Imperial Guide to CVs

and Cover Letters

Careers Service
www.imperial.ac.uk/careers
This publication contains examples of CVs and Cover Letters to help
you understand content and layout. They are to be used as a guide
only and not copied directly.

Careers Service
Level 5, Sherfield Building
Imperial College London

+44(0)2075948024

[email protected]
Welcome!
Your CV is your first opportunity to market yourself to potential future employers. This booklet has
been produced by the Careers Service to show a range of different CVs devised to cover a number of
scenarios. There are examples from undergraduates, Masters and PhD level students, and the CVs
have been tailored for a variety of positions – internships/placements, graduate roles, postgraduate
study applications, academia, and industry.

You do not have to find your particular department below - we’ve simply tried to present a range
of CVs from different courses here at Imperial College. The aim is to be inspired and give you some
further ideas of how you might want your own CV to look.

CVs – Top Tips pages 3-8

Undergraduate CV examples pages 9 - 14

Postgraduate CV examples pages 15 - 24

Cover Letters – Top Tips pages 25 - 30

CV tailoring examples pages 31 - 34

Resources pages 35 - 36

For help with application forms, online tests, interviewing etc see the
Careers Service website interviews and applications section.
2
What is a CV?
A CV (curriculum vitae) summarises your education, employment and achievements to date. It should
promote your abilities in the best possible light. The aim of your CV is to persuade the reader that you
have the right skills, knowledge and abilities to fit into the opportunity you are applying for.
A good CV will:

• Be targeted to the opportunity you are applying for

• Be consistently laid out and easy to get information from
• Enable the reader to follow your timeline - use start and end dates
• Be either one or two full sides of A4 (some recruiters e.g investment banks prefer one page)
• Have the most relevant content for the target reader on the first page
• Always start with the most recent item in each section and then follow reverse chronological order
• Give more detail for the most relevant items and concisely present less relevant/older items
• Be easy to understand – think about what your reader will know and what you need to explain (for
example, don’t assume your reader knows what is involved in doing your degree)

Start your CV
Create a basic starter CV using these headings:

Heading Tips
Your name should be in large letters at the top of the first
page. You should provide your email address, phone
Name and contact details
number and postal address. This should not take up too
much space.
Start with your Imperial degree at the top of this section.
Education Be clear about your start and end dates and what you are
studying. Then add in your school information underneath.

List jobs you have had or chances to do work shadowing or

Work experience (optional)
internships.

Volunteering (optional) List any volunteering you have done.

This could include student societies or other activities you

Extra-curricular activities
engage in at university in addition to your course.

Include some information about what you do outside of

Interests work or study for fun and relaxation. This could include
sports, travel, art, music, gaming etc.

In most cases it’s not necessary to have a Personal Profile or Objective section at the start of your
CV (before Education). Make your CV without one to start with and then decide if adding one in will
improve your CV. If you do have a Personal Profile or Objective section, make sure it is short (one or
two sentences at most) and fully targeted to the intended reader of your CV.

Now you have the basic content, make sure it is laid out well……

3
Layout tips
Keep the layout of your CV clear and consistent. This means making sure that the format of your
subheadings stays the same throughout and that you are always using the same typeface. Choose a
size of font that ensures your CV will be readable – don’t try to cram more content in by making the
writing very small. Using bullet points instead of prose will make it more readable. Make sure there is
a good balance between white space and text. Use a logical structure so that the reader doesn’t have
to think hard about where to look for the information they need.

Standing out and targeting your CV

To really get the attention of your reader you should target your CV to the opportunity you are applying
for. It’s also a good idea to show your ability to get things done and have an impact. Start by reading
the advert. Pay attention to the language they are using. Ask yourself what the selector will be
looking for when they select? What skills and knowledge are needed to do well in this opportunity?
Then try to see where in your experiences so far you could provide evidence that you have what they
are looking for. Add in information in the form of concise bullet points under the relevant headings
that enables the reader to see your match to their opportunity. It’s a good idea to also show that you
have the ability to get things done and have an impact, so make sure you have been clear about what
you achieved during your experiences.

Here are some ideas of how to do this:

1. Use their language

If you use the language the reader is familiar with, then they are going to find it easier to see the
match between you and the opportunity they are offering. For example, if they talk about ‘teamwork’.
Use the word ‘team’ instead of ‘group’ to describe your experience.

Check that you have used as many of the important words in the advert for the opportunity as
possible, including technical terms and soft skills like ‘team work’.

It’s also important to make sure that all the content is relevant to the reader and you have removed
language that will not be understood by them. For example when applying for something non-
technical, do not use a lot of confusing technical jargon.

2. Use targeted subheadings

Start by reading the advert. Pay attention to the language they are using. Ask yourself what the
selector will be looking for when they select? What skills and knowledge are needed to do well in
this opportunity? Then try to see where in your experiences so far you could provide evidence that
you have what they are looking for. Add in information in the form of concise bullet points under the
relevant headings that enables the reader to see your match to their opportunity. It’s a good idea to
also show that you have the ability to get things done and have an impact, so make sure you have
been clear about what you achieved during your experiences.

You can use generic subheadings on your CV such as ‘Employment’ and ‘Work Experience’. But if
you can use a subheading that relates to the type of opportunity you are applying for, it will help you
stand out.

For example, if you are applying for a job in the conservation sector, you could use ‘Conservation
Experience’ as the first heading after your Education section. This would have the advantage of
making it immediately obvious to the reader that you have relevant experience.

Or, if you are applying for a job where they are looking for candidates who have strong leadership
skills, you could use the heading ‘Leadership’. 4
Generic Sector Specific Skills
Employment Research experience Teamwork
Internships Banking/Finance experience Technical skills
Work experience Engineering experience IT/Programming
Awards Clinical experience Communication skills
Extra-curricular activities Conservation experience Language skills
Voluntary work Science communication Social media
Interests and achievements

3. Convey achievement and impact

Check that you have used as many of the important words in the advert for the opportunity as
possible, including technical terms and soft skills like ‘team work’.

It’s also important to make sure that all the content is relevant to the reader and you have removed
language that will not be understood by them. For example when applying for something non-
technical, do not use a lot of confusing technical jargon.

Make it clear what you have achieved and the impact you have had. Active language will sound much
better than passive language. See the table below for good words to use in your CV. Be specific about
what you have done so the reader can fully understand what you are telling them. Where you can,
state the results and the impact of what you did, for example ‘recommendations were presented to
the client’, ‘the campaign increased membership by 50%’. Include any indications of the quality of
your work e.g. high grades, being promoted or being invited back. You can also specify what skills
you learned or developed during a particular experience.

Good and bad examples:

BAD Responsibilities included looking after groups of visiting students
GOOD Devised a campus tour for groups of ten students from other countries, coordinated delivery of
tours, ensured visiting students felt welcome, was invited back to work on the team next term

Words to use in your CV:

Problem solving - analysed, diagnosed, reduced, Achievement - accelerated, accomplished, achieved,

increased, simplified, evaluated, synthesised, tackled, carried out, completed, improved, delivered,
investigated, reviewed, identified, refined, streamlined, enhanced, finished, negotiated, obtained, produced,
examined, reorganised, solved secured, increased, doubled, implemented

Organising and planning - distributed, reorganised, Communication - advised, participated, chaired

arranged, restructured, budgeted, verified, meeting, wrote, instructed, demonstrated, edited,
scheduled, computed, planned, produced presented, discussed, promoted, persuaded,
recommended

Leadership - created, formulated, designed, Managing - organised, implemented, established,

established, introduced, devised, started, developed, produced, initiated, attained, maintained
set up, launched, initiated, enabled

Interpersonal - classified, differentiated, investigated, Taking initiative - created, formulated, designed,

determined, experimented, equated, searched, established, introduced, devised, started, developed,
developed, surveyed, examined, indexed, compiled, set up, launched, initiated, enabled
5 catalogued
One page CV for finance or consulting
Put your most recent qualifications
first. You can include your grades so
far in your course and key relevant
skills developed.
How should a recruiter contact you?
Provide key contact details. It is
Tomas Examplen unnecessary to state ‘Curriculum
392 Sample Road, London, A12 3BC Vitae’ but your name should be
[email protected] +44(0)1234567890 clear.

