After going through dozens of applications each year, we notice a lot of recurring patterns.
So I’m writing this piece as a guide for those of you who are submitting their first CV for an internship (or a job position anywhere else, for that matter).
First off, let me give you a bit of context: you are so many, we are few, and so we have to rely on the things we see and on the things we don’t see.
Ultimately, all we want to know is whether you are a match for us or not, which I think is in your best interest as well.
Here’s What You Should not Put in Your CV
University curricula and projects: yeah, don’t do that, it’s like a clone war on our end with so many of you adding the same stuff.
You may wonder why, so let me put this way: we don’t care about the obvious! What we do care about is who you are, how you manage to stand out from the crowd, what you did besides the standard stuff.
Job experiences that are not related to the industry you are applying for: no one cares that you were a cook or a waiter when you’re applying for an internship or job in the IT sector, and for obvious reasons - because it’s not relevant for the position.
And Now, What You Should Add
Besides contact information, try to be concise in the education section: summarize your acquired skills and not the curricula.
Projects done at university are all similar so chances are you won't stand out, considering all your colleagues are likely to highlight the same kind of content.
Personal projects, freelancing, things you built on your own and you’re proud of. These are the aspects we’re looking for. We want to see if you were curios & capable enough to build something from scratch, either to make a buck or just for yourself - the idea is to have something that could give you an edge.
Competitions or hackathons with notable results - as above, these achievements are factual proof of your willingness to go beyond standard requirements.
Side note: you can read this post by Ada, a former intern of ours. She's got some really useful insights on the Around25 internship experience, the mindset you need in order to get it, and also a few tips on writing a CV.
A Few Other Points Worth Mentioning
Underestimating your accomplishments
Ok, you are grown-ups now, and many of you ignore or forget your track record from high school.
But since you don’t have any actual work experience, any notable achievement from high school - if you went to olympiads or competitions and got results that are relevant to yourself -, then mention them.
Forgetting to attach your CV
If you start on a left foot you may not be given another chance, or at best you get a minus for this.
Email application introduction
Don’t just use standard message and attach your CV or put in the email 'to' field all the emails from every company you could find. This is pure laziness imo and a strong reason to be disqualified, without even reading your CV.
Paul, our CEO, wrote this piece two years ago and the points and our reasons are still valid today.
We see potential in each and everyone of you, and you’ll get to accomplish great things in the future, but at this moment in life you have to up your game and be thoughtful about your CV.
These being said - and hoping this post helped you in some respect - we're welcoming your applications until June 15th at [email protected].
If you missed the window, no worries, our doors are always open for passionate people and fresh ideas so get in touch with us!
