CVs

A good CV shows employers what

you have to offer and make them
want to find out more about you.
Apply
CVs

Your CV is your personal marketing tool. It works like a ‘sales

brochure’ where you are selling your skills, qualities, expertise and
potential to a prospective employer. Your CV could be the first thing
a prospective employer will see about you.

CV
A good CV shows employers what you have to offer them and make them want
to find out more about you and your experiences. Use a CV:
 To make speculative applications.
 When an advertisement asks for applications ‘in writing’.
 At job and careers fairs.
There's no perfect CV. CVs are subjective - what one person likes, another person will
dislike. This guide is designed to help you if you’ve never written a CV before or have
a CV and want to improve, target or tailor it. It gives suggestions and tips on basic CV
styles and advice on common problems. Take as much advice as you can and decide
what layout and content suits you best.

THERE ARE THREE KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER

WHEN WRITING YOUR CV:

1 You only have about 30 seconds to make a good impression so your CV needs to
stand out if you are to make it through to the next round of the selection process.

2 You are what your CV tells people you are. If you want to come across as
a professional make sure your CV looks the business.

3 It should clearly identify the key skills, qualities and experiences that recruiters
are looking for. This means you need to tailor your CV for each role you are applying
for. Think about who is going to be reading it and what they need to know about you.
This will change depending on the job and organisation you are applying to.

02
TIPS FOR SUCCESS

 DO  DON’T
 Tell the truth.  Leave it to the last minute. Rushed CVs are
 Take your time. often unsuccessful.
 Do your research.  Enhance your grades. You will be found out.
 Think about which aspects of your CV will be most  Submit the same CV for every role you are
relevant to the person reading it. applying for. You need to tailor your CV for each job
specification/advert.
 Prioritise information in order of importance; the most
relevant information being on the first page.  Write too much. Your CV should only be about
2 sides of A4.
 Make the information you provide relevant to
the purpose of the CV. If you are applying for work  Send it without checking grammar and spelling.
experience or a placement, the reader wants to see the  Use Curriculum Vitae or CV as the title.
skills and knowledge you have and some indication of Use your name instead.
what you’d like to gain in the placement.
 Use appropriate words. Look at the job description.
See what type of words they use under their 'must
have', 'required skills' or 'essential skills' sections
e.g. if they say they need someone with excellent
communication skills, use these words in your CV.
 Use the STAR method to write succinct examples. Put
most emphasis on the action part of your example and
clearly demonstrate the skill you have used.
 Review your CV each time you use it to ensure the
structure and content is appropriate.
 Make sure it looks good and is easy to read. Make the
information easy to find.
 Check your spelling and grammar. Make sure your
spell checker uses UK English. Get someone else to
proof read it.
 Use professional, business-like and positive language.
Be concise, but be specific.
 Use good quality paper if printing your CV. Don’t fold or
staple it - use a paperclip and an A4 envelope.
 Get advice in the Career Studio on how to make your
CV stand out. Talk to a career coach to find out more.
 Sign up for events featuring employers and graduates
to get their tips and insider information on how to
succeed in the recruitment process.

SENDING YOUR CV BY EMAIL

 Use the subject line well. Refer to the job you are  Send the email and CV to yourself first to ensure
applying to or the job reference number. that it still looks the same on re-opening. Formatting
 Include your name in the file name - so not just can get jumbled; page breaks might alter, lines or
CV.docx but John-Smith-CV.docx borders can get distorted. The best way to avoid this
is to send it as a pdf file (say in your email that you
 Keep your email formal. Use capital letters and
can send a Word version if they prefer).
punctuation as you would on a covering letter. Use
‘Dear Mr Jones’. Starting with ‘Hi’ is not appropriate.  Do not send CVs to different recipients in one email.
 Use the body of the email as your covering letter or
attach a separate covering letter – it’s up to you.

CVs 03
WRITING YOUR CV – FIRST STEPS
If you have never written a CV before, or not updated it A skills audit can help you to identify your competencies
since school or college, here are a few things to think (what you can do). Our leaflet How to develop and
about. If you’ve already prepared a CV and are keen to showcase your skills and impress recruiters will give you
improve it, you might want to move on to the next section. examples of how you can link your experiences to the
skills employers want.
Before you start writing, gather all the information
you need: A CV can be based on all your information; recruiters are
genuinely interested in all your life experiences.
 Details of your qualifications (dates, grades, course
options covered).
 Work experience (job titles, dates, main responsibilities).

