CV and cover letter

examples

Compiling your application documents

The preparation of meaningful and wellstructured application dossiers is
very often an underestimated challenge. There are many advices on the
internet, but what is actually important and what isnt? Here you can find
various CV examples with different layouts. It is important that you choose
one layout which feels authentic to yourself. We are also happy to support
you with the preparation of professional application documents in our
workshops or in individual counselling sessions.
www.hsgcareer.ch | [email protected]

Content
CV for D/A/CH
CV for UK
CV for USA
CV for Asia
CV for law
CV for PhD applications in industry
CV for PhD applications for academic career / research
Creative CVs
Cover letter

2015 Career Services Center, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved

 CV for
students
in D/A/CH

General
The purpose of the CV is to present your personal career
Well-structured design, in order to convey a quick initial impression of yourself
Sort in reverse chronological order (newest on top)
Up to two pages (Germany/Austria/Switzerland) or one page (USA/UK/Asia) are recommended, or as specified in the ad/website
The font should be clearly legible, the font size should not be smaller than 8 pt
No spelling or grammar mistakes
Use concise and precise, positive and active wording
Personalise your CV, be authentic

1 Dos: Specify how you can be

1 contacted. Do not forget to set up
voicemail on your telephone in order
to enable recruiters to leave messages.
Donts: Do not use unprofessional e-
2 mail addresses, such as
[email protected]
3

2 Dos: Highlight your name. Usually,

specify your nationality and date of
birth. Optionally, a brief profile of
about four or five lines may follow,
specifying the experience and
competencies relevant to the job.
Donts: Generally, students do not
need to specify their marital status,
place of origin, profession of parents,
number of siblings, etc.

Dos: Photographs are optional, but

3 often welcome in German-speaking
4
countries (professional, friendly,
passport photograph format, high
resolution).
Donts: No casual clothing, no private
background (e.g. balcony).

4 Dos: If relevant for the employer,

details such as the focus of studies,
grade average, practical projects,
thesis, etc. can be added.
Donts: Do not list all completed
courses, the focus of studies is
sufficient.

Dos: Do not only mention the

5 5 employer, but also your own function
and department. Specifically highlight
your main duties and projects that
are relevant to the new job.
Donts: Avoid empty statements
such as "Cooperation in sponsoring":
What exactly was your contribution?
Better: "Creation of presentations for
gaining new sponsors"

1/2

2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved

 6
6 Dos: Explain the institutions if they
are little known (area, purpose).
Donts: Do not go into too much
detail ultimately, what counts is what
you did at the institution, not the
details of the institution.

Dos: Name activities and missions in

7 which you deepened relevant
interdisciplinary competencies.
Describe your main duties and
projects here.
Donts: Do not mention pure
hobbies these should only be listed
under "Interests".

8 Dos: Optionally, you can mention any

7 social, civil or military service times.
Donts: Do not provide too detailed
information or coded abbreviations of
your military division.

8 9 Dos: Be honest and realistic in your

evaluation of your skill level. For the
languages, indicate the level of the
Common European Framework of
Reference (CEFR) and any language
certificates obtained. Average MS
Office skills are a matter of course
and do not need to be mentioned.
9 Donts: Avoid listing basic skills that
are irrelevant to the job.

10 Dos: You can add up to five hobbies

or subjects relevant to you such
10 information complements the
personality profile and helps to "break
the ice" during the job interview.
2/2 Donts: Do not mention banal
hobbies such as "Meeting friends",
"Listening to music", etc.