Education
MEng. Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London 2017-2021
• Relevant modules: mathematics fundamentals, engineering mathematics and statistics
• On target for a high 2:1 and achieved 1st Class grade in 3rd year
• Used MATLAB to extrapolate statistical data in experiments

Key Projects
Process Design Project – Comprehensive design of an Acrylic Acid Process 2020
• Simulated reaction conditions and separations using specialist software
• Managed workloads to ensure outcomes were delivered on time and with a high level of accuracy

Business Proposal Project (Group of 8), 8 weeks 2020

• Projected costings of a chemical plant through Excel analysis of similar plants
• Negotiated the division of workload and areas of responsibility according to individual strengths
• Set project timeframes and mediated communication between sub-teams
• Created report summary and led the team in a presentation of results to a panel of academics

Relevant Experience
Make the CV work
Treasurer of the Imperial College Finance Society 2019-present for the role you
• Joined as a member in 2017 and elected to Treasurer in 2018 are applying to.
• Responsible for financial transactions according to Union procedures Use bullet points
• Managed annual budget of £10,000+ and secured 4 corporate sponsors to help highlight
• Completed fundamentals of finance course hosted by Imperial Business School relevant skills. If
specific technical
UK Investment Banking Series Competition (Imperial College Finance Society) 2019 abilities are
required, ensure
• Competed in a team of 5 to create a mergers and acquisitions booklet and complete an algorithmic
you refer to these.
trading challenge hosted by Amplify Trading
• Effective and timely communication enabled us to delegate roles to win 1st place with our mergers
and acquisitions booklet and won 2nd place in the algorithmic trading challenge

Member of the Imperial College Algorithmic Trading Society 2018-present

• Participated in weekly live trading sessions and group discussions on market behaviour
• Completed financial machine learning lecture series in Python

Other Work Experience

Trainee at Malaysia Liquefied Natural Gas (MLNG), PETRONAS (online due to Coronavirus) Jul-Aug 2020
• 10-week internship in the technology department under technical services,
• Assessed performance of company’s monitoring system and compiled report of results

Skills and Interests

• Strong working proficiency in MATLAB, Simulink and Microsoft Office
• Imperial College Ski and Snowboarding Club 2017 – present
• Hall Representative responsible for organising events 2017 – 2018
• Raised £15,000 for Children’s Hospital in London 2016

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

6
Two page CV for a chemical engineering role

Put your most recent qualifications

first. Summarise pre-university
qualifications. Ensure your contact details are
Tomas Examplen clear and accessible.
392 Sample Road, London, A12 3BC
[email protected] +44(0)1234567890

Education
MEng. Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London 2017-2021
• On target for a high 2:1 and achieved 1st Class grade in 3rd year
• Specialising in: Molecular Modelling of Fluids, Advanced Process Optimisation and
Advanced Bioprocess Engineering
• Achieved 3rd highest mark for MATLAB script plug flow reactor optimisation
• Modelled and predicted fluid interactions using ANSYS CFD
• Designed and simulated a complete acrylic acid process using ASPEN Plus
• Capable user of Simulink – able to design and tune control systems.

Key Projects
Process Design Project - Comprehensive design of an Acrylic Acid Process 2020
• Simulated reaction conditions and separations using ASPEN software
• Designed a successful heat exchange network integrating process heat, separation
units, reactors, and manually designed heat exchangers

Business Proposal Project (Group of 8), 8 weeks 2020

Highlight • Projected costings of a chemical plant through Excel analysis of similar plants
relevant • Assessed project KPI differences on variation of uncertainty elements using
skills and sensitivity analysis
achievements. • Negotiated the division of workload and responsibilities according to strengths
• Set project timeframes and mediated communication and file exchange (SharePoint)
between the relevant sub-teams
• Collated summary of findings in a report and presented this to panel of academics
Highlight • Received group mark of 76%
your duties,
responsibilities Discovery Laboratory - Multiphase flow in vertical pipes 2019
and • Utilised MATLAB to create object tracking program to extract data from files
achievements, • Learned to use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software to extrapolate
and, where
experimental results to new fluid environments
possible, quantify
specifics.
Industry Experiences
Trainee at Petronas - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (online due to Coronavirus) Summer 2020
• 10-week internship in the Technical Services, specifically within the Liquefied Natural
Gas (LNG) section on the world’s first floating LNG facility the PFLING Satu
• Visited the platform control centre to better understand processes and equipment
• Updated P&IDs, modelling automated equipment monitoring, assessed performance
of company’s monitoring system and compiling alarm trip setting information
• Attended technical classes covering a range of different topics including LNG
overview, piping, rotating equipment and general health and safety.

7
Provide a balanced picture of yourself by
demonstrating the skills you have developed
in a variety of contexts, which could include
experience of running societies, or taking part in
charity or community work.

Spring Intern at BP - London, UK (online due to Coronavirus) Spring 2020

• Developed an understanding of key issues facing the industry such as the move to
sustainable methods and a carbon neutral economy
• Spent a week networking with employees from various departments to better
understand how these principles are integrated to evolve and sustain the industry

Biogen UK Ltd - Milton Ernest, UK Spring 2018

• Visited the Anaerobic Digestion plant which produces biogas from organic matter
• Observed health and safety protocols and completed safety induction

Sellafield Ltd. & NuGeneration - Moorside, UK Winter 2017

• One of few selected for this opportunity due to excellent grades awarded by the
Nuclear Institute and The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB)
• Participated in technical assessment and drafted report summary of findings
• Assisted a safety adviser in monitoring aspects of radiation protection to help meet
site objectives for high hazard reduction

Online Learning Summer 2020

Inside Sherpa – BCG Consulting
• Completed online virtual experience to enhance knowledge of client management
• Broadened awareness of consultancies that have oil & gas clients Extra-curricular
activities are an
important way
Interests (Clubs & Societies) to show you
Imperial College Ski & Snowboarding Club 2017 - present have interests
• Committed to weekly training sessions outside of your
studies. Use
• Organised the annual skiing and snowboarding trip for 120 students to Tignes in the them to highlight
French Alps and increased participation from beginners and novices transferable skills
and demonstrate
Imperial College Hall Representative - Beit Hall Resident’s Committee 2017 - 2018 your personal
• Elected as representative and was responsible for governing the Hall and organising qualities.
social events requiring effective time management skills to balance with studies
• Collectively responsible with other representatives for a £5,000 event budget

Harlow College Fundraiser for Children’s Hospital of London 2016

• Collaborated with a committee of 10 students to organise the annual fundraiser Include student
• Raised £15,000 for the hospital by organising appealing events such as a BBQ for society, charity,
participants and group sports games community or
work-shadowing
experience.
Skills & Achievements
• Proficient in the use of MATLAB, ASPEN Plus and ANSYS CFD
• Competent in Simulink and Microsoft Office including MS Visio and MS Project
• Introductory Level 2/6 Malaysian

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

8
First year example

Sam Pull
R.747 Gabor Hall, Princes Gardens, London, SW7 1BU
[email protected]
+44(0)123456789

EDUCATION

Imperial College London MSci Geology 2020 – 2024

• Demonstrated good writing skills through group and individual assignments.
• Negotiated and agreed tasks to successfully complete group project work in
the field and experiments within laboratories.
• Evidenced good time management to meet multiple conflicting deadlines.
• Gained confidence in preparation and delivery of presentations and public
speaking through various classroom activities and seminars.

Newton College, Basingstoke 2012 – 2019

A Levels
• Geography (A*), Physics (A*), Chemistry (A)

10 GCSEs grades 9-8

EXPERIENCE

Pulchinella, Southampton 2018 – 2019

Restaurant/Bar Supervisor
• Promoted to supervisor in June 2018 to train new staff in various procedures.
• Provided exceptional levels of customer service in a fast paced restaurant.
• Responsible for cash handling and banking daily takings.

INTERESTS / ACHIEVEMENTS

Geology First Year Student Rep 2020 – present

• Representing the student body at academic committee.
• Proposed and designed new template to assist with course-work submission.

Royal School of Mines 1st XI Mixed Hockey (pre-lockdown) 2020 – present

• Attend two hour weekly training sessions.
• Arranged team travel for a weekend hockey tour to Blackpool.