Your skills, abilities and interests. RESOURCES
Think about:
Go to CareerHub and download the
 Work experience / previous employment following leaflets:
- teamwork, IT skills etc…
• My skills audit
 Leisure activities - travel experiences, sporting • How to develop and showcase your skills
activities etc… and impress recruiters
 Hobbies & interests - reading, membership of • Covering letter guidelines and examples
clubs etc…
 Home life - planning and organisation of family,
personal finance etc…
 Academic life - producing reports, collecting
information or giving presentations etc…
 Voluntary work - planning and organising events,
relationship building etc…
 Committee work - decision making and
communication etc…

04
STYLES OF CV
The most common styles of CV are: ONLINE CVS
 Reverse chronological CV (most recent events first). Some organisations will ask you to upload your CV to their
Most effective if your course/work experience is website. A few others will have CV template that they want
directly related to what you are applying for. you to complete. This is similar to completing an online
 Skills based CV. Useful if your course is not relevant application form. Our Application forms - What you need to
and you need to highlight your transferable skills. know leaflet on CareerHub will tell you more. Make sure
you double check your spelling and grammar. Check your
 Academic CV (used to apply for academic or spell checker is set for UK English. Make sure you use
research posts). key words; some recruiters use scanning software to sift
Ideally, a CV should be no more than two pages of through the CVs they receive.
A4 (academic CVs can be longer). See the section of
academic CVs for more information.
CVS ON JOBS BOARDS
There are many websites who offer a CV posting service.
Some information is no longer required on a CV due to Before you post your CV, check that:
equal opportunities legislation. The following information
can be left out.
 They have features to protect your privacy and
confidentiality.
 Marital status  General health
 Your date of birth or your National Insurance number
 Date of birth / age  National Insurance is not included.
 Gender (NI) number  You can update and edit it when required.
 Dependants  Previous salary  You’ve some control over who can see it.
 Reason for leaving  Religion

CVs 05
KEY INFORMATION
You have the freedom to decide on the style and the
structure of your CV as long as it looks professional.
EDUCATION
Always put your degree or your most recent qualification
Personal details usually appear at the top of the first first. Include significant achievements (e.g. academic
page. Referees usually appear at the bottom of the prizes or awards), a synopsis of what you’ve studied and
second page. The sections in between can be moved or what you’ve gained from it.
adapted depending on the style you choose and what
you think the recruiter is most interested in seeing first. Think about which parts of your degree will be of
importance to the organisation. Pick out relevant modules
rather than including a long list. Change the modules
PERSONAL DETAILS depending on the specific nature of the job. Include any
 Use your name as the title rather than ‘Curriculum Vitae’. other useful information e.g. a relevant dissertation topic

Include all your contact information, name, address, or a significant piece of group work.
telephone numbers and email. If you have more than
one postal address, put in dates that you will be at
each address. Position this information at the top of
your CV so that it is easy for the recruiter to get in
RELEVANT MODULES:
contact with you.
Modern French Language, French
 Use a professional sounding email address. Check this Translation, Surrealism and Art in French
email regularly once you have sent your CV.
Society. Spent a year in France, at Rouen
University, and completed my dissertation
CAREER OBJECTIVE / during this period which enabled me to
PERSONAL PROFILE work independently, setting and meeting
This is optional. It should be a paragraph summarising my own objectives.
what you have to offer and highlighting your motivation to
work in that sector/organisation. Be succinct and focused;
get the reader’s attention and make them want to read Mention the transferable skills you have gained from
on. Avoid generic statements. It should be tailored your studies if your degree is not related to the job you
(changed) depending on the job and/or organisation. are applying for.

To establish a career in human resource Through the study of a diverse range of

management with a major engineering historical topics my degree has encouraged
company. This will make good use of my me to adopt a critical approach in evaluating
current psychology degree studies, my information and, importantly, has helped to
former junior HR experience and my well develop oral and written communication
developed communication and negotiation skills. I feel confident in formulating and
skills acquired in my previous job roles. substantiating independent opinions both
by working alongside others and through
individual study.