2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved

 CV for United
Kingdom

General
The purpose of the CV is to present your personal career
Well-structured design, in order to convey a quick initial impression of yourself
Sort in reverse chronological order (newest on top)
The font should be clearly legible, the font size should not be smaller than 8 pt, no spelling/grammar mistakes
Use concise and precise, positive and active wording
1 Dos: Highlight your name, as this is
Personalise your CV, be authentic
about you and your personal profile.
A one-page CV is recommended for the UK (one-pager often required, otherwise max. two pages permitted)
Donts: Do not provide any
Due to anti-discrimination guidelines, personal details such as the date of birth, nationality, photograph, etc. are
photograph and personal details such
not welcome By contrast, information on a driving license is welcome (e.g. under "Skills")
as the date of birth, nationality and
References are often requested: In this case, specify two or three contacts along with their functions and
marital status.
institutions or write "References available upon request"

1 Dos: Specify how you can be

2 contacted. Do not forget to set up
2 voicemail on your telephone in order
to enable recruiters to leave
messages. Optionally, a brief profile
3 of about four or five lines may follow,
specifying the experience and
competencies relevant to the job.
Donts: Do not use unprofessional
e-mail addresses, such as
[email protected]

3 Dos: If relevant for the employer,

details such as the focus of studies,
grade average, practical projects,
thesis, etc. can be added.
Donts: Do not list all completed
courses, the focus of studies is
sufficient.

4 Dos: Do not only mention the

employer, but also your own function
4 and department. Specifically highlight
your main duties and projects that
are relevant to the new job.
Donts: Avoid empty statements
such as "Supported audit team":
What exactly was your contribution?
Better: "Analyzed financial
information of the client as member
of the audit team"

Dos: Name activities and missions in

5 which you deepened relevant
interdisciplinary competencies.
Describe your main duties and
5 projects here. Explain the institutions
if they are little known (area,
purpose).
Donts: Do not mention pure
hobbies these should only be listed
under "Interests".

6
6 Dos: Be honest and realistic in your
evaluation of your skill level, mention
any recent certificates. At the end,
you can add up to five hobbies or
subjects relevant to you such
information complements the
personality profile and helps to
1/1
"break the ice" during the job
interview.
Donts: Avoid listing basic skills that
are irrelevant to the job.
2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved
 CV (resume)
for USA

General
The purpose of the CV (called "resume" in the USA) is to present your personal career
Well-structured design, in order to convey a quick initial impression of yourself
Sort in reverse chronological order (newest on top)
The font should be clearly legible, the font size should not be smaller than 8 pt, no spelling/grammar mistakes
Use concise and precise, positive and active wording
Personalise your CV (resume), be authentic
Your CV (resume) should fit onto one page (one-page rule) 1 Dos: Specify how you can be
Due to anti-discrimination guidelines, personal details such as the date of birth, nationality, photograph, etc. are contacted. Do not forget to set up
not permitted voicemail on your telephone in order
Highlight achievements and special aspects (e.g. scholarships, awards, rankings, special responsibilities) to enable recruiters to leave messages.
Donts: Do not use unprofessional e-
1 mail addresses, such as
[email protected]
2
Dos: Highlight your name Optionally,
2 a brief profile of about four or five
lines may follow, specifying the
experience and competencies relevant
to the job.
Donts: Do not provide any
photograph and personal details such
as the date of birth, nationality and
marital status.

3 3 Dos: If relevant for the employer,

details such as the focus of studies,
grade average, practical projects,
thesis, etc. can be added.
Donts: Do not list all completed
courses, the focus of studies is
sufficient.

4 Dos: Do not only mention the

employer, but also your own function
and department. Specifically highlight
4 your main duties and projects that
are relevant to the new job.
Donts: Avoid empty statements
such as "Improved logistics": What
exactly was your contribution?
Better: "Planned logistical
optimizations for a faster component
receipt"

Dos: Name activities and missions in

5 which you deepened relevant
interdisciplinary competencies.
Describe your main duties and
5 projects here. Explain the institutions
if they are little known (area,
purpose).
Donts: Do not mention pure
hobbies these should only be listed
under "Interests".

