Rédiger un CV n'est ni une science ni un exercice artistique. Pour décrocher un entretien, c'est l'une de vos armes principales et, comme le dit l'adage anglais, « black and white is always right » : si vous ne connaissez pas les attentes de votre lecteur, restez classique. Les principes du CV de cadre français restent valables ; voici ce qui change.
Tips and traps
- Avoid fancy layouts, wild fonts and special effects. Stick to traditional fonts such as Arial or Times New Roman, 9 to 12 point, black type on white paper. You might use a different size for your name, the companies you have worked for, perhaps your title, but stay consistent. Don't overuse bold, italics and underlining.
- Use a simple Word format that can be viewed on most computers. Avoid templates and tables.
- Use reverse chronological order. Start with your present or most recent job and work backwards. State the full name of each company, what it does and how long you were there (month and year), then the position held and your accomplishments.
- You don't have to use full sentences. Begin with verbs: "Managed company tax reporting, finance, invoicing, purchasing."
- Get rid of "career objectives" and "career summary". An employer doesn't care about your objective, he cares about his.
- Skip personal information such as "married with three kids". It sounds stable to you; to a hiring manager looking for someone who travels, it may keep you from being interviewed.
- Stories sell. Numbers get attention, especially in bold: "Increased profit by 28%", "Came in 30% under budget."
- Personal stories can make a difference in some professions: impeccable credentials in finance and a childhood on a chicken farm will make you stand out.
- Avoid buzzwords and fuzzy phrases such as "customer-oriented", "excellent communication skills" or "creative". They do nothing to get you an interview. Prefer words that refer to real titles: customer service, controller, manager, accountant.
- Get the photo off your résumé. You are looking for a job, not a date.
Les niveaux de langue
| Anglais | Français | Niveau CECRL |
|---|---|---|
| Mother tongue | Langue maternelle | C2 |
| Bilingual | Bilingue | C2 |
| Fluent | Courant | C1 |
| Advanced | Avancé | B2 |
| Moderate | Intermédiaire | B1 |
| Basic | Notions | A2 |
Les niveaux A1 à C2 sont ceux du Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues.
Grammaire et ponctuation
- Pas d'espace avant les signes doubles
:?;!— "Negotiated partnerships with various players: ABB, EDF, etc." - La virgule sépare les milliers (22,400 au lieu de 22 400) et le point sert de décimale (13.4%, "Grew sales by 22.4%").
- Le symbole monétaire se place avant le chiffre : $205M, £14B, €47M ; les multiples se collent au chiffre : $750K, $24M, $24B.
- Dans les noms de famille, seule la première lettre est en majuscule : John Smith (et non Jean DURAND comme en français).
- Nationalités et langues prennent une majuscule : "Languages: fluent English, intermediate Italian", "Ongoing negotiations with German banks."
Anglais britannique ou américain ?
| Britannique | Américain |
|---|---|
| CV, curriculum vitae | Resume (prononcé « résumé ») |
| harbour, centre | harbor, center |
| rationalise, centralise, organise | rationalize, centralize, organize |
| $12b, £450m | $12B, £450M |
Choisissez une variante et tenez-vous-y dans tout le document.
Exemple de cartouche
COO and Sales development in utilities and B2B services Strong knowledge of public contracts and delegation of public services Successful experience managing business units Proven ability to manage organisations and change Thorough experience of labour relations Good practice of mergers, acquisitions and post-merger integration Results-oriented, able to negotiate and convince at all levels
2005-2014 — Group X — Regional Director Delegation of public services for water and sanitation. €300M revenue, 1,500 employees. ▸ Reorganized the operational structure: 16 local agencies merged into 3 business units ▸ Won and renewed major contracts with several large cities ▸ Managed operational crises and relations with local authorities and the media
Votre profil LinkedIn peut aussi exister en anglais : voir Le profil LinkedIn du cadre.