A CV (or Curriculum Vitae) is a personal marketing tool which communicates your academic qualifications, work experience, skills and achievements to potential employers. The main aim of the CV is to highlight your relevant strengths and experience which make you suitable for the role, in order to be invited to interview.
Although many larger graduate recruiters now favour an online application form (covered in the next folder in the Toolkit, below), many still use the more traditional CV and cover letter. It is more common for small to medium sized employers to request a CV and cover letter, while you will also use these documents when applying speculatively.
In this section we are going to think about what makes an effective CV and cover letter – with a focus on layout, structure and content.
The CVs we will be looking at are aimed at jobs in the UK – if you are applying for jobs overseas the style of CV might differ. We will cover international CVs briefly later in the section.
Tailoring your CV
We talked in the previous section (Preparing for Application) about the importance of fully understanding the job advert. This will help you look at the job from a recruiters perspective. Doing this can really help you tailor your CV and target it to the specific job – a crucial step in making your CV effective.
Have a look at the following video to learn how you can master this vital aspect of CV writing.
Subtitles are available by pressing CC while you can watch in full screen by pressing the square brackets icon. The video is 5 minutes 30 seconds long
CV Content
In the previous section we looked at the importance of tailoring your CV to the specific job. But what should be put in a CV and what should it look like?
There is no standard format of what a CV should look like or should include (ideally it will be personal to you), however there are a number of helpful rules that, if you apply, will make your CV effective.
You will find many templates online, but be careful, as there is huge variation in their quality and suitability. In the UK it is standard practice for a CV to be 2 pages of A4 and it is this format that we will be focusing on here. Variations to this will be explained briefly later in the section.
In terms of content there is certain information that must be included:
- Name and contact details
- History of Education
- Work Experience
- Evidence of skills
Outside of this there is more personal scope to be creative with your content but the following infographic highlights effective structure, layout and content for a CV.
Some considerations for layout:
- If you are a career changer and have come back to university, or you are a graduate who has been working for a period of time, then it might be that you want to put more emphasis on your work experience. In these cases switching the order of work experience and education would be beneficial, giving more importance to your work by including it first.
- If you have some experience in the industry or sector you are applying to then it can help make an impact by highlighting this more – splitting your work experience section into a ‘industry/sector experience’ and ‘other’ experience helps draw attention to your most relevant jobs/internships/volunteering.
- There is no hard and fast rule for what the titles to the ‘additional information’ are – you can use this title or adjust according to the type of content you are highlighting.
Top Ten CV Hacks
Top Ten CV hacks
To aid you in building a highly effective CV watch the video below for some essential tips.
Click the Play button to start the video. Subtitles are available by clicking the CC icon while you can watch on full screen by clicking the square brackets icon on the right-side of the toolbar. The video is 4 min 36 seconds long.
Types of CV
The CVs we have looked at so far are aimed at the majority of employers in the UK – but sometimes you will be required to take a different approach. Here are some examples of the different types of CV you might encounter.
Academic
If applying for jobs within academia (eg research or teaching jobs in higher education) then you should look to use an academic-based CV. This can be longer than the 2-page CV we have been talking about here and will include full details of your academic journal and book publications, lists of your conference presentations and detailed overviews of your research and/or teaching experience.
Here is an example:
Creative
There are some great examples online of graduates who have taken the creative approach and produced high quality printed design CVs, YouTube videos and even viral web campaigns to get hired. In some industries this practice is the norm e.g. architecture, where as well as producing a portfolio of work, a creative approach can really show off your design skills.
There are some great examples of creative CVs online; have a look at this Pinterest board with some links for you to explore and gain further insight with this fantastic Creative CV guide.
The creative approach can be risky in an industry where this is not something they are used to – so always seek advice.
For more information this hand-out has some hints and tips – Creative Applications 2018.pdf
International
In the toolkit so far we have been looking at CVs for the UK market but if you are looking to apply for jobs overseas then you might be required to do something different. This varies widely – in some places a photograph is required, while length can vary from a 1-page resume style to a CV with multiple pages.
Always check that the style you use is compatible with the country you are applying within.
Useful resources for this include Prospects Working Abroad and GoinGlobal
Skills-based CV
Sometimes you might find yourself applying for jobs where you don’t have lots of direct experience, especially when undergoing a career change. In these circumstances it can be a great idea to use a skills-based CV.
A skills-based CV focuses far more on the specific skills outlined in the job advert with comprehensive evidence presented for each. Think of it a bit like having an extended and more comprehensive key skills section with less emphasis on things like previous work experience and education.
For an example have a look at Prospects Skills-based CV