International Travel 2019 – 2020

• Independent travel through Asia and Africa during a Gap Year (Sep-March)
• Learnt French and became exposed to diverse cultures.

Online Learning Summer 2020

• Utilised lockdown to further French & Italian speaking skills (Coursera)

References – available on request

9
Internship in a mechanical engineering role

Jo Olsen
2 Long Road, London, SW7 7AZ
+ 44 (0) 7123 456789 [email protected]

EDUCATION
2019-2023 Imperial College London
MEng Mechanical Engineering with a Year in Europe
• Relevant Modules: Stress Analysis, Fluid Mechanics, Design and Manufacture.
• Successfully completed various group projects including a task to design and make a small
hovercraft in a team of four.
• Developed an understanding of the entire design and prototyping process through the completion of an
individual project undertaking drive transmission design project.
• In addition to engineering courses, participated in a French language course at Imperial.

2012-2019 Leeds City Academy, Yorkshire

A Levels: Maths (A*), Physics (A*), Further Maths (A), French (A)
GCSE’s: 6A*, 4A

WORK AND VOLUNTARY EXPERIENCE

2019 Imperial College London
Temporary Events Assistant
• Worked at several corporate events on campus, providing a first point of contact to external visitors and
speakers from industry and other universities.
• Demonstrated strong customer focus, working as part of a team of other students and members of the
Events department at Imperial.

2016 Kirklees Badminton and Squash Club

Qualified Badminton Coach
• Regularly coaching children aged between 10 and 16 to encourage active participation in sport.
• Voted on to the club management committee to represent the views of younger members, and
introduced and maintained a social media presence which has increased membership by 22%
• Developed leadership skills in addition to the ability to motivate others.

2015 9th Leeds City Explorer Scout Group

• Participated in numerous local and international volunteering activities, including undertaking charity
walk from Leeds to Edinburgh, which raised £2,500 for children’s charities.

IT AND LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications
• Coding in MATLAB
• CAD and solid modelling in Solidworks
• Advanced French

INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• 1st Year Student Rep (2019/2020), representing student body at academic committee; proposed and
designed template to assist with online learning module.
• Active member of Imperial Engineers Without Borders student society.
• 1st 4Sport Level 1 award in badminton coaching

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

10
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)

Alexa Smith
58 Tennyson Road, London, NW8 2XB
[email protected]
+44 (0)123 456 7890

Education
2020 – 2023 BSc Biochemistry, Imperial College London
• Year 1 modules
o Immunology (70%); Protein Science (72%): Biological Chemistry (67%);
Molecular Biology 1 (71%); Molecular Cell Biology 1 (65%); Proteins and
Enzymes (67%)
• Weekly laboratory sessions using a range of techniques including sterile cell
culture, DNA extraction, agarose gels, PCR, fluorescence microscopy
• Experiments in small groups required good team work and communication
• Completed two data handling modules, gaining experience in using specialist
software such as SPSS and ‘R’ to capture, analyse and report on numerical data
• Have undertaken numerous assessed reports and presentations, all of which
required excellent written and verbal communication skills

2013 – 2020 Passmore College, Bournemouth

• A Levels: Maths (A), Chemistry (A*), Biology (A*)
• GCSEs: 10 A* - C

Research / Laboratory Experience

2020 Department of Biochemistry, University of Nottingham
• Undertook six-week summer placement in Centre of Cell Biology, working in
laboratory of Dr John Smith, supervised by Dr Jayne Richards
• Undertook tissue cultures of different cell lines such as EC and hES cells in
compliance with health and safety procedures
• Observed several lab techniques and protocols including SDS-PAGE and Western
Blotting, qPCR, Bacterial transformation, gel extraction, plasmid purification and
antibody staining for fACS analysis and cell sorting
• Adhered to PPE and social distancing due to Covid-19
• Assisted in process of feeder inactivation and freezing of cells for long term
storage, visiting Liquid Nitrogen Room
• Gained experience handling various lab equipment including microscopes as well as
flow cytometers, Biostation and NanoPhotometers

11
Other Employment / Work Experience
2017 - 2019 Waitrose, Nottingham, Team Leader (part-time / in vacations)
• Promoted from Customer Assistant to Team Leader in summer 2016
• Demonstrated strong customer service in a fast-paced retail environment
• Developed an in-depth knowledge of products and trained new staff
• Ensured excellent communication while working across several team

Volunteering
Jan - Mar 2020 RAG, Imperial College London, Volunteer
• Responsible for securing street collection permits from local authorities
and arranging transport for up to 50 volunteers
• Managed conflicting priorities to strict timescales

2017 – Present Befriend a Child, Nottingham, Volunteer

• Supervised homework and activities for two children once a week for a year
• Developed approaches to mentoring and tracking developmental progress
• Switched to online due to Covid-19

Laboratory Skills
• Sterile cell culture
• DNA extraction
• Agarose gels
• Fluorescence microscopy
• SDS-PAGE

IT / Statistical Skills and Languages

• Identified how to apply statistical packages such as SPSS and R to analyse data
• Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Improving French on Imperial Horizons course (have passed Level 1,
progressing to Level 2 next year)

Interests
Imperial College Boat Club 1st eight (2020 – present):
• Demonstrated commitment to undertaking five early morning training sessions per
week and currently planning Fresher’s Week event offering novice rowers the chance
to have a go and consider joining the club

Elected Treasurer for next academic year (2020 – 2021) of Imperial BioSoc:
• Aim to increase sponsorship for events and help organise these as well as manage
accounts

References available upon request

12
Consulting

Adam Michael
24B Tennyson Road, London, NW9 2XB Tel: 01234 56789
[email protected] www.linkedin.com/in/admichael

EDUCATION

2017-2021 MEng Biomedical Engineering, Imperial College London (ICL)

Predicted degree class: Upper Second (2:1)
• 2018: Image processing project in a team of 10 students enhanced communication skills utilising
edge detection techniques in MATLAB to identify eczema. Co-delivered an assessed presentation.

2015-2017 Kew Garden High School, Surrey

A Levels: Mathematics (A), Further Mathematics (B), Chemistry (B)
• Student Associate: raised profile of gaining a degree and studying A level Maths

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Jan – March 2020 Third Year Project, Imperial College London

• Developed design concept of Implantable knee joint for knee amputees
• Enhanced report writing and presentation skills, delivering summary of project results to tutors

July – August 2018 Researcher, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) ICL
• Effectively managed own workload independently
• Analysed data and took responsibility for drawing conclusions and recommendations
• Developed proficiency with MATLAB

July – Sept 2017 Volunteer project member, MERU London (www.meru.org.uk)

• Created assistive equipment for children and young people with disabilities in team of 5

June 2017 HR Admin Assistant Intern, Winchester Training & Consultancy, London
• Organised and crosschecked details in documents for auditing
• Provided admin support to departments by chasing up references
• Resourced candidates from recruitment websites such as Reed and TotalJobs
• Submitted timesheets using various management systems such as Beeline
• Created invoices, entered remittances and reconciled bank statements using Sage

2016 - 2017 Maths Tutor Volunteer, Chiswick Park Academy, London

• Tutored 6 underachieving students, to help boost their maths for GCSE and A Levels
• Negotiated and strategized solutions to support a student struggling in class

TECHNICAL SKILLS
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
• Competent in use of Solidworks, COMSOL, MATLAB, Graphviz, LATEX and C++
• Proficient in Japanese, both spoken and written

INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• Active member of Imperial College Sailing Club, with regular attendance at committees (2017-2021)
• Running; currently training for 10k race to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital

References available upon request

13
Banking/finance

Xi Li
39 James Square, London, SW7 1NN, United Kingdom
+44 07123 456789 | [email protected] | www.linkedin.com/in/xilisample/1

EDUCATION

Imperial College London (ICL) London, Sept 2018-June 2021

Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Statistics for Finance
- Predicted to graduate with First Class Honours – (ranked top 5% in first and second year)
- Modules: Financial Management, Statistical Modelling, Time Series, Games Theory
- Awarded prize for best group in 2nd Year, M2R project, leading a team of 4
- Achieved Distinction in Imperial Horizons course: ‘Professional Skills for Employability’

