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CV’S AND LETTERS TO EMPLOYERS
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to CV‟s and Letters to Employers, one of several Futures workbooks
which help students choose and prepare for their careers. Like the other
workbooks in the series you can dip in and out doing the exercises which are most
relevant to you. You might want to include the exercises or the output in your
personal development plan or e-portfolio.
Contents
WHAT IS A CV FOR ................................................................................................... 3
CHRONOLOGICAL CV EXAMPLE ............................................................................. 4
SKILLS CV EXAMPLE ................................................................................................ 6
LAYOUT, PRACTICALITIES ..................................................................................... 12
SKILL SECTION ........................................................................................................ 14
HOW TO AVOID USING CLICHÉS, ......................................................................... 17
EXAMPLE CV’S ........................................................................................................ 21
SUPPORT FOR YOUR REFEREES .......................................................................... 24
SPECULATIVE LETTERS ........................................................................................ 37
CV CHECKLIST ......................................................................................................... 40
However, the important point to stress here is that these are just
examples; there is no perfect way of writing a CV which suits all
situations. Your CV has to reflect your skills and personality. It has to be
your voice that speaks from the pages. If you copy someone else’s CV,
you run the risk of not allowing your voice and personality to emerge.
There are a number of exercises for you to do. Don‟t be tempted to skip these
exercises, as these will be important in focusing your attention on these elements
and helping to clarify your skills and personal qualities.
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SECTION 1: WHAT IS A CV FOR?
A CV is a self marketing tool – it is for you to sell yourself to an employer.
IT IS USEFUL TO HAVE A CV READY
To give to employers whilst on placement and as a speculative application tool.
It is estimated that one third of jobs are filled by people who send in a
CV to an employer in an enquiring and speculative way.
TYPES OF CV
Most CVs written by graduates fall into two main types:
Chronological Skills based (or Functional)
The chronological CV lists Skills based CVs emphasise and
education and work experience in focus on skills and strengths in
reverse chronological order. This the first part of the CV.
is the most traditional form of CV They are particularly useful if you
and is effective if you have a want to highlight specific skills
steady and unbroken record of you have that may not be obvious
progression through education in a chronological CV; for example
and/or work. It can be used if a graduate with a degree or
there is an obvious relationship experiences that may not
between degree studies and the obviously connect with a
job applied. particular job vacancy.
Both CVs will give information on skills, but a skills-based CV will put
more emphasis on this (see following examples).
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EXAMPLE OF A CHRONOLOGICAL CV
This is an example of a student who is graduating and who is looking for a job
that connects with the subject of his degree. He presents his information in a
chronological way and emphasises experience and skills in a way that is relevant
to administration or IT careers.
GULREZ AKHTAR
Email: G.Akhtar@topmail.com
Mobile: 01797 395786
Home Address: Term time Address:
29 Wickham Avenue 11 Spring Road
Derby Pudsey
DE6 8SU Leeds
tel. 01332 866756 LS28 9LG
tel. 0113 236 0440
EDUCATION
2007-2010: Leeds Metropolitan University BSc (Hons) COMPUTER SYSTEMS
ADMINISTRATION (2.1 expected).
Skills gained from the course:
system and network capacity planning
hardware, operating systems and software management
developing administration policy
interface design
ethics and data integrity and data security studies.
The stock control system in a local cash & carry store was studied for a final
year project; I was able to make recommendations for streamlining the
system for ordering stock. This will save them time and money by reducing
the number of returns involved.
1996-2003: Thomas Wright Comprehensive School, Derby
A Levels: Computing (B), Economics (C), Business Studies (C)
GCSEs: 8 subjects, all passed at grade B or above, including English and
Maths.
WORK EXPERIENCE
continued
2003 - present time, Team Supervisor (part-time) W H Smith, Pudsey
Throughout my degree I have worked in a retail store to supplement my
income; promoted last year to team supervisor and have enjoyed the extra
responsibility involved.
(1)
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VOLUNTARY WORK
Between October 2007 and June 2008, I worked as a volunteer in a local
primary school, helping children with their reading and encouraging them to
use the classroom computers to improve their literacy skills.
I gained a great deal of satisfaction out of helping the children and skills gained
from this included:
Listening Skills and Problem Solving
listening to the children and finding out what problems they were
having with reading;
Verbal Communication
demonstrating how to get the best results from the computer, which
also involved: managing a large group of children to ensure all had the
opportunity to try thee activities.