6 Dos: Be honest and realistic in your

evaluation of your skill level, mention
any recent certificates. At the end,
6 you can add up to five hobbies or
subjects relevant to you such
information complements the
1/1 personality profile and helps to
"break the ice" during the job
interview.
Donts: Avoid listing basic skills that
are irrelevant to the job.
2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved
 CV for Asia

General
The purpose of the CV is to present your personal career
Well-structured design, in order to convey a quick initial impression of yourself
Sort in reverse chronological order (newest on top)
The font should be clearly legible, the font size should not be smaller than 8 pt, no spelling/grammar mistakes Dos: Highlight your name, as this is
Use concrete and precise, positive and active wording but using a down-to-earth, modest style for Asia
1 about you and your personal profile. If
Personalise your CV, be authentic
If possible, your CV should fit on one page; use no more than two pages a1 necessary, add your gender, as the
gender of Western names is not
Photographs are optional in most Asian countries however, a professional photograph is welcome if the job always understood in Asia. Provide
involves customer contact (e.g. in banking) your date of birth, nationality and visa
Describe your practical experience in specific terms Asian companies often focus on the skills used to perform status.
duties, targets and results Donts: -
Local language skills and any certificates can be of great benefit

Dos: Specify how you can be

2 contacted. Do not forget to set up
1 voicemail on your telephone in order
to enable recruiters to leave
messages. Optionally, you can add a
2 specific professional goal in about
two or three lines this is very
welcome in Asia.
Donts: Do not use unprofessional
e-mail addresses, such as
[email protected]

3 Dos: If relevant for the employer,

3 details such as the focus of studies,
grade average, practical projects,
thesis, etc. can be added.
Donts: Do not list all completed
courses, the focus of studies is
sufficient.

Dos: : Do not only mention the

4 employer, but also your own
function and department. Specifically
highlight your main duties and
4 projects that are relevant to the new
job.
Donts: Avoid empty statements
such as "Report production": What
exactly was your contribution?
Better: "Created monthly reports on
status of agreements in negotiation
for management"

Dos: : Name activities and missions in

5 which you deepened relevant
interdisciplinary competencies.
Describe your main duties and
projects here. Explain the institutions
if they are little known (area,
purpose).
Donts: Do not mention pure
5 hobbies these should only be listed
under "Interests".

6 Dos: : Be honest and realistic in your

evaluation of your skill level, mention
any recent certificates. At the end,
you can add up to five hobbies or
subjects relevant to you such
information complements the
6 personality profile and helps to
1/1
"break the ice" during the job
interview.
Donts: Avoid listing basic skills that
are irrelevant to the job.
2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved
 CV for law

General
The purpose of the CV is to present your personal career
Well-structured design, in order to convey a quick initial impression of yourself
Sort in reverse chronological order (newest on top)
Up to two pages (D/A/CH) or one page (USA/UK/Asia) are recommended, or as specified in the ad/website
The font should be clearly legible, the font size should not be smaller than 8 pt Dos: Specify how you can be
No spelling or grammar mistakes 1 contacted. Do not forget to set up
Use concise and precise, positive and active wording voicemail on your telephone in order
Personalise your CV, be authentic to enable the HR department to leave
Make sure the quality is good, as law firms sometimes request printed application files by mail messages.
Spontaneous applications are often welcome in the legal field and increase your chances Donts: Do not use unprofessional e-
mail addresses, such as
[email protected]

1
Dos: Highlight your name. Usually,
2 specify your nationality and date of
birth.
Donts: Generally, students do not
need to specify their marital status,
3 place of origin, profession of parents,
number of siblings, etc.
2
Dos: Photographs are optional, but
3 often welcome in German-speaking
countries (professional, friendly,
passport photograph format, high
resolution).
Donts: No casual clothing, no private
background (e.g. balcony).

Dos: If relevant for the employer,

4 details such as the focus of studies,
grade average, practical projects,
thesis, etc. can be added.
4 Donts: Do not list all completed
courses, the focus of studies is
sufficient.