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ChinaGold Asset Management: Summer Analyst, Investment Division Beijing, July 2020-Aug 2020
• Took place through face to face and online meetings
• Participated in a US $3 billion live deal within energy industry
• Designed financial model individually to estimate earnings of a convertible bond, which facilitated the
adjustment of transaction structure
• Worked effectively in a project team on non-performing commodities assets
• Proposed solutions on assets recovery and produced business plan as part of a team of 5

Blue Sky Securities: Summer Analyst, Corporate Finance Division Beijing, June 2019-July 2019
• Contributed to the IPO of a high-end laser company
• Conducted laser industry research and comparable company analysis
• Collaborated with a team of 4 and composed the industry section of Due Diligence report
• Provided integrated financial advisory services to a medium-sized sports company based in Jiangsu
• Analysed a major competitor’s financial and identified potential market in sport industry
• Discussed effectively with clients and amended business plans based on market performance

PwC China: Summer Intern, Finance Division Shanghai, June 2018-Aug 2018
• Analysed 25+ transactions across all industry, including 25 million deal with Shanghai Electric
• Performed basic audit tasks and liaised with project manager to request client information

FURTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

ICL: Research Assistant, Computational Statistics London, Aug 2019-Sept 2019
• Implemented graph and string matching algorithms efficiently in statistical analysis
• Gained experience of working in a team with 2 PhD researchers and a Senior Lecturer

Enactus Imperial London, Project Leader Oct 2018 – March 2019

• Investigated producers of ethically sourced chilled green tea and negotiated with college shops to
introduce the product.
• Donated the profit made from speciality tea sales to support Enactus Philippines project

SKILLS, ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS

Languages: Mandarin (Native), English (Fluent)
Programming Skills: Python, Matlab, R, C++
Activities & Interests: Volunteered for London Fashion Week (Sept 2018), Finance Society, Swimming

References available upon request

14
Anne 0712345678

Dawson
[email protected]
linkedin.com/in/anne-dawson-
b0147287

Education
Masters in Public Health Imperial College London 2020 to present
Modules include: Introduction to Statistical Thinking and Data Analysis, Principles and Methods of Epidemiology, Disease
Masterclass, Foundations of Public Health Practice, Health Economics

Health Services and Systems Stream : Quality Improvement in Healthcare, Population Health Improvement
• 12-week independent research project involving systematic review and meta-analysis of circulating vitamin D in
critically ill adult and paediatric patients
• Communicated scientific results and project plans to various audiences, orally and through academic and
professional reports

BSc (Hons) Biochemistry Imperial College London 2017 to 2020

Achieved First Class (72%) mark overall
Modules include: Biological Chemistry, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Proteins and Enzymes
• Prepared technical reports and gave technical presentations
• Undertook comprehensive literature review for second year tutored dissertation
• Analysed experimental results and determined their strength and validity

Skills
• Microsoft Office • Visio
• Microsoft Project • STATA
• Language: German Conversational • Current First Aid at Work Certificate

Work Experience
Undergraduate Research Student Imperial College London Summer 2019
• Evaluated the accuracy of a new mutant protein structure prediction algorithm by calculating Root Mean Squared
Deviation, B-factor and Mean Square Error
• Applied PyMol to align protein structures and calculate predicted structure accuracy
• Evaluated current methods of measuring predicted structure accuracy in the literature

Restaurant/Bar Supervisor The Red Lion, St Neots 2016 – 2019

• Promoted to supervisor in May 2018 to train new staff in various procedures.
• Provided exceptional levels of customer service in a fast paced restaurant.
• Responsible for cash handling and banking daily takings.

Extra-Curricular Activities
Department Student Rep Imperial College 2020 – Present
• Represent the student body at academic committee.
• Proposed and designed new template to assist with course-work submission.

Virtual Internship Boston Consultancy Group Summer 2020

Completed Tasks modules: Market Research, Data Analysis, Understanding consumer needs and Client Recommendations

15
Des Student
Third year Design Engineering student at Imperial College London.
Interested in innovation, ideation and development of projects
related to product design and service design.

07512345678 Education
Imperial College London - MEng Design Engineering 2018-2022
[email protected] • Technical knowledge improved through engineering modules of
Electronics for Product and System design, Big Data, Computer-
Aided Engineering and Mechanics for Engineering Designers
www.linkedin.com/in/des-
• Strong ability to work in a team as a result of group projects in
student -b0147287
Gizmo, Design 2 and Engineering design project
Desstudent.co.uk
Projects Include:
• Year 2 Engineering Design Project - Developed concept, look
alike and working prototype of a low-cost spirometer, worked in
Key Skills team using the agile development method
• Computing 2 - Created a software information system, capable
of storing and processing information and UI for the system using
Graphic/UX Design
Python
Adobe Suite • Year 1 Electronics - Designed and assembled a remote-
Sketchbook controlled robot capable of avoiding obstacles and shooting a
ball at a target
Product Design/Modelling
User Research Relevant Experience
Market Research Prototyping Online Tech Camp - Tutor Summer 2020
Product validation
Branding & Pitching • Taught technical skills such as Arduino, robotics and digital
System analysis design to small groups of teenagers during weeklong virtual
Solidworks & Fusion 360 summer camps
3D printing Laser cutting • Explained technical knowledge in easy to understand way
Workshop tooling • Displayed strong teamwork skills and ability to deliver feedback

Programming Imperial College - Undergraduate Researcher Aug 2019 –Sept 2019

Python 3.0++ & Algorithm • Developed a prototype for a reconfigurable tetromino robot
Java • Will be the platform used to test the concept of nested
MATLAB reconfiguration and swarm robotics
HTML&CSS with React
Database with SQL York Engineering Summer School Summer 2016
Data Science with Python • Attended lectures, from civil to biomedical engineering to be able
to gain insight to the different sectors
Hardware & Robotics • Worked in a team to build a prototype for a bridge, which was
Raspberry Pi presented at the end
Arduino with C++ Circuit Design
Mechanism Design Video Editing
After Effects
Employment
Premiere Pro The Big Cheese Café, Oxford – Barista Summer 2017/18
• Undertook summer role during holidays for two years
• Delivered good customer service in a fast-paced environment
through strong communication with colleagues

16
Medical research

Amed Sample
123 Sheaters Hill Road, London, SW3 8AB,
Tel: + 44 (0)1234 567890 [email protected] www.linkedin.com/in/ameds

EDUCATION:
2016-2021 MBBS/BSc Medical Science with Management, Imperial College London
First Class BSc predicted. Currently sitting in the top percentile for MBBS

Recent Clinical placements: St Mary’s, Paddington – general surgery, respiratory, Care

of the Elderly, neurology, ICU and gastroenterology. GP placement with Munster Road
GP Surgery

Relevant BSc modules: Managing Healthcare Organisations, Health Economics,

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management
Group project: Understanding the Junior Doctors contract negotiations – presented to
the junior doctors committee at the BMA. Achieved 82%

2009-2016 Sutton Grammar School, Surrey

A Levels: Mathematics (A*), Chemistry (A*), Biology (A)
GCSE: 11 GCSEs at A* and one at A, including English, Mathematics and Latin

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Jan – Mar ‘20 Development Project, Help for Heroes
• Developed design concept of detachable knee joint for veteran knee amputees
• Gained practical experience of using Solidworks, rapid prototyping and knowledge
of tissue engineering and biomechanics
• Collaborated with veteran amputees and consultants from St Mary’s to trail knee
joint and assess expanding the project. Funding currently being applied for

July – Sep ‘18 Researcher, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP) Imperial
College London
• Extended BSc group project to fully assess potential impact of introduction of new
junior doctor contract, both economically and anthropologically
• Developed proficiency with R and developing meaningful surveys to enable the
application of mathematical techniques
• Published results in student BMJ, wrote a blog for BMJ online and presented
findings to the BMA Medical Academics Conference

Aug – Sep ‘17 Volunteer Project Member, MERU (www.meru.org.uk) London

• Volunteer member of a team of 5, including 3 professional bioengineers working on
assistive equipment for children and young people with disabilities
• Given responsibility for training the 24 differently abled users on using their new
equipment, working with carers during home trials and providing technical
assistance as required
• Participated in focus groups with young people and their families, responsible for
gathering and analysing feedback on prototypes

RELEVANT CLINICAL EXPERIENCE:

July – Dec ‘19 Care of the Elderly Attachment, St Mary’s Hospital, London
• Shadowed consultant over 10 weeks, observing medical care of up to 30 patients
• Communicated effectively patients, ensuring their comfort and building an
understanding of the realities of the theoretical learning received during training
• Supported the nursing team in an audit to assess patient care, interviewing carer givers
and families. Collated responses and contributed to a poster delivered at the Royal
College of Nursing AGM

17
Feb – Apr ‘18 General Surgery Attachment, Charing Cross Hospital, London
• Followed a range of patients throughout their surgery experience, included 2
amputations and 3 paediatric cases (appendix removal, emergency spleen repair and
fracture correction)
• Observed over 20 surgeries per week
• Produced graphs mapping aesthetic usage as part of a QIP in collaboration with an
anaesthetic registrar

POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY:
Aug ‘18- ‘19 Manga Club Volunteer Monitor, Chiswick Park Library, London
• Assisted members of the library team, working the children and teenagers at the
club and organised and displayed stock

Sep ‘16 – ‘17 Widening Participation Ambassador, Imperial College, London

• Raised students’ interest in medicine, mathematics and university through
presentations and a question and answer session to 30 students at various colleges
within London

Aug ‘18 – ‘20 Imperial College Representative, British Medical Association, London
• Collaborated with the Imperial College Medical Student Union to ensure Imperials
views were voiced at the quarterly meetings of the BMA Medical Students committee
• Ran a training on speaking on conference at the 2018 BMA Medical Students
Conference to an audience of over 50 students from across the UK

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE AND VOLUNTEERING:

Jan – April ‘17 Maths Tutor Volunteer, Chiswick Park Academy, London
• Tutored a group of 6 underachieving students, to help boost their maths for GCSE and
AS, providing one to one mentoring and support, in addition to classroom assistance
across various year groups
• Negotiated and strategized solutions to support a student struggling in class
• Led a cover lesson with a year 8 class in the presence of a supply teacher

Sep ’15 - ’16 Shop Volunteer, British Red Cross, Sutton, Surrey
• Responsible for handling money, including managing the till and cashing up
• Served and interacted with customers providing excellent customer care. Demonstrated
listening and communication ability by answering queries about products
• Approached customers asking if assistance was needed and investigated stock
availability, showing proactive customer service skills

TECHNICAL SKILLS
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Competent in use of Solidworks, COMSOL, MATLAB, Graphviz, LATEX
• University level laboratory techniques including PCR, splicing, inoculation, sterilization,
filtration, reagent mixing and sample collection
• Proficient in Japanese, both spoken and written
• Current drivers’ licence

INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

• Student member of the BMA and Royal College of Physicians
• Imperial College Sailing Club, with regular attendance at committees (2016-present)
• Running. Currently training for 10k race to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

18
Entry level environmental policy role

Beth Paper
56 Curtain Rd, SW5 ABC | [email protected] | +44 (0) 1234 567899 | www.linkedin.com/uk/bpaper

EDUCATION

Imperial College London 2020 – 2021

MSc Environmental Technology
Master’s programme focussed on application of scientific knowledge, policy and engineering to solve
environmental problems and address sustainability.

Relevant core modules: Energy Policy; Environmental policy & management; Environmental economics

Research project:
• Six-month research project starting April 2021.
• Project aim is to assess the impact of public engagement activities by two charities on public
knowledge of a variety of environmental issues and subsequent behaviour change.
• Quantitative and qualitative research methods will be applied.

University of Greenwich 2017 – 2020

BSc Environmental Sciences (First class)

Relevant third year modules:

• Environmental impact assessment (66%)
• Climate change (76%)
• Policy and law for environmental protection (81%)

Team and field work:

o Worked in a team of 6 to produce a presentation on the potential effect of Brexit on UK
environmental policy
• Contributed to the project by interviewing 3 policymakers and producing PowerPoint slides
• Jointly delivered presentation to 4 invited guest speakers including local MP
• Received grade of 68%

o Travelled to south-east Spain for 2 week project on water resource management

• Conducted a series of recorded interviews with local farmers in Spanish to understand
irrigation processes and did a site visit to a water purification plant
• Wrote 1500 essay, received grade of 72%

Grove Park Academy, London 2010 – 2017

o A Levels: Geography (A*), Mathematics (B), Physics (C)
o GCSEs 2A*, 6As & 2B

ENVIRONMENTAL EXPERIENCE
Internship at Trees for Cities Summer 2020
o Wrote monthly newsletter for volunteers, including sourcing pictures and articles about recent news
and activities across the UK
o Compiled data for annual report including impact of pandemic on the environment

19
Grantham Institute Summer 2019
o Worked on organisation of a conference on the 4th carbon budget, attended by 95 delegates
o Organised catering and room bookings
o Created PowerPoint slides for use between sessions

Event Co-ordinator for Local Council Summer 2018

o Supported local council in sustainability initiatives by co-ordinating a ‘clean our community’ event
o Created communication materials such as posters and marketed event on social media (Twitter,
Facebook and Instagram)
o Managed the project from start to finish with over 200 local residents participating

INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES

Environmental Society at Imperial 2020
o Participated in activities such as beekeeping, gardening and socials
o Raised awareness of society within my course cohort

Greening Imperial Society at Imperial 2020

o Collaborated with students and staff to make Imperial greener
o Contributed towards report created on actions advised such as removal of one-use plastic cups
o Liaised with Estates staff to discuss coffee cup levy

Co-Chair of Environmental Society, University of Greenwich 2018

o Chaired regular committee meetings with members of the society
o Organised 3 rubbish clearing events in local parks, persuaded 26 students to volunteer
o Arranged a social event for volunteers on a minimal budget

WORK EXPERIENCE
Part-time Sales Assistant – Marks and Spencer’s 2018-2019
o Developed excellent customer service skills through checkout and departmental role
o Served customers with a view to solving problems and providing a high-quality service
o Regularly assisted colleagues on other departments when under-staffed or during busy seasons

VOLUNTEERING
Greenwich Animal Shelter 2017 - 2018
o Documented new stray animals ensuring accurate records were kept
o Maintained a friendly welcome at reception
o Assisted in street collection for the shelter, enhancing communication and persuasion skills

LANGUAGE & IT SKILLS

o English (native); Spanish (intermediate)
o SQL
o Tableau
o R

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

20
PhD academic job

SAMIRA KHAN
15a Devonshire Court, London SE1 7QT, UK
Tel: + 44 07788 234567; [email protected]; www.researchgate.com/profile/samirakhan

EDUCATION

2018-2021 PhD in silicon nanowires, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, UK

‘Pressure-induced structural phase transformations in silicon nanowires’
Supervisor: Professor Samuel Smith
Planned thesis submission: Sept 2021

Research achievements:
▪ Developed an innovative linear-scaling DFT code UNITEP and co-developed
MONOTEP technique with my supervisor
▪ Applied tools to simulation of behaviour of silicon nanowires after application of
pressure, achieved highest accuracy predictions to date, resulting in published paper
▪ Initiated ongoing collaboration with University of Manchester, Nanomaterials
Research Group, UK resulting in submitted paper and funding for new PhD project

2017-2018 MSc in Theory and Simulations of Materials, Imperial College London, UK

▪ Distinction
▪ Co-authored linear-scaling code MIS-TEP on group programming project, created
code from scratch within 8 weeks, code successfully agreed with prediction from
commercially available code to within the target of 0.01 Angstrom (0.2%)

2013-2017 MPhys, Physics (1st Class), St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, UK

▪ Top mark for the year group in Finals
▪ Final year project: Computer modelling of carbon nanotube spectra

PUBLICATIONS

▪ Khan S., Montani N., Smith S. Modelling anomalies in nanowires, under review at Applied
Nanomaterials
▪ Khan S., Jones P.M., Smith S. 2019, Iridium anomaly in silicon nanowire and bulk crystal
transformation sequence, Applied Nanomaterials, vol 24, issue 11, p. 132-1388

AWARDS

▪ Poster prize awarded at European Association of Nanomaterials conference 2020

▪ Prize for top examination result on MSc degree at University of Oxford 2018
▪ ‘Physica Plus’ scholarship for achieving high overall grade during degree 2013-2017

