Do you want to work in an international company? Here’s how a good journalist CV should look like

Editor’s note: this guide was prepared in partnership with the Lviv Media Forum. Their new app Nibly connects journalists & other media professionals who want to cooperate and grow. The app is available on Apple Store and Google Play.

Like any other good job, getting hired by an international news media publisher takes skills, and perseverance – but also the basic step of preparing a good CV. While your CV alone won’t be a deal-breaker, getting it right is a basic requirement to get a job in most established companies.

How to craft a good CV? The general structure accepted in most companies includes eight points, according to Ukrainian career consultant Diana Ryzhkova.

1. Personal info (including contacts)

Share your contacts, LinkedIn profile link, and other relevant social media. Be mindful of including personal details like date of birth or photo – it might be inappropriate in some contexts.

2. Career objective

You can write about what topics or professional directions in journalism are interesting for you. For example, you want to work as an international reporter or write about medicine. 

3. Summary

Describe your general experience in a few sentences, share your professional achievements. This point helps to answer the question, “Who am I in my profession?”

4. Work experience / employment history

As you tell your employment story in this section, try to make it detailed as much as possible: share links for corporate sites of your employers, and share your achievements for each position.

“In the professional experience block, I indicate the media organisations which I worked with and briefly indicate what exactly I did. Also, you can add a website or Google Drive folder with your materials. It’s helpful to formulate in one sentence what each text is about”, says Olesya Yaremchuk, Ukrainian journalist who works as a freelancer with German media.

5. Professional skills / competencies

Add the competencies and skills which are important for your profession. They can include verbal and written communication skills, quick thinking, time management, teamwork, and social awareness.

6. Education, languages

If you work as an international reporter, it will be important to share your knowledge of languages. 

7. Additional info

You can add your professional training certifications, awards, conference participation information, volunteer experience, or hobbies and interests.

8. References

Be sure to include relevant and active contacts of people who can recommend you – such as your bosses, colleagues, and even people who you’ve interviewed for a story.

Source of the cover photo: https://unsplash.com

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