06
KEY INFORMATION (continued)
WORK EXPERIENCE SKILLS SECTION
Part-time jobs, internships, placements, work-shadowing Useful if you feel that you possess the required skills
and voluntary work are all relevant. State what you for the job but do not have any specific experience.
achieved and what your main responsibilities were, and/or Only choose skills based on what the job description/
demonstrate the transferable skills you used. Always think specification requires. For skills based CVs, highlight four
about how the skills gained from your work experience or five key skills important to the job role and provide
are beneficial to your future employer. different examples as evidence.
If you have lots of relevant work experience, think about
separating this section into relevant, other and voluntary
experience. This allows you to show your most relevant LEADERSHIP
work first regardless of the dates.
As the English Assistant in Rouen I led classes
of up to 30 pupils and instructed them in their
Example of candidate studies. Used my leadership skills and position
applying for a HR position: of authority if a serious problem arose in the
classroom.
RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE
2
011 - 2012 North West Bank – Senior
NUMERACY/COMPUTING


Customer Service Clerk (part-time)

Initially part of a team of six dealing with the Proficient with several word processing
affairs of over 10000 personal customers packages and spreadsheets including Microsoft
including many high net worth clients. After Word, Excel, PowerPoint through my work
2 years in role promoted to section leader with all my employers and during my course.
(on a share basis) and then jointly responsible Skilled user of the statistical package SPSS for
for operational performance of section plus analysing data from research undertaken
appraisal, training and development of 18 staff. during my course.

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

 2
012-2013 Hogg & Pearson Estate Agents - You can include an ‘additional skills’ section for items that
Weekend Sales Negotiator don’t fit elsewhere. These could include:
Responsible for seeing clients, arranging
appointments, advising on properties and
 Professional or student memberships / positions
of responsibility.
sales negotiations.
 IT skills (indicate your level of skills e.g. basic).
VOLUNTARY EXPERIENCE 
Language skills (indicate your fluency
 2
013 –2014 Liverpool Student Newspaper e.g. native speaker).
- Current Affairs Writer and News Editor
Working for the student newspaper required
 Work related qualifications such as food hygiene
qualification certificate, customer care training etc.
dedication as well as strong communication
and teamwork skills in order to meet deadline
dates. In my capacity as News Editor I
was required to research potential stories,
organise layout proposals and lead weekly
team meetings.

CVs 07
KEY INFORMATION (continued)
INTERESTS/RESPONSIBILITIES For more experienced graduates, two employment based
referees would be expected. If you are in work you may
Include involvement in student societies, clubs and ask for your current employer not to be contacted until
positions of responsibility, sports, music and drama. you have been made a job offer.
Stamp your personality on your CV; recruiters like to gain
an insight into your leisure time activity. Don’t give a long If you have had a negative experience with an employer
list; it gives little indication of your level of involvement. and feel they would give you a bad reference then it
Instead of putting “reading”, give some indication may be best to pick someone else. If this is your only
of your favourite authors or types of books that you employer then check with them if they are happy to give
enjoy. Identify the skills you demonstrated through the you a reference. The reference must be accurate and not
experiences NOT just what you did. contain misleading information, but they do not have to
provide a reference unless this is stated in your contract.
You can make a request to see your reference under
data protection law. See DirectGov for more advice
ACTIVITIES/INTERESTS on references.
Occasionally you may be asked for a personal reference.
 In my final year I was social secretary as well This will normally be someone who is in a position of
as a member of the competition committee professional responsibility and has known you for more
for the Dance Society. These roles involved than five years.
organising several successful events for a
Always ask your referee for permission first.
club of around 100 members which clearly
demonstrates my organisational and  Check they are contactable before including their details.
managerial skills. 
Give them a copy of your CV if they reply positively.

