JOBSHOP
CVs and covering Letters Introduction Your CV is a fact-based document, a concise summary of your skills, experience and education. Your CV is an employer’s first impression of you and on average they will make up their mind within 6 seconds. So first impressions really do count!
Types of CV There are different types of CV, the most common are: Chronological CV
Skill Based CV
Academic CV
The Chronological CV is the easiest to create and a good place to start.
The skill based CV is particularly useful when you are applying for a specific job as it highlights relevant skills and experience.
The academic CV is particularly useful if you are applying for research roles
CV Content Style and Grammar § Be concise and adopt a professional tone. § Be consistent with your font choice and size. Use bold, spaces, indents. Be careful not to use too much italics or underlining as this can make the CV looked cluttered and difficult to read. § Do not reduce your font size below 10. § Check your spelling and grammar. Guides to spelling and grammar are available from Learning Developments; free guides also available from the Plain English Campaign - www.plainenglish.co.uk Implement Key Words Employers have a check list and you need to ensure you ‘tick’ each box. As with an application form, you need to make your CV specific to the job/type of job you are applying for. Be specific when talking about your skills or qualifications. Editing § Leave enough time for editing. § Your CV should be no more than two sides of A4. Choose carefully your examples and use your language to convey concisely your skills and abilities. § Spell check. § Ask someone else to re-read and check for errors.