Dos: Do not only mention the

5 employer, but also your own
function and department. Specifically
highlight your main duties that are
relevant to the new job. Especially
internships with law firms and
courts, which you need for the bar
admission, should be described
thoroughly.
Donts: Avoid empty statements
such as "Administrative assistance":
What exactly was your contribution?
Better: "Writing of letters, petitions,
5 responses and other legal/court
documents"

6 Dos: Explain the institutions if they are

little known (area, purpose).
Donts: Do not go into too much
detail ultimately, what counts is what
you did at the institution, not the
6 1/2 details of the institution.

2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved

 Dos: Name activities and missions in
7 which you deepened relevant
interdisciplinary competencies.
Describe your main duties and
projects here.
Donts: Do not mention pure
hobbies these should only be listed
under "Interests".

8 Dos: Optionally, you can mention any

social, civil or military service times.
Donts: Do not provide too detailed
information or coded abbreviations of
your military division.

7
Dos: Be honest and realistic in your
9 evaluation of your skill level. For the
languages, indicate the level of the
Common European Framework of
Reference (CEFR) and any language
certificates obtained. Average MS
Office skills are a matter of course
and do not need to be mentioned.
Donts: Avoid listing basic skills that
8 are irrelevant to the job.

10 Dos: You can add up to five hobbies

9 or subjects relevant to you such
information complements the
personality profile and helps to "break
the ice" during the job interview.
Donts: Do not mention banal
hobbies such as "Meeting friends",
"Listening to music", etc.
10
2/2

2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved

 CV for PhD
applications in
industry

General
The purpose of the CV is to present your personal career
Well-structured design, in order to convey a quick initial impression of yourself
Sort in reverse chronological order (newest on top)
Avoid going into too much detail in your CV focus on what matters and enclose other information such as your list of
publications as a separate attachment
The font should be clearly legible, the font size should not be smaller than 8 pt
No spelling or grammar mistakes
Use concise and precise, positive and active wording
Personalise your CV, be authentic

1 Dos: Specify how you can be

1 contacted. Do not forget to set up
voicemail on your telephone in order
to enable recruiters to leave messages.
Donts: Do not use unprofessional e-
mail addresses, such as
3 [email protected]

2
2 Dos: Highlight your name. Usually,
specify your nationality and date of
birth. Optionally, a brief profile of
about four or five lines may follow,
specifying the experience and
competencies relevant to the job.
Donts: Generally, graduates do not
need to specify their place of origin,
profession of parents, number of
siblings, etc.
4
3 Dos: Photographs are optional, but
often welcome in German-speaking
countries (professional, friendly,
passport photograph format, high
resolution).
Donts: No casual clothing, no private
background (e.g. balcony).

4 Dos: If relevant for the employer,

details such as the focus of studies,
grade average, practical projects,
thesis, etc. can be added.
Donts: Do not list all completed
courses, the focus of studies is
sufficient.

5 Dos: Do not only mention the

employer, but also your own
function and department. In the case
5 of institutes and research centres,
the sponsors can also be mentioned.
Specifically highlight your main duties
and projects that are relevant to the
new job.
Donts: Avoid empty statements
such as "Cooperation in
workshops": What exactly was your
contribution? Better: "Project work
and workshop moderation as well as
workshop support in the fields of
1/3
brand, behavioural branding, social
media, sponsoring and B2B
marketing"
2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved
 6 6 Dos: Explain the institutions if they
are little known (area, purpose).
Donts: Do not go into too much
detail ultimately, what counts is what
you did at the institution, not the
details of the institution.

Dos: Name activities and missions in

7 which you deepened relevant
interdisciplinary competencies.
Describe your main duties and
projects here.
Donts: Do not mention pure
hobbies these should only be listed
under "Interests".

8 Dos: Be honest and realistic in your

7 evaluation of your skill level. For the
languages, indicate the level of the
Common European Framework of
Reference (CEFR) and any language
certificates obtained. Average MS
Office skills are a matter of course
and do not need to be mentioned.
Donts: Avoid listing basic skills that
are irrelevant to the job.