My main hobby and passion is cinema; I read This will help them write the reference about you. If
extensively on the subject, as well as owning you know them well, highlight the key words, skills,
a vast video collection. experiences which make you a strong candidate. This
would help them to emphasise these elements if they

I have an interest in all things aesthetic, are asked to write a reference.
and love visiting art galleries, museums and
exhibitions. I most recently saw the Mario  An employer may choose to contact referees at any
Testino exhibition at the National Portrait stage in the process although it is more likely to be in
the final stages due to the time this takes.
Gallery, and see exhibitions at the V&A
museum regularly.  A job offer is usually subject to references; late
references could mean a delayed job offer.
If you have limited space, or are applying for a variety
REFEREES of jobs, it is sometimes acceptable to simply state
“References available on request”. This gives you the
Usually you’ll be asked for two referees; one academic option to choose the most appropriate referees once you
and one work-based. You should always have one have been offered the job.
referee from what you are doing most recently. For
students and recent graduates this means an academic,
tutor or similar person who knows you well. Try to
include a referee who knows you in a recent working
environment. If you don’t have a work-based referee,
choose someone from wider life experience e.g.
volunteering supervisor, sports coach or head of a
committee/group of which you are a member. If you are
really stuck, you could use another academic reference
or a personal referee – perhaps a friend of the family
who could comment on your character.

08
TAILORING YOUR CV TO A SPECIFIC JOB
You need to show the recruiter that you meet their competencies and share the same values and goals. Use specific
keywords, points of interest and relevant experience that match the details of the job advert. Make it easy for the
recruiter to find the information.
Match your CV to the job. Look at the job/person specification and job description, matching your skills against the
recruiter’s requirements. Each organisation will have a unique set of values, qualities and skills that they look for in an
applicant. Typically these skills are called “competencies”. For a job related to your degree, you may wish to include
relevant modules. For unrelated work, the recruiter may be more interested in the soft skills you have gained from
completing a degree such as your ability to work in a team, give a presentation or writing skills.
Here are examples of some of the competencies or skills you may be asked to demonstrate.

Competence / Skill Definition Keywords you can use

in your CV
Team working Working with others effectively to achieve a common Co-operating, motivating,
purpose. identifying goals, monitoring,
agreeing responsibilities,
contributing.

Communication The ability to convey meaning in a manner appropriate to Presenting, analysing,

different audiences. Presenting a persuasive argument. persuading, informing,
structuring, listening.

Leadership The ability to motivate and organise others. Managing, devising, taking
responsibility, motivating,
organising, decision-making
evaluating.

Problem solving Analysing problematic situations, seeking relevant data, Problem solving, analysing,
diagnosing possible causes. Generating alternative solutions identifying, evaluation,
to find the best solution. defining.

Creativity Discovering, creating and envisioning, imagination Creating, imagining,

and unique ideas. Looking at situations from multiple investigating, inventing,
perspectives to create radically new concepts. visioning, connecting,
generating, brainstorming.

Critical Thinking Breaking down complex information into smaller unites for Logic, reasoning, recognising,
thorough analysis. Spotting patterns, trends or discrepancies liking, insight, perceiving,
and drawing insights and conclusions that is not obvious to integrating, critical thinking,
others. relating.

Decision Making Willingness to make decisions and take action after Evaluating, considering,
considering all the facts and alternatives. Analysing and making judgements,
anticipating possible consequences of potential decisions. reasoning, reflecting,
concluding, selecting.

Planning and Establishing a systematic course of action to achieve a task Organising, prioritising,
Organising or objective effectively and efficiently. Involving planning, scheduling, planning,
prioritising, scheduling, coordinating and the monitoring of monitoring, coordinating,
performance against objectives. controlling, tracking.