RESEARCH FUNDING

▪ Awarded EPSRC Studentship for MSc and PhD 2017 – 2021

▪ Obtained £500 travel grant to attend European Silicon Nanowires Union 2019
▪ Assisted PhD supervisor with a successful collaborative bid for £1 million 2020
EU funding: did literature review and wrote first draft of proposed work plan

21
CONFERENCES / INVITED TALKS

Invited talks at:

▪ European Silicon Nanowires Union 2019
▪ European Association of Nanomaterials 2020
▪ DYF Conference in Vienna (online via Zoom) 2020
▪ EPTHG meeting in Edinburgh 2020
▪ ESHG meeting in Cambridge 2019
▪ Hermes Summer School, Cumberland Lodge, Windsor, UK 2019
▪ Invited to give a Thomas Giddon Centre lunchtime seminar and posters at 2018
the CESSNI local orbital conference (best student poster prize)

TECHNICAL SKILLS

▪ Experimental: High-resolution lithography; chemical etching; laser beam ablation; VLS

growth; electron microscopy; X-Ray diffraction
▪ Computational: DFT; Gaussian; CFD; C; python; C++
▪ Microsoft Teams and Zoom

SUPERVISION & TEACHING

▪ Lunchtime seminar for new PhD students on X-ray diffraction techniques 2021
▪ Day to day supervision of two master’s students’ projects 2021
▪ Graduate Teaching Assistant, MSc, numerical methods for materials science 2019 - now
▪ Science Tutor at King’s Academy, Leeds: weekly after school science lessons 2019 - 2020
▪ Volunteer Maths Tutor on Pimlico Connection scheme, taught Maths to 2017
small groups of pupils in secondary schools in London, assisted with marking

IMPACT ACTIVITIES

▪ Contributed to Government policy paper on nanomaterials and the environment 2019

written by PhD supervisor
▪ Wrote and presented 3-hour interactive Royal Institute master class on 2019
Nanowires to 5 groups of school students aged 12-14
▪ Won 3rd prize for Three Minute Thesis Competition at Imperial College London 2019
▪ Led organising committee and presented at Women in Physics (CUWiP) 2017
Conference, engaged 8 speakers, received media coverage (Guardian and BBC London)
▪ Gave a Café Scientifique talk and answered questions from audience with wide 2017
ranging backgrounds and ages and invited to talk at ‘careers in physics research’
event at University of Oxford

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

▪ Attended courses in Practical Demonstration; Communication & Presentation Skills for

Conferences; Writing Project Proposals; Writing Scientific Papers

REFERENCES
▪ Professor Samuel Smith (PhD supervisor), Department of Physics, Imperial College London
[email protected] Tel: +44 (0)207 594 1234
▪ Dr Nicos Montani (project collaborator), University of Manchester
[email protected] Tel: +44 (0)312345 6789

22
PhD consulting role

SAMIRA KHAN
15a Devonshire Court, London SE1 7QT, UK
Tel: + 44 07788 234567
[email protected]

EDUCATION

2018-2021 PhD in silicon nanowires, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, UK

Planned completion: Sept 2021

Achievements:
▪ Developed an innovative method to predict behaviour of silicon nanowires under
pressure, resulted in highest accuracy predictions to date, work published in an
international peer reviewed journal
▪ Reviewed expert literature in fields related to project
▪ Wrote code in C and Python to run simulations of proposed model, code now being
used by research groups in Manchester and Durham
▪ Initiated a new project with researchers in University of Manchester, work resulted
in funding for a new PhD project, paper has been submitted for publication
▪ Confidently presented my work at 8 conferences in the UK and Europe, to audiences
of experts in the field, took questions

2017-2018 MSc in Theory and Simulations of Materials, Imperial College London, UK

▪ Distinction
▪ Group programming project, in team of 5 created code from scratch within 8 weeks,
code successfully agreed with prediction from commercially available code to within
the target of 0.2%, featured in student newspaper

2013-2017 MPhys, Physics (1st Class), St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, UK

▪ Top mark for the year group in Finals
▪ Final year project: Rapidly learned new research field and how to use technical
commercial software packages, wrote report, awarded mark of 83%

CONSULTANCY EXPERIENCE

2018 Infotec Consulting, Summer Intern

Analytics-based consultancy specialising in the retail sector

Achievements:
▪ Analysed raw data and identified promising trends that could be implemented by
major online retailer in the future, ideas used in final presentation to client
▪ Improved search engine optimization, resulting in 10% higher conversion rate to
online sales
▪ Worked on 2 concurrent projects, providing data analytics, online research, written
briefings and graphics for presentations
▪ Worked successfully within 2 different teams alongside colleagues with different
areas of specialist knowledge

23
COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS
2019 Policy Paper
▪ Contributed to Government policy paper on nanomaterials and the environment
written by PhD supervisor
▪ Developed knowledge of areas of science unrelated to PhD and how they could
impact society; improved ability to write for a non-technical audience

2017-2019 Science Outreach

▪ Wrote and presented 3-hour interactive Royal Institute master class on nanowires to
5 groups of school students aged 12-14
▪ Gave a Café Scientifique talk and answered questions from audience with wide
ranging backgrounds and ages and invited to talk at ‘careers in physics research’
event at University of Oxford
▪ Volunteer Maths Tutor on Pimlico Connection scheme, taught Maths to small groups
of pupils in secondary schools in London, assisted with marking

2018 Supervisor
▪ Supervised 2 MSc student projects, developed mentoring and communication skills
▪ Worked with the students to develop interesting project ideas achievable within
their timeframe
▪ Organised regular meetings to discuss and track their progress

2017 Women in Physics conference

▪ Led a team of 8 volunteers to organise a one day conference
▪ Engaged 8 speakers including one Nobel Prize winner
▪ Conference attended by 67 women physicists
▪ During the event, presented my research to a non-specialist audience, featured on
BBC and in The Guardian
LANGUAGE AND IT SKILLS

▪ Programming languages: C, Python (expert); C++ (intermediate)

▪ Proficient in Zoom and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams)
▪ Learning German, possess conversational level German (Level 2)

INTERESTS
2017-2021 Imperial College Symphony Orchestra
▪ Play viola as part of the ICL Symphony Orchestra
▪ Rehearse and perform at least once a week during term, disciplined daily practice
▪ Performed in the Vienna Opera House in 2019

References available on request

24
COVER
LETTERS

25
Cover letters
What is a cover letter?
A cover letter is sent with your CV as part of your application. The purpose of a cover letter is to
complement your CV by showing that you understand the role and organisation you are applying
for, have a strong motivation and will be a good fit for them. In your CV you can’t talk about the
organisation you are applying for or why you want to work for them, so the cover letter is your chance
to do this.

Layout
Your cover letter should typically be no longer than one page, laid out as a professional letter. Make
sure you check for spelling or grammatical errors. And double check you’ve spelt the name of the
company right.

It’s important to follow the business etiquette for the layout of a professional letter. This reassures
the recruiter that when you work for them you will represent them professionally. The typical
professional layout for a UK letter* is:

There is no need to start by stating

Their address Your address your name because this is written at
the end of the letter. Instead, start
Date
your letter with a paragraph clearly
stating what you are applying for,
Dear Mr Smith
where you saw it advertised and
I am writing to apply for….. what your degree programme/stage
is.

Organise your content into two or

three paragraphs. Each paragraph
should have its own clear message
CONTENT OF LETTER for the reader e.g. a paragraph on
your motivation for the role

If you know the name of the

Yours sincerely,
recipient of your letter, address it to
Your name them and sign off ‘Yours
sincerely’. If you do not know the
name address it to
‘Dear Sir/Madam’ and sign off ‘Yours
faithfully’

*If you are applying in another country, find out what a professional letter looks like there by using
GoinGlobal (available on the Careers Service website)

26
Content
The content of your letter will be two to three paragraphs of prose. It’s best to avoid bullet points
and sub-headings in your final version. Each paragraph should have a clear message. You can
choose the messages and the order of your paragraphs.
For example:
Technical role relating to your degree subject:
Paragraph one: motivation (why this role and company)
Paragraph two: subject specific technical skills and abilities
Paragraph three: transferable skills mentioned in the job advert e.g. team work, customer service
1. Motivation
Usually you will have at least one paragraph describing your motivation. Recruiters are very keen
to understand why you are applying for their role and see evidence for your interest in them. It’s
important to them because if they hire you, but you don’t really want to be there, you are unlikely
to do the job well. You can choose how best to organise this content. You might have a paragraph
on ‘why this role’ and another paragraph on ‘why this company’. Alternatively you could merge
these into one or combine a particular aspect of your motivation with related evidence of your
skills.
Overall you should show the reader that you understand both the role and company/organisation
you are applying to and how you fit with them. If you are applying to an internship, show that you
will value the opportunity they are giving you by linking it to your future career plans.
Here are some ideas of how you can develop your understanding of a job and a company/
organisation:

• Read their website to understand what you are applying for, how it fits within the organisation
and their values. Useful sections include ‘About us’, company values, their mission statement,
the careers pages, ‘News’.

