Your CV for donor-funded projects: EuropeAid format

A well-tailored resume is an important prerequisite that could influence a consultant’s career in international development. So, how and what exactly helps your CV stand out, and which resume formats should be used in various circumstances?

DevelopmentPeople will guide you through these essential aspects in a series of articles about various CV types for donor-funded projects.

Most of the experts we've assisted, whether engaged in short- or long-term projects, have consistently had at least one CV customized to a format typically accepted by a specific donor they wish to collaborate with—EuropeAid is one such format.

The European Commission is the largest donor in the international aid sector, providing over 50 billion euros annually for various development projects and hiring experts and consultants. For technical proposals in tenders funded by the European Commission (and generally accepted for tenders with other EU agencies), we recommend using the EuropeAid format for your CV.

The advantage here is that the information is displayed in a highly reader-friendly and organized way. However, there are important details to consider, which we are pleased to provide, along with tips on how to perfect your CV.

Source: DevelopmentPeople

DevelopmentPeople recommendations to tailor your CV to the EuropeAid format structure:

Section 1: Family name(s) – Usually written in capital letters

Section 2: First name(s)

Section 3: Date of birth

Section 4: Passport holder – Include only the information related to citizenship

Section 5: Education – Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD

Section 6: Language skills – (C2-excellent; A1-basic)

Section 7: Membership of professional bodies

Section 8: Other skills – Only include secondary skills such as knowledge of computer software, programming languages, internet, design, accounting, statistical tools, or any other application you are competent in.

Section 9: Present position – There is no need to provide a detailed description of the tasks and achievements as in Section 13. Instead, simply specify the position title, the company name, and location OR the independent consultant (if applicable).

Section 10: Years with the firm

Section 11: Key qualifications – Summarize how your expertise meets the requirements, justifying your experience with the skills and qualifications requested for the position. Keep this as brief as possible (1-2 lines per each qualification) and you could also make a reference to the projects from Table 13.

Section 12: Specific experience in the region – List only the country name and the months and years of your work in that country, mentioned in the following section 13.

Section 13: Professional experience – This section, which is placed horizontally (use a section break for this), should contain all your professional experiences in chronological order starting with the most recent and ideally you should also provide a reference contact name and telephone or email. It is important to distinguish the contracting company that you were officially employed by and the donor for the mission. You could emphasize the donor again in the Description sub-section with complete details of the project name, budget size, the activities you performed, and the objectives achieved.

Source: DevelopmentPeople

Section 14: Other relevant information – Feel free to add info about your articles, publications, additional training, conferences, or awards.

Tips and tricks on tailoring EuropeAid format CV

For your EC resume, opt for Arial 10 font. Steer clear of using various colors, photos, shapes, images, and different font types in your CV, as recruiters may not view these favorably. In the development sector, the substance of a resume takes precedence over its design. Thus, prioritize the quality of the content.

Another important aspect that we invite you to take into consideration when working on your EuropeAid CV, is its length! Sometimes there are cases of extreme limits for the length of the CV – for example, according to EC-funded tender specifications, the technical proposal of a consulting company should include CVs of key experts and the length of each should not exceed 3 pages maximum.

Imagine this is a CV for a Team Leader with over 35 years of experience. Clearly, fitting all the information into three pages is challenging. Will evaluators consider the extra pages? Not likely. Hence, it's essential to have a well-crafted generic CV that encompasses all aspects of your experience and can be adjusted to meet the specific requirements of the position you are applying for.

Stay tuned for our next article in this exclusive DevelopmentPeople series.