INTERESTS
SPORT
Enjoy all team sports and play football and cricket at university and have
helped organise venues and fixtures and taken the initiative to arrange social
events for the team.
COMPUTING
My long-term interest in computing was the driving force behind my application
to university. In addition to the final year project described earlier (see
„Education‟) I designed a web site for my brother-in-law to promote and
support his business.
He is now able to advertise his business more widely and can organise and
catalogue customer records in a more efficient way. This has had the impact of
increasing his sales by a third over the last twelve months.
REFERENCES
Dr. Joanne Brown Mr David Boyle
Senior Lecturer Manager
Leeds Metropolitan University W H Smith
Innovation North Albion Place
Calverley St Leeds LS1 2EC
Leeds LS1 3HE
This was an example of a conventional chronological based CV. However, if Gulrez
wanted to break into a career area unrelated to his degree studies, he might want
to adopt another more functional or skills based style of CV writing – see next
example.
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EXAMPLE OF A SKILLS BASED CV
In the previous example, Gulrez presented his history in a chronological way. He
listed his education and work experiences, and gave brief details of skills gained
from these.
He studied an IT related subject and the chronological approach and the skills
emphasised connect with jobs related to his studies.
The chronological CV would therefore work well for Gulrez if he sought work in a
business or IT related field – although he would almost certainly need to adapt it
to the needs of a particular employer. He might, for example, emphasise certain
aspects of his studies, skills or work experience according to the specific
requirements of a particular company.
So the CV shown could be a basic template for Gulrez that could be adapted to a
particular job vacancy.
But…
Let us assume Gulrez has decided that he wants to move into a career direction
unrelated to his degree studies.
Let us imagine he wants to gain employment when he graduates as a learning
mentor in a secondary school (remember he enjoyed the voluntary work he did
during his course).
The problem with the chronological approach in this situation is that employers,
faced with a large pile of CVs to read, will only spend 30 seconds on the first read
before deciding to shortlist or dump it.
The busy employer might look at the first page, note the degree subject, make
immediate assumptions about the candidate - and not look beyond the labels and
the dates presented.
So Gulrez could adopt a different approach: one that started with a detailed
account of his skills relevant to mentoring. This would have the impact of focusing
the employer‟s attention immediately on Gulrez‟s social skills.
There are many different ways that Gulrez could do this, and the example on the
next page is just one of many approaches that could be taken.
You can experiment with different approaches and formats until you produce a CV
that feels right, looks good to you and is suitable for the vacancy.
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GULREZ AKHTAR
Email: G.Akhtar@topmail.com
Mobile: 01797 395786
Home Address: Term time Address:
29 Wickham Avenue 11 Spring Road
Derby Pudsey
DE6 8SU Leeds
tel. 01332 866756 LS28 9LG
tel. 0113 236 0440
I am a confident, sociable person with experience of leading others.
This experience includes mentoring in a local school, supervisory
work for a major retail chain store and active involvement in team
sports.
EXPERIENCE SKILLS/PERSONAL QUALITIES
MENTORING & COACHING Skills and qualities developed:
Between October 2007 and June
2008 I worked as a volunteer listening and verbal
mentor in a local school, working communication
alongside staff, helping and
encouraging the pupils with their demonstrating and
reading and showing them creative coaching skills
ways of using computers to
improve their communication teamwork
skills.
SALES WORK persuasiveness and
For the last three years I worked leadership
part-time at W H Smith at Pudsey
and was recently promoted to written communication
team supervisor. The work
involves organising the part-time planning and organisation
work rotas for the team and
supervising team members in the
workplace.
TEAM SPORTS
Enjoy team sports and currently team working and
play cricket and football at organisational skills
university and helped organise
venues, fixtures, and social events taking initiatives: to
for the team. organise social events for
the team.
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EDUCATION
Page 2
2007-2010: Leeds Metropolitan University
BSc (Hons) computer systems administration (2.1 predicted).
Skills developed included system and network capacity planning,
hardware, operating systems and software management, developing
administration policy, interface design, ethics and data integrity and
data security studies.
2000-2007: Thomas Wright Comprehensive School, Derby
A Levels: Computing (B), Economics (C), Business Studies (C)
GCSEs: 8 subjects, all passed at grade B or above, including English and
Maths.
WORK EXPERIENCE
2007 - present time: Team Supervisor at W H Smith, Pudsey (see
previous page)
VOLUNTARY WORK
Between October 2007 and June 2009: volunteer in a local primary
school (see previous page)
INTERESTS
These include team sports (football and cricket) and computing. I recently
helped my brother-in-law set up a website for his business and helped him
to organise his customer base to improve his efficiency. This has helped
him increase his sales by a third over the last twelve months.
