2. CV and Cover Letter
Louise Bach-Nielsen

3. Purpose of seminar
• Targeting your CV and cover letter to the Danish labour market
• Tips for unsolicited applications
• How to approach the enterprises

4. CV

5. Remember - A good CV promotes and sells!
• Your marketing tool
• Should leave a good impression of you just by scanning it
• Short and precise: Max two pages
• Simplicity
• Be truthful
• Targeted to the specific job
• English or Danish?

6. List a couple of your most important competences

7. Starting to write your CV
Make a profile of competences:
• Provides an overview of all your work and educational qualifications and
personal characteristics. Professionel, social and personal
• Make a long list of duties and resposibilities you had in your
former jobs
Helps you target your CV and delete less significant competences

8. Two Types of CV
Skills based:
• Focuses on competences and tasks
• Interesting when you:
• have been working in few enterprises
• have limited work experience
• have very different experience
• want to change your field of work
Chronological:
• Focuses on your work history
• Provides a good overview over time
• Always reverse chronological order

9. CURRICULUM VITAE
NN
501 G Street, N. W.
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 676-0000
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Extensive and diverse health care experience in both acute care and research hospital settings. Knowledgeable of
current regulatory standards, biomedical technology, and medico-legal considerations. Strong background in
designing, implementing, and directing patient care programs. Experience with hospital information systems.
ADMINISTRATION
Administered all operations for in-patient and ambulatory patient care units.
Managed unusual incidents related to personnel functions and medical care.
Acted as liaison between medical and nursing staffs.
Supervised two to four para-professionals.
Participated in auditing medical records for compliance with accreditation standards.
Administered in-service educational programs.
RESEARCH
Collected data for research studies and protocols.
Incorporated findings into clinical applications.
Collaborated in development of clinical investigations.
HEALTH CARE
Assessed, planned, implemented, and evaluated holistic care for diverse patient populations.
Designed, administered and directed teaching programs.
Worked extensively with biomedical technology.
EDUCATION
Master of Health Services Administration, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, January 1987.
BS in Nursing, Hampton Institute, Hampton, VA, May 1976.
EMPLOYMENT
The National Institutes of Health, Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, Clinical Nurse (May 1980
present). ).
Michael Reeves Medical Center, Chicago, IL, Staff Nurse (May 1979-April 1980).
University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, Staff Nurse (September 1976-May 1979

11. How to Structure your Chronological CV
1. Personal details
2. Personal profile
3. Work experience
4. Education
5. Skills
6. Interests
7. References

12. 1. Personal details
Make sure this section clearly states your:
 Name
NOTE: if your name does not obviously show if you are male or female,
include this as well
 Nationality
 Residential address
 Phone number
 Email address - work
 Date of birth (optional, but helpful)
 Photo?

13. Example- Personal details
Name XXX
Date and place of birth XX-XX-XXXX, France
Address XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Denmark
E-mail XXXX@XXXXX.XX
Telephone +45 XX XX XX XX

14. 2. Personal profile
• Short and targeted summary about
yourself
• What are your main professional skills/
personal & social qualities?
• Think in keywords
• Be specific
• Target the content
• Keep it short and to the point

15. Example- Personal Profile
A determined and proactive communication manager with international
experience and good administrative skills. An intercultural communicator with
excellent French and English skills. A strong team player who is inspired by
other people but also works independently.
• Administration: reliable administrator with extensive experience in dealing
with administrative procedures from administrating network database to
large scale courses and meetings.
• Communication: experienced and versatile communication professional
dealing with many different stakeholders, both internal and external
communication.
• International: a proactive person with good intercultural communication
skills and the ability to relate to wide range of people. A strong team player
who is inspired by other people but also works independently.

16. 3. Work experience
• List your most recent experience first.
• Dates of employment, Name of the company,
job title, tasks and achievements
• Well known employers in your country may not be known in DK – explain
• Use an appropriate job title if the one you actually have is misleading
• You may include internships, volunteer work, student jobs
– as long as they are relevant

17. Example - Work experience
2011 Communication Consultant
In partnership with the Management team, defined
and planned the communication strategy. Responsible
for all communication activities relating to
restructuring activities.
French Business
France
www.website.com
2007 – 2010 Public Relations Specialist & Assistant to
managing director
Management and facilitation of numerous marketing
projects and communicating with business partners.
Created, maintained and further developed a large
business network in UK and France. Produced
training and marketing material in French and English.
Global Marketing
France
www.website.com
2011 Communication Consultant
French Business, France
In partnership with the Management team, defined and planned the communication
strategy. Responsible for all communication activities relating to restructuring activities.