9 Dos: You can add up to five hobbies

8 or subjects relevant to you such
information complements the
personality profile and helps to "break
9 the ice" during the job interview.
Donts: Do not mention banal
hobbies such as "Meeting friends",
"Listening to music", etc.

2/3

2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved

 10

10 Dos: A list of your publications and

conference presentations is optional
for jobs in the free economy.
However, the more you have done,
the more it pays to draw attention
to them especially to those in
renowned journals. Sort your
publications in reverse chronological
order by year. Be sure to quote
correctly depending on the
discipline, journal, etc.
Donts: Do not include publications
in the CV for industry these
should be presented separately on
an attached page as shown here.

3/3

2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved

 CV for PhD
applications for
academic career/
research

General
The purpose of the CV is to present your personal career
Well-structured design, in order to convey a quick initial impression of yourself
Sort in reverse chronological order (newest on top)
The font should be clearly legible, the font size should not be smaller than 8 pt
No spelling or grammar mistakes
Use concise and precise, positive and active wording
Personalise your CV, be authentic
CVs for an academic career/research must be composed in English

1 Dos: Highlight your name. Usually,

specify your nationality, date of birth
and marital status. For academic
2 careers, a photograph is optional.
Donts: Generally, it is not necessary
1 to specify the place or origin, driving
license, etc.

Dos: Specify how you can be

2 contacted. Do not forget to set up
voicemail on your telephone in order
to enable HR managers to leave
3 messages.
Donts: Do not use unprofessional
e-mail addresses, such as
[email protected]

3 Dos: Do not only mention the

institutions, but also your own
function and department. In the case
of institutes and research centres,
the sponsors can also be mentioned.
Optionally, you can draw attention to
key duties and projects.
Donts: Avoid long lists of names of
professors sponsoring an
institution/employer if they are not
known.

4 Dos: Specify details of the focus of

4 studies, grade average, subject-
relevant course examples concerning
theory and methodology, practical
projects, thesis, etc.
Donts: Do not provide a full list of
course titles; relevant subject areas
are sufficient.

1/3

2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved

 Dos: Highlight special achievements
5 for which you received awards.
Scholarships can also be mentioned
(including the amount and purpose),
5 and the section may be entitled
"Awards and scholarships".
Donts: -

6 Dos: Be honest and realistic in your

evaluation of your skill level. For the
languages, indicate the level of the
Common European Framework of
6 Reference (CEFR) and any language
certificates obtained. Average MS
Office skills are a matter of course
and do not need to be mentioned.
Donts: Avoid listing basic skills that
7 are irrelevant to the job.

7 Dos: Draw attention to your

academic achievements, e.g.
research, publications or teaching
activities. Divide them into
subcategories and sort them in
reverse chronological order by year.
Be sure to quote correctly
depending on the discipline, journal,
etc.
Donts: Avoid unstructured,
disorderly lists.

2/3

2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved

 8 Dos: Sort your teaching activity by
target groups (study level) and explain
your specific duties in this role.
Donts: -
8

3/3

2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved

 Creative CVs

General
The purpose of the CV is to present your personal career
Well-structured design, in order to convey a quick initial impression of yourself
Sort in reverse chronological order (newest on top) Dos: Highlight your name, as this is
Up to two pages (D/A/CH) or one page (USA/UK/Asia) are recommended, or as specified in the ad/website about you and your personal profile.
The font should be clearly legible, the font size should not be smaller than 8 pt, no spelling/grammar mistakes Photographs are optional, but often
Use concise and precise, positive and active wording welcome in German-speaking
Personalise your CV, be authentic 1 countries (professional, friendly,
Creativity is permitted as long as the structure, relevant content, and legibility are preserved passport photograph format).
Creative applications are welcome especially in the field of marketing or young, dynamic enterprises Donts: Generally, students do not
while conventional CVs are preferred by large, traditional companies and especially in the fields of need to specify their marital status,
banking and consulting place of origin, profession of parents,
number of siblings, etc.

