A CV (curriculum vitae) is a presentation tool that highlights your skills and experiences to an employer or university admissions tutor. The worlds of work and academia are competitive to enter and decisions are continually being made about who should be appointed to fill vacancies. A good CV will ensure that your strengths are recognised and should also assure you of an interview for the role or position for which you are applying.
Purpose
Although graduate recruiters and universities use online application systems when recruiting, there are still many times when CVs are requested as part of the application process. These include:
- Applications to small to medium sized employers and for those working in niche employment sectors.
- Universities when recruiting students for Ph.D.s and other higher level programmes of study.
- Speculative employment applications.
- Applications for some internships or for work experience.
An up to date CV is a useful document to have to give out to employers at careers fairs and similar recruitment events. Any portfolio of your academic and work experience should also include your up to date CV.
Key points
To make your CV effective, you need to be aware of the following points:
- Start by targeting your CV by finding out what the employer or university is seeking and ensuring that you show you have those skills and experiences.
- Keep to two sides of good quality paper and use font size 11 or 12.
- Be clear and concise. The reader may have very little time in which to read many CVs, so messages have to be succinct and informative.
- Use reverse chronological order in each section (i.e., present your most recent experiences first).
- Avoid using long paragraphs of text – shorter sections are easier to read.
- Avoid gaps. If, for example, you have travelled for six months, add it to your CV because the reader will want to know what skills you have acquired from your experiences.
- Use an uncluttered style. Bold or underlining can help to highlight sections or important information but don’t overuse such formatting.
- Check your spelling and grammar carefully and do not rely on spell check.