Business | Bartleby

How to write the perfect CV

A job applicant walks into a bar

An illustration of a fish layed on top of a CV letter
Illustration: Paul Blow

IMAGINE MEETING a stranger at a party. What makes for a successful encounter? Lesson one is to heed the wisdom of a shampoo commercial from the 1980s: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Lesson two is to remember that you do not need to wear a beret or a fur stole in order to stand out. Lesson three is not to forget that what you leave out matters as much as what you say.

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This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “A job applicant walks into a bar”

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