One of the first useful and fundamental tools for job hunting is to have a Curriculum Vitae that is effective, and, above all, in line with your professional goals. The CV is in fact the first element you have at your disposal to present yourself to companies as a candidate.

What do you want to communicate in your CV? The answer is the key to writing the most effective CV possible. When writing a CV you must keep in mind that you want to respond to the job offer you are applying for in a perfectly calibrated way. The same is true in the case of a spontaneous application: you want to communicate that your professional goals are absolutely in line with those of the company or structure to which you are submitting our CV.

Here is the advice of the " Porta Futuro Lazio Kit " for writing a good CV.

• It is essential that personal and contact details be present. Therefore, you must include: first and last name, place and date of birth, address, telephone number, email, and if available and regularly updated, your LinkedIn and Skype profile, especially if relevant for that particular type of job.
• The ideal photo is a passport-style photo, which should be placed at the top left and should look like you; if possible it should correspond appropriately to your professional role;
• Except for some specific professional positions, which require the inclusion of publications or refresher courses and conferences, the ideal length for a CV is 1 to 2 pages: going on too long is not helpful and can undermine the effectiveness of your application;
• Your CV must be clear and concise: it is best avoid the inclusion of long sentences or first-person descriptions, which can instead be included in the cover letter;
• It is essential to include the dates relating to individual experiences, from the most recent or ongoing to the oldest;
• The following information is essential: the name of the structure/company and the location where each individual experience took place;
• We do not recommend including experiences that are in the distant past, unless it is a single experience that lasted for many years;
• It is important to indicate the position held and, in a clear but concise manner, the main tasks performed for each experience;
• A CV that presents experiences that are relevant to the position you are applying for and in line with your professional and training experience is more effective; if you have experience working in different capacities, we recommend creating multiple ad hoc CVs;
• We recommend paying attention to editing, that means correcting typos, using correct punctuation, and don’t forget about the graphic appearance: make sure to use the same formatting throughout all your tables, for example, capitalise letters properly, check the spacing. The choice of background colours is also important, they should not be too strong;
• Especially in a Europass CV, it is best to avoid repetition in the sections on personal, professional, communication, organisational and management skills; it is also essential to write down the experiences and skills that you actually possess;
• Make sure to have a “professional goals” or “desired position” section: the position for which you are applying must be clear;
• In the hobbies section, we advise including activities that are relevant to the role or that complement the information provided thus far in the descriptions, while avoiding a generic list (reading, cinema, sports, etc.);
• It is essential to include an up-to-date data processing authorisation at the bottom of the CV. 

Remember that PFL periodically provides free courses and seminars on how best to write a CV in all its offices, and online during the current COVID-19 emergency. You can also always make use of the free CV check service, which can be used “remotely”, by contacting the relevant territorial office.