CV Basics

Prepare for your future …

5.

CV Basics Key points to help you create an effective Curriculum Vitae Prepare for your future today ….

CAREERS TEAM\Publications (in-house) 2013-2014\ 5. CV Basics.doc - updated Mar 2014

A message about CV Basics: Our aim through CV Basics is to provide you with key points when starting to create a winning CV. We also recommend you look at a range of examples. Good places to do this would be http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/cv/cvexamples Good luck!

If you require a copy of this publication in large print or another format, please enquire at Careers Reception.

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© Copyright licensed to the University of Central Lancashire

Careers Team University of Central Lancashire Revised 2014/Version 1

Prepare for your future today ….

CAREERS TEAM\Publications (in-house) 2013-2014\ 5. CV Basics.doc - updated Mar 2014

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To request permission to reproduce any text from this booklet for commercial purposes contact: careers@uclan.ac.uk

Purpose - what is a CV? The term Curriculum Vitae means ‘Course of Life’. A CV is not simply a list of your experiences and achievements; it is your personal marketing tool and the first thing an employer will know about you. A CV is never ‘finished’, it is always a work in progress which needs to be tailored to the particular job which you are applying for.

It’s a tool you use to ‘sell’ yourself, your skills and your abilities and should focus on your strengths, not drawing attention to any weaknesses and changing as you progress through your working life.

CV Styles There is a variety of styles which can be used depending upon your past history and current situation. For some jobs, a skills-based CV may be the better choice, whilst on other occasions it may be more suitable to use a reverse chronological (most recent education/qualifications, work experience first) or combine the two styles to create a hybrid one. Remember, whichever style you use, you must tailor it to the job you are applying for.

Presentation - what should it look like?

No more than 2 sides of A4 in a clear font, preferably 11 or 12 point. Employers may only spend seconds looking at it, so presentation matters. Use underlining and bold for emphasis but don’t go overboard or nothing will stand out. Clear font, spacing and concise, easy to read text are essential (bullet points can help) – hopefully a bit like this document! Keep dates listed on the same side of the page for your education and work experience – it means they are easier to follow, and employers like a clear sequence of dates. Use a consistent approach throughout.

The Content - what goes in it?

A CV should usually be written in the third person ( ie. not using ’I’). It needs strong language – you never just do something, you do it well, or effectively, or you are highly skilled in … There is a list of ‘power words’ as well as general advice about CV writing at http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cvs.htm .

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Personal Details;

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Personal Profile;

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Education and Qualifications;

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Employment History;

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Skills Profile;

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Interests and Achievements;



Referees.

Prepare for your future today ….

CAREERS TEAM\Publications (in-house) 2013-2014\ 5. CV Basics.doc - updated Mar 2014

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The key sections you should include, but not necessarily in this order, are:

Also, consider the following sections which may be relevant, more appropriate and draw attention to specific aspects of you: 

Additional or Professional Qualifications;



Personal Achievements;

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Extracurricular activities;

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Additional Personal Details.

What does each section cover?

Personal Details: Your name, address (both home and term time if necessary), phone numbers and sensible/professional email address. You don’t have to put your date of birth unless you want to.

If your name isn’t sex specific, eg. Alex, or if your name is foreign or unusual, you might want to state gender. This is optional and entirely up to you.

You might want to include nationality if there is any possibility that employers would query your right to work in the UK. International students should clarify their visa status; if you have permission to work in the UK it might help to write, ‘No work permit required’.

Personal Profile A maximum of 3 or 4 lines saying who you are in positive language, eg. ‘a motivated business studies undergraduate with excellent communication skills’, and what you are looking for, eg. ‘a challenging role or an opportunity to use (certain) skills’. Refer to relevant experience, if you have any.

Education and Qualifications You need to list the dates of your study, the institution, and the qualification. may want to put some in bold or underline them, to stand out on the page.

You

Start with your most recent achievement, including your current studies, and work backwards. If possible, give an estimated grade, eg. 2:2 (predicted).

Focus on the areas of your studies, including transferable skills, which are relevant to the jobs for which you are applying.

‘8 GCSEs (grades A-C), including English, maths and science’.

Prepare for your future today ….

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To save space, you can list your A levels and GCSEs across the page.

It is not necessary to list all your GCSEs, so you might want to say:

When listing any overseas qualifications you should indicate what educational level is equivalent in the UK. If you aren’t sure you can check with UK Naric at www.uknaric.org.uk .

Employment History Again, clearly list the dates, the employer name and job title, starting with the most recent and work backwards.

As well as listing the actual tasks you undertook, try to include the skills and abilities that you developed in each role.

You can include any unpaid, voluntary work.

Include what is relevant, but if you have lots of experience you may just want to include the most recent, or group items together under a heading, for example, ‘Vacation Work’.

You can also list things like ‘career break while raising family’ or ‘actively job seeking’.

Skills Profile This is a major section for selling yourself and what you have to offer to an employer.

It helps to think about the roles you hope to go into, research the skills required, and then try to match those skills.

There are lots of possibilities to choose from, eg. Communication, Teamwork, Organisational, Analytical, Leadership, Creativity, Technical, Project Management, IT, Commercial Awareness etc., but it does depend on what you want to emphasise.

You need to give substantial evidence for each skill listed, citing specific situations where you have gained/enhanced/applied them, preferably giving positive outcomes.

Evidence can come from a range of sources, eg. academic background, work experience, volunteering, interests, extracurricular activities, etc. In fact, it is better to use examples from different situations rather than rely totally on your course.

Interests and Achievements Here you can include things like having a driving licence, first aid qualifications, having been a prefect, and/or having run the family home on a small budget, etc. Try not to rely too heavily on ‘old’ information from schooldays.

Referees You should include the name, job title and contact details for each referee, preferably one academic and one work-related.

If you are short of space, it is acceptable to say: ‘References available upon request’.

Prepare for your future today ….

CAREERS TEAM\Publications (in-house) 2013-2014\ 5. CV Basics.doc - updated Mar 2014

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You should also describe any hobbies and interests. Employers want to have some idea of the sort of person you are.

What layout to choose?

You might want to write each of the above sections before deciding where to put them on the pages. Decide what you want to highlight. In a UK CV it is usual to have your personal details at the top of the first page, and your referees at the bottom of the second.

The most prominent spaces on the page are the middle/top of the first page, and the top of the second, so avoid putting the bits you want an employer to focus on at the bottom of the second page.

Ideally, try not to have one section starting on the first page and continuing on to the second.

Further Information: There is more information about CV writing http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cvs.htm.

on

the

Prospects

website

at

The Futures website contains a range of careers booklets, offering advice and tips to help you, at www.uclan.ac.uk/careers . You can also find information on the site about relevant events, elective modules and workshops.

You might also want to check out the recorded online events, covering a number of topics at www.uclan.ac.uk/futuresondemand .

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Final tip At UCLan Careers, we will be happy to give you further, personal advice about how to improve your CV. Just put a draft together and contact us on 01772 895858 or call in at Careers Reception. You can also use our e-guidance system on the UCLan Careers website to send it to us for checking.

Prepare for your future today ‌.

CAREERS TEAM\Publications (in-house) 2013-2014\ 5. CV Basics.doc - updated Mar 2014