CV Making Tips

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Submit Your CV

Look on your CV as the first step of a marketing campaign to a prospective employer. It's your advert and should be:

  • Well Presented
  • Interesting
  • Quick to Read

It should also be truthful - don't be tempted to lie on your CV - you will be found out! Remember, a CV is a highly personal document, so you must be comfortable with it.

About CV's

  • When should I use a CV?
  • When an employer requests one
  • If an employer asks you to complete an application form - never send a CV in its place.
  • If you are making speculative applications for any type of work - permanent or temporary.
  • If the ad says, send full details to...

What about covering letters?

  • Always send a covering letter with a CV
  • See Covering Letters for tips

How do I start?

Make a list of all your

  • Academic qualifications
  • Accomplishments
  • Experience
  • Then, pick out the highlights. Remember, don't underestimate yourself
  • Check all the dates of school/university attendance
  • Check dates details of academic and other qualifications

How long should it be?

Two pages at the most. Selectors rarely give CVs more than two minutes on their initial trawl If you are a postgraduate, you may wish to add an appendix detailing any research or publications. Don't include this in the body of your CV - it will make it too long

What should it look like?

  • Presentation is really important - your CV needs to get its message over quickly
  • It should be word processed on good quality paper - photocopying paper is usually a bit thin, but there is no need to go for thick vellum!
  • Most people stick to white paper - if you do choose a colour, think pastels.
  • Think about the layout - it needs to be clear and balanced
  • Keep paragraphs short
  • Use bullet points
  • Font size of 10-12 - smaller is difficult to read, larger looks like a primary school project!
  • Typeface - is a matter of personal taste. Easy to read and no-nonsense. Times New Roman is a little more formal and old fashioned, whilst Comic Sans MS is a bit casual! Try not to get carried away - and once you've chosen a font - stick to it!
  • Lots of underlining and italics can be distracting- use bold instead for headings

What should it include?

  • CVs usually include the following sections, but don't feel you have to follow this format slavishly.
  • Personal Details
  • Education
  • Employment or Work Experience
  • Responsibilities (and achievements)
  • Interests (and achievements)
  • Other Skills/ Additional Skills
  • Referees

Personal Details

Obvious, but this section should contain

  • Name
  • Address (home and term-time)
  • Phone
  • E-mail
  • Date of Birth

Don't include marital state/health

  • Only put gender if you have an unfamiliar first name
  • Nationality is not always necessary

Education

  • Put this in reverse chronological order
  • Degree subject and class
  • A levels / AS levels or equivalent - with grades

Don't include

  • Primary school details
  • University and school address
  • Minor qualifications - list this elsewhere
  • A level or GCSE examining boards

Employment or Work Experience

  • Put this in reverse chronological order
  • You can include all employment/ work experience, paid or unpaid, but you may find it useful to divide it into 'related' and 'other', if appropriate
  • Describe the duties and skills needed, even for basic jobs
  • Expand on the skills developed

Referees

  • Two are usually enough
  • Always ask permission
  • The ideal is one from university, one employer
  • Check addresses
  • Give postcodes, phone numbers and e-mail addresses

Responsibilities and Achievements

  • If you have had few formal responsibilities, ignore this heading
  • Concentrate on the last three years (approx.), don't give too much space to school
  • Expand on skills developed
  • Include student membership of committees, organizing social events, anything in the wider community

Interests (and Achievements)

  • Don't just give a list
  • Explain what was involved in taking part in the drama production - teamwork, reliability, time management
  • Or captaining the cricket team - you need skills in communication, diplomacy, negotiation, motivation, strategy and planning, teamwork
  • Emphasize achievements. If one of your interests is music, and you represented your county - blow your own trumpet!

Other Skills

  • Odds and ends - like
  • Driving license
  • Languages - to what level
  • Computing skills - programs, spreadsheets
  • Duke of Edinburgh Award
  • Speech and drama
  • Music
  • Sporting/coaching qualifications

Should I use the same CV for every job?

  • Not really necessary to alter it for individual employers - your covering letter is the place to highlight things
  • Can be useful to change it for different types of employer
  • Sometimes worth it if you are applying for a job that needs particular skills or interests - advertising or graphic design jobs for example

What is a Personal Statement/Profile?

  • Often inserted between name and personal details
  • It summarizes experience, skills and ambitions
  • Can be useful for those in mid career
  • For example: Highly motivated and committed to a career in the public sector. A good team worker with well developed communication skills, gained through enthusiastic participation in student and community organizations. Varied work experience, including a spell with local authority play schemes.
  • Try to avoid anything that sounds like a personal mission statement

I'm a mature student - how should I write a CV?

  • Try to anticipate any problems you may face as a mature student within your CV
  • Explain reasons for returning to education, or changing your career
  • Don't leave any gaps - if you have taken time out to have a family, include this time
  • Put a positive spin on any experience you may have - for example, if you have been at home raising a family emphasized skill such as:
  • * Time management - juggling child care with study or part time work; dealing with several problems at once, rarely without interruption
  • * Negotiation skills - vital in child rearing

I want to work abroad eventually - can I use a CV?

  • CV format varies from country to country - you must adapt to your market
  • German employers are far more interested in your academic qualifications than your extra curricular ones
  • A résumé for the US market need only be a page long