• Connect to their social media to keep up with their latest news.

• Do research using resources in the Imperial Library to understand the sector and the
organisation you are applying to. Useful resources can be found on the Imperial Library
website under the section for ‘Subject support, Business’.

• Attend careers events and talk to people working at the company and recruiters to understand
the role better and what the recruiters will be looking for in applications. See JobsLive for
upcoming fairs, events and presentations.

• Do your own networking through LinkedIn or other contacts.

• Work shadowing and internships.

• Join in with relevant student societies and Extra-curricular activities.

• Choose relevant modules in your course.

See some examples of how to write about your motivation in the sample cover letters on the
following pages.

27
2.Skills
The rest of your letter could be organised into one or two paragraphs showing that you have
the skills and knowledge to be effective in the role you are applying to. Start organising this
part of your letter by finding out what they are looking for in candidates (e.g. by reviewing the
job advert, using networking opportunities) and thinking about how you match. Decide what
evidence you can use to show that you have the skills and personal attributes they are looking
for. You can use evidence from your academic achievements, Extra-curricular activities, work
experience, volunteering or sports. Include specific and interesting examples to convince the
reader of what you can do. Where you can, include results and the impact of your work.

It’s ok for this part of your letter to have some overlap with your CV.

Writing tips
• It really helps your reader if your content is structured in a logical and organised way. Before
you start to write, think through the structure of your letter and decide what message
you would like the reader to take away from each paragraph. It can help to give yourself
subheadings while you are writing to keep yourself ‘on message’. You can take these out
before you send the letter.

• Recruiters will read your letter very quickly so keep your sentences simple and short. This will
make your letter easier to follow.

• After writing the letter leave it to one side and then come back a few hours later to check it.

• Get a friend to check it for spelling and grammar.

• For speculative applications (which is where you apply to a company who are not currently
advertising an opportunity), you will need to grab the attention of your reader immediately.
Ideally direct the letter to a named person rather than Sir/Madam. Make it clear who you
are and what the letter is about in the first paragraph e.g. state clearly that you are looking
for a summer internship, in which team and the dates you would be available.

Avoid
• Unprofessional language, try to write in plain English. Here are some examples of words not
to over use: moreover, henceforth, hitherto, incomparable. A good way to check is to avoid
using language in your letter that you wouldn’t typically use in your day to day speech

• Being negative. Stay positive throughout. Sometimes it’s tempting to mention some
gaps in your experience or something you don’t know. However you don’t need to do that in
your letter. If you can, provide positive evidence. For example, if a job requires a programming
language you don’t know, can you show that you have quickly learned another language in
the past?

• Being vague. Including specific information will make your letter more persuasive.
For example, if you worked in a team, say how many people were in it. If you raised money,
say how much. Avoid words like ‘various’.
28
Example for Patent Attorney

Mr Smith Amanda Brown

Bristol and Partners 123 Student Road
Whitefriars, 9th Floor, London
Lewins Mead, Bristol SW7 888
BS1 2NT

15th November 2020

Dear Mr Smith,

I am writing to apply for the Trainee Patent Attorney position in the life sciences, pharmaceutical
and medical devices sectors at Bristol and Partners. I am currently a final year BSc Biochemistry
student at Imperial College London and am expecting to graduate in summer 2021 with a 2:1.

I first became interested in the profession when I attended a career talk in February 2019. I learned
that the work of a patent attorney requires a curiosity for new technology, attention to detail and
excellent communication skills. At the talk, I also saw some real patents for the first time and
became enthusiastic at the prospect of being involved with the latest technological developments as
they happen. To explore the idea of a patent career in more depth, I chose to spend last summer
working with an academic at Imperial who is patenting his research invention. This gave me a chance
to search patent literature for prior and competing art and to complete an Invention Disclosure
Form. I have also used the resources on the CIPA website to learn more about the pathway into the
profession.

Bristol and Partners would be an ideal company for me to train as a patent attorney because of my
fit with your key practice area of medical technologies, pharmaceuticals and chemistry. I have a keen
interest in technological developments in this area and chose the optional modules ‘Molecular Basis
of Bacterial Infection’ and ‘Plant Biotechnology and Development’ for the third year of my
Biochemistry degree. I am also keen to join your firm because of your range of clients, from start-ups
to big pharma. Through reading the blog on your Careers pages I learned about the supportive and
friendly environment of your Training Academy and ways trainees are encouraged to engage with
the wider profession by attending conferences such as the Royal Society of Chemistry’s ‘Chemistry
Means Business’ event for SMEs. This would enable me to fully develop as a professional.

My Imperial degree has been excellent preparation for professional exams as I have been successful
in the regular and rigorous exams required by my degree, consistently achieving 2:1 marks. I have
learned to balance my time so that I could successfully prepare for my exams alongside my part-time
job waiting tables and my active training schedule with the Imperial Triathlon Club. Studying for my
degree has developed my ability to understand highly technical materials quickly. I have also
developed excellent written communication skills, through six laboratory write-ups a term and my
4000 word dissertation. In my weekly part-time job I cover fifteen tables in a busy restaurant which
are usually fully booked. Through this job I have learned to work efficiently while providing excellent
customer service and remaining calm and friendly under pressure. I was recently asked to take on a
managerial responsibility within the restaurant, training three new staff members. I am looking
forward to bringing my technical and communication skills into a career as a patent attorney.

Thank you for considering my application and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Amanda Brown
MSc Biochemistry (2018-2021)
Imperial College London

29
Example for science communications

Bedford House
Front Line Genomics Tennyson Road
Studio 202, Building J Colindale
The Biscuit Factory London
Drummond Road NW9 2XB
London
SE16 4DG
12th December 2020

Dear Dr Lumb,

As an MRes Biomedical Science student at Imperial College London, I am writing to apply for the
Science Communication (Writing & Research) Officer vacancy at Front Line Genomics as advertised
on JobsLive through the Imperial College Careers Service.

While I enjoy the science and research that I am currently training in, my true interest lies in
communicating this vital knowledge to practitioners, patients and the public with the aim of
increasing awareness and facilitating faster development of effective solutions. My work as the
Science Writer for Felix (the Imperial College Union weekly newspaper) was extremely satisfying and
what I enjoyed the most was interviewing academics, reading research papers and translating this
into engaging content for a range of different audiences. I also enjoyed my secondment to the
marketing team within John Lewis, where I used my writing and social media skills to develop more
persuasive, creative content using many different interactive media platforms. This taught me the
importance of understanding and tailoring to specific audiences. My interest in Genomic stems from
my work on RNA Enzymes and this led me to apply for a research Masters in the broader field of
Biomedical Science. While my projects for next year are yet to be confirmed, I am hopeful that one
of them will be in collaboration with the Imperial Genomics Faculty which will increase my
knowledge of both sequencing and bioinformatics. This combination of writing, media and the topic
of genomics is why I would like to apply for the role of Science Communication Officer.

I would like to work for Front Line Genomics as from reading your website, I think our values align.
While working on my final year project with a multidisciplinary team of scientists, I admired their
absolute focus on what was best for the patient. This value was the driving force behind every
decision they made and it created an environment where I felt like what we were doing had real
purpose and impact. I want to work in this sort of environment within my next job. I also know I
prefer to work within a small team where I will get the chance to support and be involved in many
aspects of what the organisation does. As the student representative for the Royal Society of
Chemistry (RSC) I had an overview of the full range of activities and was able to support all of the
small (eight members) staff. I really enjoyed working with the range of people on many different
projects and the community feeling this created inspired me to extend myself. Having researched
the Front Line Genomics team online, I hope to meet and work with them in the future.