18. 4. Education
• Start with your most recent education first
• Dates, Name of the school, faculty and subject
• Relate to Danish educational standards
www.fivu.dk (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education)
• Courses, skills
– exams or diplomas passed whilst in employment

19. Example Education
2006 - 2007 Public Relations Consultant & Communication
Manager
Distance learning. Diploma with final grade 1,8
(grade scale 1-10 with 1 being the best)
ECUK, UK
1994 - 2000 MA: Information & Communication
Communication and information planning,
communication in organizations, oral communication
and information, project handling
University of
Paris, France
1994 – 2000 MA: Information & Communication
University of Paris, France
Communication and information planning, communication in
organizations, oral communication, and information, project
handling

20. 5. Skills
• Language proficiency, clearly and honestly stating your fluency level.
• Computing experience and possession of a driving license should be
included.

21. 6. Interests
• Employers will often look at the interests listed in someone’s CV
- gives a more comprehensive picture of the candidate
- can give vital clues on personality and motivation
• Particularly relevant to mention activities in which you had
- leadership responsibilities
- or which involved relating to others in a team
• Be precise
e.g. reading [what exactly? i.e. 20th century fiction],
sport [which sports? i.e. tennis or squash]

22. 7. References
There are two options:
• you can use the generic statement 'References are available on request’,
which means that the future employer has to ask permission for access to
your references;
or
• you can include the names and contact information of your references on
the CV, if you have approval.

26. Points to Remember
• Max 2 pages
• Use simple language
• Documentation: do not send documentation unless mentioned in the job ad
• Have someone read over your CV
• Do a spell check! (“I speak fluent Englesh, Inglish, Eniglish” does not really
instill confidence)
• CV in Pdf.
• Print out your CV

27. This I know also
Not something
they asked for,
but still interesting
You
This I match
Put your
focus here
focus
here
Strategy for applying
This I can learn
Don’t touch upon
this before the job interview
The job

28. Cover Letter

29. Preparing your Cover Letter
Start by;
• Researching the company well
• Reading over the job description thoroughly
• Preparing your letter by thinking about the following points;
Why do you think you are specifically suitable for the role?
What are the competences you possess that match the role?
Why would you want to work for that particular company?

30. The Structure - solicited
• Header: address and contact information
• Catchy headline
• Introductory paragraph
• Motivation for applying
• Professional background
• Personal background
• Closing
• Enclosure, ex. CV

31. Motivation
• Why are you applying for this specific job?
• Show appreciation for the organisation
• Do you know their strategy/ mission?
• How do you see yourself fitting in the organisation?

32. Professional competences
• What can you offer?
Explain your professional competences
– how will they match the tasks
• What advantages will they gain from hiring you?
• Relate to the task and how you can use your competences to solve them

33. Cover Letter- inspiration
Personal Competences
• Remember to include your personal and social competences
• Give examples – not just hot air and buzz words – e.g. what do you
mean by flexible and structured?

34. Guidelines
• Future oriented and targeted
• One A4 page
• Use examples
• Pick the top 3-5 essential requirements from the advertisement and answer
them carefully
• Make sure you close positively - "I look forward to meeting you at an
interview to discuss further…"

35. Unsolicited applications
Headline.
Description of you and your proposed function in the enterprise
What can you offer:
”sales speech” – how and why will the enterprise benefit from hiring you
Summary:
Summarize your competences and explain how they match the
proposed function

36. Tips
• Focus:
Stay focussed and be explicit regarding your job wishes
• Contact the enterprise:
Phone, e-mail, personal contact
• Follow up.
Show your motivation and make them remember you

37. Contacting an Enterprise

38. Contacting an Enterprise
To phone or not to phone?
• Yes, only if you have relevant
questions.
• You could be remembered as the
person who wasted time.
• Prepare the questions beforehand.

39. Examples of Questions
• Do they recruit people with your educational background?
 if yes, for which positions?
• What kind of responsibilities do those employees have?
• Which personal competences are important to have in the job?
• How long will they keep an application

40. Job interview

41. Job interview in Denmark
• Preparation is everything
• More than one interview
• More than one person present
• Tests could be involved (personal, practical etc.)
• You should be active and ask questions
• Informal atmosphere

42. Unwritten rules
• Firm hand shake – hello and good bye
• Eye contact with all present
• Body language
• Accept coffee if offered, it is part of the cosy atmosphere / hygge
• Prepare questions
• Remember – the interview begins at the reception desk
• Punctuality

43. Questions often Asked
• How would your friends and family describe you. Exemplify
• Describe a situation of conflict your have experienced. How did you solve it?
• Which role do you have in groups?
• How do you feel when critizised
• How can your colleagues see and feel that you are under pressure?
• Describe a good colleague and manager
• How do you work under pressure?
• Why this company?
• Mention 3 of your weak points / strong points

44. Salary?
• Not something you should mention – wait until asked
• Research - what will you expect/accept