CVs 09
TAILORING YOUR CV TO A SPECIFIC JOB (continued)
Other skills you may be asked to demonstrate include –
language skills, judgement, IT, negotiating, persuading,
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
time management, project management and self- Make sure the most important information stands out
motivation. If you’re asked to give evidence of these on your CV. If this information is hidden away the recruiter
skills on your application think of the definition of that skill might miss it. Here are some ways you can do this.
and which tasks or skills are needed. Then you can get  Use relevant headings. Headings should immediately
keywords to include in your answer. stand out and will draw the eye to the information
Go to CareerHub and download the leaflet How to underneath. Make the most of this e.g. rather
develop and showcase your skills and impress recruiters than ‘Work Experience’ a section called ‘Relevant
to see how you can get evidence of your skills. Experience’ or ‘Engineering Work Experience’ will
have much more impact.
Match your CV to the organisation.
 Use your personal profile as a ‘sound bite’ to
Do your research. Our leaflet How to research summarise how you match the criteria e.g. if the
a recruiter gives lots of tips and advice. recruiter is looking for someone with knowledge of
 Attend any open days the organisation might Excel and experience in customer service this is how
hold or any recruitment events the organisation you will describe yourself in your personal profile.
might attend on-campus. Attending employer  The first page is the most important as the recruiter
presentations, 1-2-1 events or employer-led might not turn over to look at the second. Don’t put
sessions in the Career Studio or in your your most crucial information on the second page. The
department will give you a chance to meet staff first bullet point in a list is more likely to be read than
and do research. the last.
 Use your networks. Ask careers staff, tutors,  If you have lots of relevant information scattered
alumni, friends, family, and acquaintances for throughout your CV, could consider having a section
information about the organisation. Often, they on the first page called ‘Key Information’ in which you
may know people who know something about would draw attention to all the relevant points. Don’t
the company. Or, even better, they may know make this too long – no more than 5 bullet points.
someone who could speak to you to give you
inside gossip and news about the organisation.
 Using italics or bold to draw the eye to important
Our leaflet How to network will tell you more words in your CV. Be selective; too much will make
about this. your CV look odd and hard to read.

 Visit the Career Studio to find out about Use our CV checklist to review your CV.
forthcoming events plus tips on how to build and
use your contacts successfully.
 Contact the organisation directly to ask if you
can speak to trainees about any aspect of the
organisation you are not clear about. Our leaflet
How to network will tell you more about this.

10
MAKE YOUR LANGUAGE EFFECTIVE
Go through your CV and make sure your language is Use the STAR method to structure your examples, prove
active and specific. This will help your CV stand out. your skills and show the context in which you have
gained and used them. It helps employers and course
Be professional, business-like and where appropriate,
providers evaluate what skills, qualities and experiences
use terminology that is familiar to the organisation. Use
you have that would help you fit with the job, course,
proactive words and phrases.
company or institution.
Avoid terms like I think, I hope or I believe. Situation What was the background and context?
Explain the situation that you were in. This
 Use I have or I am. should be a short description, it could be:
 'I worked on the computer' could become ‘during my degree’ or ‘while working in a bar’.
'I designed a new database.'
Task What did you have to do, why
 'I talked to clients' could become and with whom?
'I established effective working relationships.' Explain what it is that you had to do, and
 'I helped produce a leaflet' could become what the success criteria was. If you were
working as a group explain what the overall
'I researched, designed and produced
task of the group was but be clear about
a targeted flyer.'
your own role.
  Some action words you could include in your CV: Action What did you actually do, how did you do
Achieved Administered Advised Analysed it and what skills did you use?
This is the most substantial part (around
Arranged Assessed Budgeted Completed 50-70%) of any example.
Coordinated Controlled Created Designed
Result What happened as a result of the actions
Developed Devised Diagnosed Discovered you took, what you achieved and what
Distributed Enhanced Established Evaluated did you learn, do differently or improve?
Make sure it shows you in a good light, even
Examined Explained Implemented Instigated if the overall result was not a success.
Instructed Introduced Initiated Lead
Liaised Launched Maintained Managed
Sometimes there is a 5th element as well...

Monitored Negotiated Organised Performed EVALUATION.

Persuaded Planned Presented Produced This is your preparation for the interview – what, if
Promoted Redesigned Responsible for Represented anything, could you have done differently and what other
examples can you give. Even if not asked this on the
Researched Recommended Selected Sold form, be prepared to answer this if necessary at interview.
Solved Supervised Taught Trained Write succinct examples. Put most emphasis on the action
part of your example and clearly demonstrate the skill you
have used. The recruiter is interested in learning about
your roles and what you did. Stress your own roles and
achievements. Avoid using ‘we’.
Check your spelling and grammar. Make sure your
spell checker uses UK English. Get someone else
to proof read it. It really is important.