I have attached my CV for your consideration. Many thanks for this opportunity to apply and I look
forward to hearing from you in the near future.

Yours sincerely,

Rumi Jones
MRes Biomedical Science Student
Imperial College London

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Job description for Jacobs role

Graduate Civil/Structural Engineer - Jacobs

As a Graduate Civil/Structural Engineer you will be responsible for:

• Supporting the delivery of structural analysis, design and assessment in a multi-discipline

environment

• Production of clear and well-presented reports, specifications, and other engineering

documentation

• Supporting the production of drawings and 3D BIM models

• Undertaking structural survey work.

Qualifications

Essential: (this is the criteria that needs to be evidenced in CV and Cover Letter)

• Hold an accredited BEng level degree in Civil or Structural Engineering (or equivalent), at first or
upper second class

• Please note that for this position candidates will be required to obtain UK Security Clearance
(some limitations may apply to non UK Nationals and where individuals have not resided in the UK
for all of the last five years)

• Strong analytical skills, a sound understanding of structural theory, and an interest in solving
problems from first principles

• Focus on results and project delivery

• A keen interest in developing Project Management and design skills.

• Drive and motivation to become a chartered engineer with IStructE or ICE

• A clear communication style, proven team working skills and a strong customer focus.

Desired: (if possible these need to also be evidenced in both documents)

• An understanding of structural dynamics, including earthquake engineering, blast, and impact

load effects

• An understanding of finite element analysis techniques

Take a look through the CV and Cover Letter on the following pages and see if you can spot where
the key skills have been evidenced.

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Cover letter for Jacobs role

1215 Fulham Palace Road

London, SW8 XYZ
Jacobs, 2nd Floor Cottons Centre
Cottons Lane First paragraph clearly
London SE1 2QG explains the purpose
of the letter and who is
16th November 2020 writing. It also highlights
some key matches to the
Dear Sir/Madam, essential and desirable
criteria in the job advert
I am writing to apply for the Graduate Civil Engineer role at Jacobs as advertised on your website. I am a
– structural theory,
final year MEng Civil Engineering student at Imperial College London with a particular interest in
solving problems from
earthquake engineering and developing my career in project management. My academic knowledge has
first principles and finite
covered many aspects including structural theory, solving problems from first principles and finite
element analysis.
element analysis techniques and my education has developed my analytical skills to a high standard.

I am keen to enter a career with Jacobs due to the innovative projects including the support to the
The second paragraph
Atomic Weapons Establishment in the nuclear sector to create earthquake resistant power stations. In shows the writer has
an increasingly unstable world where clients face growing challenges, I admire and wish to be a part of thoroughly researched the
the strong approach taken by Jacobs to meet these challenges. My desire to put my highly developed company and considered
client skills to practise would complement the opportunity to work with Jacobs high profile clients such how they fit. This letter
as National Grid, NASA and EDF Energy. I also discovered the four day boot camp that takes place for is tailored and could
graduates which would be an exciting test of my skills and I would relish the opportunity to achieve not be sent to any other
chartership with Jacobs, who received a Gold Award in the Mind Workplace Wellbeing Index. company.
In the summer of 2019, I completed a summer internship with ARUP in Kowloon. I performed loading
calculations and analysed structures, which required strong attention to detail and the ability to work
The third paragraph
successfully in a multidisciplinary team, pushing me to develop my listening and teamwork skills. I found
highlights how the writer
it exciting to work on a real project, focusing on successful results and my work was included in the final
matches the job advert by
project assessments presented to the clients. In my course at Imperial I have enjoyed project managing
using the language of the
our Constructionarium activity as part of my Imperial degree. During this five-day project I led a team of
job advert and providing
twenty six to successfully construct a scaled down version of the Gherkin which required a clear
evidence of skills such as
communication style. We completed the task to time and within budget which developed my problem
project management.
solving and decision-making abilities and we completed the project with high marks and positive results.

Outside of my academic studies I have taken on positions of responsibility to further develop my abilities
to work well with others. In my role as the President of the Student Coding Society I took the initiative to
gain sponsorship for the society by approaching five local SMEs and persuading them to sponsor a series The fourth paragraph
of Hackathons. This resulted in student development and helped the companies to raise their profile clearly shows that the
with the students, resulting in two students undertaking projects for the companies. During lockdown in writer is someone who
2020, I used my initiative to undertake an Inside Sherpa online learning experience simulating a John gets results.
Holland engineering project spanning infrastructure, building and rail businesses.

Thank you for considering my application and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours faithfully,
Stephanie Student
Final year MEng Civil Engineering Student

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CV for Jacobs Role

Stephanie Student
1215 Fulham Palace Road, SW8 XYZ
+44 0123456789
www.linkedin.com/uk/stephstudent

EDUCATION

Imperial College London, MEng Civil Engineering (First Class) 2017 - 2021
1st year: 82% | 2nd year: 80% | 3rd year: 79% | 4th year: 80%

Modules included: Professional Engineering Practice, Earthquake Engineering, Sketching and Modelling,
Computational methods, Fluid Mechanics, Environmental Engineering, Geotechnics, and Structural Theory

• Developed broad understanding of the creation and maintenance of a sustainable natural and built
environment specifically in relation to structural theory achieving a distinction grade (80%)
• Excelled in role of Project Manager during team field trips
• Enhanced understanding of finite element analysis techniques through dedicated module (77%)
• Enjoyed solving problems from first principles
• Confident in writing computer programmes using MATLAB and 3D modelling for design projects

IT skills – MATLAB, Rhino 3D, basic Python (self-taught) and 3D BIM

Thorneycroft College, Basingstoke 2009 – 2017

A Levels – Chemistry (A*), Mathematics (A*), Physics (A*)

GCSEs - 9A*s, 2As & 1B

CIVIL ENGINEERING PROJECTS

Constructionarium (Project Manager) 2019

• Assumed the leadership role of Project Manager for the constructionarium activity
• Oversaw the construction of 13m tall 30 St Mary Axe building, known as the Gherkin
• Communicated with 10 team members, using active listening and empathy to identify individual
strengths to enable successful allocation of team roles and responsibilities
• Identified further areas of improvement regarding sustainable materials
• Strong organisational skills to deliver positive results and project on time in line with expectations
agreed with client

Imperial College Design Project (2 weeks) 2019

• Utilised hardboard and string to create a crane in collaboration with 2 fellow students which was
required to be weight-bearing, and won 3rd prize out of the department
• Created proposal for design of reinforced concrete foundations for water pumps
• Reviewed CAD drawings and located mistakes

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WORK EXPERIENCE

Engineering Placement with ARUP (summer) 2018

• Completed a residential project in Kowloon
• Gained experience of loading calculation (incl. Wind, water uplift)
• Successfully analysed structures using CSI Etabs, CSI Safe, Oasys GSA, Oasys AdSec
• Observed earthquake engineering techniques and theory
• Produced a clear and well-presented report on project summary

Part-time Sales Assistant – Marks and Spencer’s 2017-2018

• Developed excellent customer service skills through checkout and departmental role
• Served customers with a view to solving problems and providing a high quality service
• Responsible for handling money and recording details of stock due to go out of date
• Regularly assist colleagues on other departments when under-staffed or during busy seasons

POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY

President of Student Coding Society 2018- present

• Approached five SMEs and successfully gained sponsorship for hackathons
• Chaired regular meetings with members of the society
• Organised coding events for members to socialise
• Co-ordinated and organised fundraising event for coding clubs in schools and raised £5000

VOLUNTEERING

British Heart Foundation, Basingstoke (summers) 2017-2019

• Responsible for the running of the shop from handling money to serving customers
• Assisted in street collection, enhancing my communication and persuasion skills

ACTIVITIES AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

Inside Sherpa – self-directed online learning, completed virtual project of engineering firm Summer 2020

Member of ICE – motivated to become chartered engineer 2019-present

Rowing Club 2018-present

• Maintaining training sessions alongside studies
• Committing as a team resulting in winning the last two annual races

Elected Treasurer of Imperial CivSoc 2018-present

• Raised awareness of society and increased membership by 25%
• Use clear and varied communication technique tailored to audience

Full UK Driving Licence

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

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