The first step to take in the process of finding a job after not working for many years is to prepare a professional CV. It will be easier for you to introduce yourself to the company you will apply to with an organized and detailed CV.
However, it is necessary to avoid giving superficial information and acting cursorily during the CV preparation phase. It is of great importance to be more meticulous when preparing a CV, especially if you have been taking a break from your working life for many years. So, how to prepare a CV after not working for many years?
A professionally prepared resume for job seekers should contain many important information. In such cases, use a detailed CV sample to reflect yourself better and prepare the appropriate CV according to the information here.
Even if you have been away from working life for a long time, you can return to your career life with your job application document in which you introduce yourself in detail. However, there are many points that you should think about in detail before editing your CV.
How to prepare an effective CV after not working for many years?
Being away from business life for a long time is not an obstacle to re-entering the career world. So much so that the unemployment rate in Turkey has reached its lowest level in the last 10 years in 2024. When starting a new job process, it is necessary to prepare an effective CV that includes details such as education, interests, and work experience. Since you have been away from business life for a while, it would be better for you to be understood correctly if you also state why you are not working.
It is possible to create specific categories in the application document you will prepare and explain in detail your different aspects such as education, experience and skills. However, you should be careful to fill out all categories carefully, and most importantly, make sure that all the information you enter is correct. Including information that completely reflects you will help you create the desired trust in the other party. Your aim when preparing a CV is to introduce yourself and to enable the person who will hire you to obtain preliminary information about you.
Editing personal information
Personal information is an area that should be carefully considered during the CV preparation phase. Since this is the first section of the CV to be examined, it is necessary to pay attention to the spelling order. To prepare an effective resume, you can organize personal information as follows:
- Personal information must be included in detail. Your name, surname, full address and contact information should be in this field. You must make sure that the e-mail address and phone number are up to date.
- There must be a photo of you in the personal area. Even if it is a passport, it must be official and suitable for application.
- Care should be taken to include information such as date and place of birth and marital status in this field.
- It is important for male candidates to indicate their military service status in their personal information.
- You must write your nationality information. (It should be a must, especially if applying for a position abroad.)
- It should be stated whether you have a driver’s license or not. (If it exists, you must write its class.)
You need to make sure that the information you provide in the personal information area, which is one of the most important stages of your CV, is consistent with all other details.
Education information
Education information is an important field that must be included in the resume. Here you must provide detailed information about the school and department you are studying in. Your suitability for the position you have applied for can be understood more clearly based on the information provided in this field.
When organizing education information, you must write the schools and departments in reverse chronological order. The last school completed should be at the top. In this way, you can write the first completed school information below. When writing school information, it is also necessary to write the start and end dates. Additionally, you should include information such as your achievements at school, grades, and grade point average.
Work and internship experiences
When organizing work and internship experiences, you should use reverse chronology, as in the field of education. The most recently studied area should be at the top and written in chronological order, from the first experience to the first experience. It is necessary to pay careful attention to this area, especially if one has not been in a working life for a long time. First work experience and internship information must be present.
Abilities and skills
In the field of talents and skills, it is necessary to touch upon issues such as computers, foreign languages, and specific features. It is important to include the names of the programs used one by one, especially when writing computer information.
Certificates
This is the area where documents regarding all courses, seminars and trainings you attended during your student years and afterwards are organized. You can arrange this in chronological order. However, stating information such as the subject of education, the years you attended, and the name of the institution will make your CV look more professional.
References
References are among the most important issues to be considered for a job. You should obtain reference letters from the institutions you worked for, including the place where you did your internship, and add them to your CV file.
This reveals how active you were in your previous working life and your workplace’s satisfaction with you. At the same time, when editing the reference field, you should definitely select people who are relevant to the position you are applying for.
You should make sure that the people you reference in your CV are reachable. It is also important to obtain permission to add these people as references. Information such as your reference’s name, surname and title should also be included. You should also make sure that there is phone and email information. If you do not want to share this information, write “Given if requested” to your CV. Dropping the note would be enough.
Knowledge of foreign languages
Knowing a foreign language is one of the important advantages in the job search process. However, when writing this in your CV, you should detail it as reading, writing and listening skills. Thanks to the foreign language knowledge you will rate, it will be possible to get an idea about your knowledge in this field more easily. In addition, if you have exam scores (IELTS, YDS, TOEFL, etc.), you can also add them.
Areas of interest
Towards the end of the CV you need to mention your interests. This area may seem unimportant. However, it is extremely important to indicate the features that distinguish you from other people. This is the section where you should write what you are interested in and the activities you enjoy doing. You can detail issues related to sports and artistic interests and cultural activities here.
Cover letter
The cover letter section is the area where emphatic messages are included. It also allows the person you are requesting to meet with to obtain information about you before the interview. In this section, you should briefly tell about yourself.
You should list the logical reasons one by one for not working for a long time. However, you do not need to go into much detail. Afterwards, you should express in appropriate writing language why you are applying for the relevant position. Your career goals and your expectations from the institution you want to work for should be included in this area.
You should make sure that the cover letter consists of an introduction, body and conclusion sections. A short paragraph introducing yourself in the introduction will be sufficient. You should make sure that there is brief information about your business and working life in the development section. Additionally, you should complete the preparation process of your CV by writing a thank you sentence in the conclusion.
What should those who have not worked for a long time pay attention to when preparing a CV?
People who plan to return to business life after a long time should pay special attention to the CV preparation process. You should consider many points to avoid common mistakes and seize opportunities that will allow you to differentiate yourself from your competitors. The main points you should pay attention to can be listed as follows:
- When preparing a CV, shorter and more concise expressions should be preferred instead of long sentences.
- Exaggerated and repetitive words should not be included.
- Third person singular should be used.
- The font size should not be too large.
- Attention should be paid to spelling and punctuation.
- When talking about features, it should be emphasized what the employer will gain from them.
- Consideration should be given to preparing a cover letter regarding the position applied for.
- A photo is a must.
- Incorrect information should be avoided.
- If you have not worked for a long time, it would be useful to explain this situation and its reasons sincerely.
- Care should be taken not to use too many abbreviations.
- Behaving informally should be avoided.
- Care should be taken to ensure that the e-mail address includes your first and last name.
People who have been away from working life for a while should definitely state their reasons when preparing their CV. This issue can also be asked to people as a question during the interview. However, including it in your resume allows human resources department employees to obtain preliminary information about you. It also creates a stronger foundation for your CV. Instead of including inaccurate or unrealistic information or trying to hide certain points about working life, it is necessary to be completely transparent.