CVs

The goal of a CV and its cover letter is to get you to an interview: for a speculative application, it is to encourage the reader to respond positively.

Remember, recruiters usually review CVs very quickly – perhaps only 10–20 seconds – and so CVs have a certain style all of their own. The primary challenge is to make it easy for the recruiter to find exactly what they are looking for. Focus on their core requirements and adjust or adapt your CV for each specific application.

Getting ready to create your CV

•Create your long list of all your experience, achievements and key dates. Transferable skills are developed and demonstrated in diverse situations, so include: • • • • Educational achievements, prizes, awards. Voluntary, paid and unpaid work experience. Involvement in societies, sports and clubs. Additional interests and skills (eg. languages; IT skills; music). • For each application, identify the skills and competencies required. • Select your most relevant experiences to demonstrate the skills and competencies required for the role. • Select your format – for most graduate positions, a standard reverse chronological format is recommended (see Siân Magellan’s CV). • Consider which headings are most useful to present your experience most effectively: • • • EDUCATION will normally be at the top. EXPERIENCE rather than ‘Employment’. headings such as ‘POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY’ or ‘AWARDS’ can signal other important information. • INTERESTS or OTHER INTERESTS AND SKILLS should be included to indicate extra-curricular activities and diverse talents. This section might include sub-headings such as Languages; IT Skills; Sports; and Music.

There are four key characteristics of CVs that work well

Relevance

•Content is relevant to the position applied for – this is not a list of everything that you’ve done. • Content highlights your personal contribution.

Clarity

•A well laid out CV is inviting to read and easy to scan quickly. • Use simple language – avoid jargon, acronyms and technical details that may not be understood or provide too much detail. • A standard reverse chronological format helps recruiters as they know where to find what they are looking for.

Evidence based

•Provide evidence of your contribution and impact. • Focus on ‘actions taken’ rather than

‘responsibilities’ to showcase your skills. • Use numbers, percentages and values to quantify your impact and give a sense of scale to your actions. • Avoid unsupported assertions or opinions.

Brevity

• • Avoid paragraphs, as these are slow to read. Use bullet points to package information succinctly. • Avoid too much context, excessive detail or unfocused material that will dilute the impact of your most relevant messages.

Other forms of CV

Some roles may allow for, or invite, a different form of CV.

Creative CVs

If you are applying for a ‘creative’ role, in advertising or design for example, they may look favourably upon an infographic or otherwise visually unusual CV. This allows you to project something of your style and personality and can demonstrate your ability and skill communicating information clearly in a creative and striking way.

Academic CVs

There is no upper limit on the number of pages expected in a CV for an academic post. Information should still be relevant, brief, evidence based and clearly presented. If applying for a postdoc, fellowship, lectureship or research assistant post, make sure your CV has: • Sections for professional memberships, publications, and conference presentations/posters. • A focus on areas specific to academia, such as research experience, teaching experience and any university/college administration or committee work. • Details of successful bids for awards, grants and collaborations. • Referee details – usually three – ideally academics who both know you and are recognised in your field.

It can take a number of revisions before you are happy with your CV, and getting a second opinion can be very helpful. It might all make perfect sense to you, but you could be surprised by the things that others may question or not understand. Ask a friend to check it or meet a careers adviser for feedback.

Final checks

Once you think your CV is ready, we recommend a few final checks: • First, ensure that you are putting forward your best case – that everything included is relevant.

Applications outside the UK

Expectations and conventions for what is acceptable in a CV varies between countries: eg, a photograph is never included in a resume for the USA, but is expected on a German CV. If applying outside the UK, research country-specific current practice, starting with: • • Our advice on Working in Different Countries GoinGlobal country reports, free to use via . www.careers.ox.ac.uk/goinglobal. • Second, always check carefully for errors and typos – many recruiters dismiss well qualified candidates if there is even one typo in the CV, cover letter or application form! • Finally: • Hold your CV at arms-length – does it look easy to read? • • Fold it vertically and scan the left side in 10 seconds: • Will the reader get the gist of your application? • Are your strongest skills immediately visible? Check for jargon and acronyms, and over-long bullets – edit vigorously. • Is it the right length? • Some employers (eg, investment banks) expect just one page. • Aim for a maximum of two pages, except for an academic CV.

Finally, finally!

Take a good break and then proofread – yes, again! – double checking for errors and typos. Save your CV as a PDF to ensure it keeps its beautiful formatting when you send it.

More information and examples

www.careers.ox.ac.uk/cvs

Comments on Siân Magellan’s CV

Overall

• • Looks easy to read. Text and dates aligned, no full-stops and plenty of ‘white space’ around text. • Consistent use of headings, capitals and bold text provide clear signposting. • No jargon or acronyms that may muddle understanding. • Numbers, percentages and values add clarity and give a sense of scale.

Bullet points

Separate bullet points cover a single idea, skill or activity.

Note: Siân has used Context, Action, Results (CAR) as a structure for her Experience section. • Context: Dates, organisation name and positions/role give sufficient context. • Action: Bullets start with active verbs/skills, aligning these to left margin for ease of scanning. • Results: Outcomes included to show how and where Siân added value.