CVs 11
COMMON CV PROBLEMS
HOW DO I EXPLAIN RE-SITS OF HOW CAN I EXPLAIN MITIGATING
QUALIFICATIONS? CIRCUMSTANCES OR GAPS IN
There are several ways of presenting this. If you stayed MY CV?
at the same college/school you can just indicate the extra It might be that there are reasons for poor results, or
year in the dates and write down the subjects only once you may have had to take time out through ill health,
with highest grades you obtained. Some organisations pregnancy, childcare or other caring responsibilities.
who ask for UCAS points as part of the selection process Maybe you took several years out to go travelling. You
will only count the grades obtained at one sitting – not might want to seek advice from a careers adviser on how
across two sittings. best to present this. How you show this on your CV will
depend on the circumstances. You can put explanations
in a smaller font in italics, so they appear almost as a note
2003 - 2006 NOTRE DAME on your CV or you may want to address any issues that
HIGH SCHOOL are directly relevant to your application in your covering
‘A’ Levels English (B), Biology (B), letter e.g. if you do not have the required UCAS results.
Psychology (B) & AS Chemistry (C) Always present issues in a positive way where you can.
Try to cover any fears that the recruiter might have.

If you went to a different college or school to re-take 2003 - 2006 NOTRE DAME
your exams you will probably have to write the dates and
HIGH SCHOOL
name of the institution, but as above, you could just write
your best grades. A’ Levels English (B), Biology (B),
Psychology (B) & AS Chemistry (C)
Please note that I took an extra year to
2003-2005 NOTRE DAME
complete my A Levels due to ill health. I made
HIGH SCHOOL
a complete recovery and my ‘A’ level grades
2005-2006 ST HELENS’ COLLEGE
listed above were all gained in one sitting.
‘A’ Levels English (B), Biology (B),
Psychology (B) & AS Chemistry (C)
OR
2003-2006 NOTRE DAME HIGH SCHOOL HOW DO I EXPLAIN CHANGING
& ST HELENS’ COLLEGE OR LEAVING A COURSE?
‘A’ Levels English (B), Biology (B),
If you were only on a course for a month or two before
Psychology (B) & AS Chemistry (C) transferring to another one or getting a job, you might not
have to mention it. It will be hidden if you write your dates
as just years and not months and years.

HOW CAN I DISGUISE POOR

EXAM RESULTS? SEPT 07 - NOV 07
This is difficult to do, particularly when it comes to your BSc(Hons) Pharmacy
degree. If you simply don’t put your degree result on your UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
CV, recruiters will assume that you failed or achieved NOV 07 - JUNE 10 BSc(Hons) Biology
a low grade. Degree grades matter when applying for UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL
your first graduate job. As your career progresses, your
degree result will be much less important. The same is becomes
true for writing your ‘A’ level grades. Don’t list all your 2007 – 2010 BSc(Hons) Biology
GCSE results; it’s fine to simply write ‘9 GCSEs passed UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL
including English and Maths’.

12
COMMON CV PROBLEMS (continued)
If you spent longer than a few months and it runs into Another option is to put it all together in the dates
another year, include it but write a sentence or two to and highlight particular organisations you worked for
present it in a positive way e.g. why you changed, what you during that time, or the different job roles, or the different
got out of it, what you learnt, if you all our exams. skills gained.

2007 - 2008 BSc(Hons) Pharmacy 2005-2009

UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH Various Temporary Vacation Jobs
Passed all my first year exams before During the vacations worked in mainly
transferring to the University of Liverpool. I administrative roles for companies such as BT,
decided against pursuing a career in pharmacy Barclays, Mercers and Coutts. During this time
and wanted a more general degree at this I gained a wide range of skills including time
stage. During this year I learnt a lot of valuable management, team work and customer service.
skills and gained an understanding of common Working in many different work environments
diseases and pharmacology. has been beneficial and means that I can very
quickly establish rapport and build effective
2008 - 2011 BSc(Hons) Biology
working relationships.
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL

MY CV HAS LOTS OF WORK I HAVE LITTLE OR NO

EXPERIENCE/MANY DIFFERENT WORK EXPERIENCE.
TYPES OF JOBS. HOW DO I PRESENT THIS?
HOW DO I PRESENT THIS? ‘Work experience’ is your experience of work. This
There are several ways of approaching this. You could doesn’t only mean paid work. Include voluntary work
just list all the jobs but not write any information under and other unpaid work under this heading. Highlight any
each one. Perhaps include a list of skills at the end. You project work, assignments, extended research essays
could take any relevant jobs out of the list and put them you have done as part of your degree or masters course
in a separate section and list the remaining jobs without in a separate section called ‘Project Work’ or ‘Research
writing anything about them. Projects’. This will be especially relevant if you are doing
a vocational course or if your degree/masters is relevant
to the role you are applying for. If your degree/course is
not relevant you may want to opt for a skills based CV
SUMMER 2005 BT
and focus on your transferable skills from all aspects of
Temporary Administrative Assistant your life e.g. skills gained from your academic studies or
your sporting/recreational activities/committee work.
SUMMER ’06 & 07 BARCLAYS
Helpdesk Administrator
MY CV IS MORE THAN TWO PAGES
SUMMER 2008 MERCERS
Edit it. Your CV is not a detailed list of everything you
Assistant to Senior Partner (Pensions) have ever done. It should be tailored to each job you
SUMMER 2009 COUTTS are applying. This means you can give less detail or
Administrative Assistant omit certain information/sections. Think about what the
I gained a wide range of skills from my various person reading your CV will be most interested in. Go
administrative roles including effective time through your CV highlighting this information and edit
management, team work and customer the remaining less relevant information. Omit things that
service. Working in many different work are a long time ago (e.g. exclude things from school such
environments has been beneficial and means as prizes or awards or sporting activities/positions of
that I can very quickly establish rapport and responsibility) if you have been active in extracurricular
build effective working relationships. activities while at university. Collate together less relevant
temporary or vacation jobs

CVs 13
CVS FOR ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH JOBS
Academic CVs, used to apply for jobs as a lecturer or as supervision and any assessment responsibilities.
a researcher in higher education, are different from CVs Describe any teaching in other departments or outside
used to apply for employment elsewhere. An academic university.
CV should focus on your academic achievements and
research experience. Devote less space to any work Administrative experience
experience that is not relevant. Describe any responsibility for administrative activity
within a department (e.g. admissions, schools liaison,
Although the most important information should be examinations etc.) or within the university (e.g.
contained within the first two pages, academic CVs can committees, personal tutoring etc.)
be longer than the normal two sides of A4. They are
usually in reverse chronological style (i.e. most recent Professional memberships
first). The audience for your academic CV will be familiar List membership of any professional bodies or learned
with the technical language of your discipline; talk about societies, and your level of membership.
your research in these terms. Your CV may also be read
by non-specialists; write with clarity and avoid jargon. Conference and seminar attendance
Details of any conferences attended, at which you have
There is no fixed format, but you can use these headings presented papers or delivered poster presentations.
as a guide.
Prizes, funding and awards
Personal Details Any bursaries, scholarships or other sources you were
See the previous guidance awarded for research projects, or to attend meetings or
conferences.
Education/ Qualifications
- state the name of the university and the class achieved. Other work experience
Include details about your first degree and masters This section is optional.
if relevant. Include a summary of your dissertation, if
relevant. Give a brief description of your PhD thesis. Additional skills
An additional skills section for languages, IT and other
Research interests and experience skills-related courses you have attended, such as
Briefly outline your research interests. Give the name presentation skills, report writing or project management.
of your doctoral supervisor and funding body (if any).
Describe the aims and responsibilities of your research Referees
and your achievements so far. Include techniques you Provide at least two academic referees; one should
have used relevant to the job to which you are applying be from your current or most recent research/ course
e.g. using lab equipment, scientific techniques, data supervisor and another from your first degree or Masters.
analysis software or quantitative/ qualitative research Consider an employment-based referee if your research
methods. Include skills you have developed relevant to has been carried out in collaboration with industry, or a
the job. third referee who can comment about your transferable
skills and personal qualities.
Publications
Depending on how many publications you have, either
include each one or highlight the most relevant and
provide a full list in an appendix. Include journal articles,
VISIT
books or chapters of books, reports and patents. Vitae.ac.uk for information on structuring
Consider subheadings (e.g. ‘published’, ‘in press’, your CV to apply for research jobs
‘conference proceedings’ etc.).
outside academia; the commercial or
Teaching experience public sector, research jobs outside your
Include teaching (i.e. the design, delivery and evaluation research area or jobs which are not
of a course), student demonstrating e.g. in the lab or research-based.
on field work, seminar or tutorial leading, research

14
CVs 15
CAREERS & EMPLOYABILITY
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