Dos: Specify how you can be

2 contacted. Do not forget to set up
voicemail on your telephone in order
to enable recruiters to leave
1 messages. Optionally, a brief profile
of about four or five lines may follow,
specifying the experience and
competencies relevant to the job.
2 Donts: Do not use unprofessional
e-mail addresses, such as
[email protected]

3 Dos: If relevant for the employer,

details such as the focus of studies,
grade average, practical projects,
thesis, etc. can be added.
Donts: Do not list all completed
3 courses, the focus of studies is
sufficient.

4 Dos: Do not only mention the

employer, but also your own function
and department. Specifically highlight
your main duties and projects that
are relevant to the new job.
Donts: Avoid empty statements
such as "Reporting duties": What
exactly was your contribution?
Better: "Revision and launch of a new
KPI reporting process"

4
5 Dos : Name activities and missions in
which you deepened relevant
interdisciplinary competencies.
Describe your main duties and
projects here. Explain the institutions
if they are little known (area,
purpose).
Donts: Do not mention pure
hobbies these should only be listed
at the end under "Interests".

5 6 Dos : Be honest and realistic in your

evaluation of your skill level, mention
any recent certificates. At the end,
6 you can add up to five hobbies or
subjects relevant to you such
information complements the
personality profile and helps to
1/1
"break the ice" during the job
interview.
Donts: Avoid listing basic skills that
are irrelevant to the job.
2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved
 Creative CVs

1/1
 Creative CVs

1/1

2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved

 Cover letter
by students

General
The purpose of the application letter is to present your motivation and competencies
1 Dos: Specify how you can be
Do not merely repeat the content of the CV, as many recruiters first read the CV and only then the letter contacted. Do not forget to set up
Stress the most relevant strengths that coincide with the job ad: personal unique selling proposition (USP) voicemail on your telephone in order
Use concise and precise, positive and active wording to enable recruiters to leave
The font should be clearly legible, the font size should not be smaller than 8 pt messages. The block or letter head
No spelling or grammar mistakes containing the contact details can be
No more than one page (applies around the globe) designed identically in the CV and in
Basic structure: Describe WHY YOU/WHY ME/WHY US the cover letter.
Personalise your application letter, be authentic Donts: Do not use unprofessional
e-mail addresses, such as
[email protected]

2 Dos: Address your letter to a

specific person. If you are unable to
1 find out who the responsible contact
is, address your letter to the HR
manager or "Dear Sir/Madam". If
possible, use personal names in the
2 salutation as well.
Donts: Avoid writing letters
without specifying the recipient. Such
letters look like impersonal
templates.

3 Dos: Specify the job and/or function

that you are applying for and indicate
where you found the job ad. You may
3 also specify the ad number.
Donts: -
WHY YOU

4 Dos: Why are you interested in the

company and in the job? Inform
4 yourself thoroughly. Describe your
motivation and make reference to
any contacts (guest
lectures/exhibition/acquaintances,
etc.).
WHY ME

Donts: Do not reason with general

statements like "What impresses me
about you is that you are a large,
international enterprise". What
exactly, why in this industry, what is
5 your link? Stimulate the other
person's curiosity.
WHY US

Dos: Why should they hire you?

5 What are your main competencies
and achievements? Describe your
6 competencies in concrete terms and
substantiate your information with
examples. In this way, you can
arouse interest, and the company
will see what they can expect in case
they hire you. Establish a link to the
job ad.
Donts: Avoid going into too much
detail highlight only the most
relevant competencies and
experience.

Dos: What specific contribution can

6 you make? Summarise your core
statements. Conclude with a sentence
that expresses what you would like to
1/1 do next.
Donts: Avoid an exuberant
conclusion remain down to earth
and credible.
2015 Career Services Centre, University of St.Gallen all rights reserved