grammar mistakes!

CV Examples

Here you will find examples of CVs. Ideally, choose your own formatting so that your CV has an individual appearance.

One-Column CV English

Two-Column CV English

CV template for use in Switzerland, Germany and Austria

STRUCTURE OR SECTIONS OF A CV

• Personal details (including a professional photo)
• Professional profile (optional)
• Education
• Professional background / Practical experience / Work experience
• (Extracurricular activities / Additional activities / Activities outside university / Social engagement)
• Further education and training (optional)
• Military service (for students)
• Language skills
• IT skills
• Interests / Hobbies
• References

PERSONAL DETAILS

• First name and last name (for international students whose first name is not clearly identifiable: First name: ... Last name: ...)
• Full address in Switzerland
• Telephone number (provide only one)
• A professional personal email address (e.g. first-name.last-name@.... .com – not your ZHAW email address)
• Date of birth
• Nationality
• Marital status (optional)

PHOTO

A photo on your CV is not mandatory in Switzerland, but it is common practice. We recommend including a photo on your CV.

• Use a professional photo and ensure that it has a high resolution (no mobile phone photos)
• Neutral background
• Good lighting
• Formal clothing (appropriate for the respective industry)
• Recent photo
• Framing: head and shoulders
• Eye contact, i.e. look into the camera

good examples

bad examples

PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

A professional profile on your CV is optional. If you include one, it should be a short and concise summary of who you are in relation to the position and the company. The professional profile should be no more than three to four sentences and should:

• be specific and concrete
• present your relevant skills, interests and/or values
• avoid generalisations and lists of adjectives such as “performance-oriented” without further explanation
• be reviewed for each application and adapted to the job profile / company

EDUCATION

Here you can list your educational background

• Present your education in reverse chronological order: list your current degree programme first
• Consistently use the dates of each programme in the format xx.xxxx – xx.xxxx (month.year – month.year)
• Where relevant to the application, include information about courses attended, Bachelor’s and/or Master’s theses and practical projects
• You may optionally include your grades, although we only recommend this for grades above 5 (Swiss grading system)
• List any exchange semesters as a separate entry

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND / PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE / WORK EXPERIENCE

Here you can list your previous practical experience from jobs, internships, part-time positions, student jobs, voluntary work, etc.

• Present your experience in reverse chronological order: list the most recent experience first
• Consistently use the dates of each position in the format xx.xxxx – xx.xxxx (month.year – month.year)
• Consistently state the employer and job title (role)
• Include 3–5 points describing your main responsibilities, projects and activities
• In this section, you can also list unpaid experience, such as involvement in a student association or voluntary work, if it is relevant to the position you are applying for. If it is not directly relevant but still valuable, list it under Additional Activities / Extracurricular Activities.

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES / ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE UNIVERSITY / SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT or EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

• Present your experience in reverse chronological order: list the most recent experience first
• Consistently use the dates of each activity in the format xx.xxxx – xx.xxxx (month.year – month.year)
• Consistently state the organisation and your role
• Include 3–5 points describing your main responsibilities, projects and activities
• Do not list hobbies here, as these appear further down in the CV

FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING (optional)

• In this section, you can list further education courses and personal development seminars, such as rhetoric courses, presentation skills courses, etc.
• Where possible, include the dates in the format xx.xxxx – xx.xxxx (month.year – month.year) or month.year.

MILITARY SERVICE / CIVILIAN SERVICE (if completed)

Military service may be listed in a separate section to ensure the chronological completeness of your CV.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• List your native language first
• Order the languages according to their relevance to the respective job
• Order the languages according to their relevance to the respective job
• State your level or self-assessment according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) or describe it in words (business fluent, basic knowledge, etc.)
• List any language certificates under the corresponding language
• List stays abroad or language courses under the corresponding language, including the month and year

IT SKILLS

IT skills can either be listed individually or grouped by topic, for example operating systems, graphics software or application software. As with your language skills, you can indicate your level of proficiency.

INTERESTS / HOBBIES

• List your interests and hobbies in the second-to-last section to provide a personal and broader impression of who you are
• We recommend listing no more than three hobbies
• Only include hobbies that genuinely interest and appeal to you
• Avoid strategic hobbies that you think will make your CV appear more interesting
• Briefly specify broad terms, e.g. “Music (active piano player)”

REFERENCES

Unless explicitly requested, do not name references or reference persons in your CV. Bring their details to the interview or provide them upon request. We therefore recommend adding the note: “Available upon request” or “References available upon request”.

ACTIVE VERBS, ACTION VERBS

Action verbs are expressive, active verbs that add the finishing touch to your CV and cover letter. They describe your experience and activities as specifically as possible and create an active, committed and energetic impression on the employer.

Strong Verbs

GAPS IN YOUR CV

Whether caused by voluntary time off, discontinued education, travel, job loss or a longer illness, gaps in a CV can arise quickly. Jobseekers often fear that they will be rejected because their CV is not perfectly linear, at the latest during the interview. The aim of the application is therefore to present yourself in the best possible way. In general, gaps in a CV are not negative in themselves. Ultimately, this period may include positive experiences or learning opportunities that may also prove useful in a professional context. In particular, because application processes can last up to six months, anything between one and three months is not really considered a gap. If your job search lasts longer than six months, you can enter “Job search” in your CV for the relevant period. It is important not to conceal or even lie about gaps, but to state confidently what you did during that time.