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How to write a great CV
- Starting your graduate job hunt
- What is the right graduate career for me?
- Get a job - life outside the graduate training scheme
- How to handle online applications
- How to write a great covering letter
- How to write a great CV
- Job interviews - how to shine on the hot seat
- How to impress at a selection centre
- Why work experience adds up to more opportunities
- Work placements and internships - get in before you graduate
A good CV promotes the skills, knowledge and experience an applicant can bring to a job. Follow these guidelines to sell your attributes to recruiters effectively.
Get it all covered
There are no hard and fast rules, but most CVs are made up of the following sections (not necessarily in this order):
- personal details
- education
- work experience
- specific skills (such as languages or IT)
- interests and activities
- referees.
Target the information
Remember that an employer will read your CV with one thought in mind: 'Why should I employ this graduate?' Don't be tempted to include information that isn't relevant to that employer. If you want an IT job and you have good computer skills, include them. If you studied painting at night school, leave it out, unless you are applying for a job as a painter.
Get the length right
Employers will not read your CV if it is longer than two pages. Beware of listing lots of information vertically (such as GCSE grades), or waffling.
Prioritise relevant information
Busy employers may not even make it to the second page of a CV if there's nothing relevant on the first page. So cover the most relevant thing you have to offer (perhaps your degree or work experience) early in your CV. This often means listing information in reverse-chronological order.
Go into detail
If you worked in a team on a project, how big was the team? If you were responsible for a student society budget, how much money was involved?
Draw attention to your skills
Transferable skills, such as organisation, teamwork, and time-management, are important, but always use evidence to back up your claims, rather than simply listing lots of skills. Use proactive words, such as negotiated and organised, to explain your role in different activities.
Appearance matters
The information in your CV should be consistent and presented in clear, distinct sections. Check and double check for spelling and grammatical errors (don't rely on a computer spell checker). Use good-quality white or off-white paper and present each page on a different sheet of paper, not back to back.
Leave it out!
You can safely omit:
- listing every GCSE subject and degree module
- outdated/irrelevant awards and achievements
- marital status, gender and age
- 'Curriculum Vitae' at the top of the page - you could replace this with your name.