REFERENCES
Dr. Joanne Brown Mr David Boyle
Senior Lecturer Manager
Leeds Metropolitan University W H Smith
Innovation North Albion Place
Calverley St Leeds LS1 2EC
Leeds LS1 3HE
You have now seen two examples of CVs; two other examples are shown later.
But let us take a closer look at the elements that contribute to an effective CV.
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SECTION 2: FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Layout and Practicalities
Look at the following at the following extracts that are printed in different
typefaces. Which do you like best for legibility and appearance?
1. Between October 2004 and June 2005 worked 2. Between October 2004 and June
as a volunteer mentor in a local school, working 2005 worked as a volunteer mentor
alongside staff, helping and encouraging the in a local school, working
pupils with their reading and showing them alongside staff, helping and
creative ways of using computers to improve their encouraging the pupils with their
communication skills. reading and showing them creative
ways of using computers to
improve their communication
skills.
3. Between October 2004 and June 2005 4. Between October 2004 and June 2005
worked as a volunteer mentor in a local worked as a volunteer mentor in a local
school, working alongside staff, helping and school, working alongside staff, helping and
encouraging the pupils with their reading and encouraging the pupils with their reading and
showing them creative ways of using showing them creative ways of using
computers to improve their communication computers to improve their communication
skills. skills.
5. Between October 2004 and June 2005 6. Between October 2004 and June 2005 worked as a
volunteer mentor in a local school, working alongside
worked as a volunteer mentor in a local
staff, helping and encouraging the pupils with their
school, working alongside staff, helping and reading and showing them creative ways of using
encouraging the pupils with their reading computers to improve their communication skills.
and showing them creative ways of using
computers to improve their communication
skills.
7. Between October 2004 and June 2005 8. Between October 2004 and June
worked as a volunteer mentor in a local 2005 worked as a volunteer mentor in
school, working alongside staff, helping and a local school, working alongside staff,
encouraging the pupils with their reading and helping and encouraging the pupils with
showing them creative ways of using their reading and showing them
computers to improve their communication creative ways of using computers to
skills.
improve their communication skills.
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The visual impact of your CV will make an important contribution to how
closely it is read.
The eight extracts are examples of typefaces found on most Microsoft Word
programmes. Which did you like the best, in terms of legibility and attractiveness
on the page?
1 Times New Roman (size 12)
2 Courier New (size 11)
3 Arial (size 11)
4 Tahoma (size 11)
5 Comic Sans Ms (size 11)
6 Monotype Corsiva (14)
7 Georgia (11)
8 Verdana (size 11)
Comment
A comparison study in 2001, (Bernard et al 2001), found among participants that
examples (8) Verdana, (3) Arial and (5) Comic Sans Ms were the ones most
frequently selected for legibility and impact.
However, (1) Times New Roman and (2) Courier New were significantly perceived
as more „business like‟.
Aric Sigman, an American psychologist, who has made a study of the social and
emotional connotations of typefaces, recommends the use of Times New Roman,
in typeface size 11 or 12, for more conservative positions, or as a safe option. As
this typeface is the default setting for most Word based PCs, there are
connotations of familiarity and continuity associated with it.
However, Sigman feels that Verdana, Arial, Comic Sans or Tahoma can be used
„where a contemporary feel is desired‟. (Sigman 2001).
Both studies agree that the more ornate or flowery typefaces (example 6)
are not suitable for CVs, as they are more difficult to read quickly.
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Font
So, keep the typeface clear and simple. Don‟t forget too, if you e-mail your CV
you cannot guarantee the recipient‟s PC will be set for non-standard typefaces.
Also, if your CV is to be electronically scanned, it is better to keep the typeface
clear and simple, using standard typefaces. You could E mail your CV to yourself
to see if any formatting problems appear.
White Space
Try to build in as much white space on the page as you can. This makes it easier
on the eye and easier for the reader to pick out important details.
There has to be a balance struck between including lots of detail – which you will
be tempted to do – and making the detail jump out of the page at the reader.
Paper
Don‟t skimp on paper and envelopes. Pastel shades can look grey and dingy
when photocopied, so use white or near white A4 paper in the best quality you
can afford. Don‟t use cheap, thin paper as it will crease and look tatty.
Although your CV may be photocopied for inspection by a number of people, the
original is likely to be handled and read first by a person with the power to decide
whether it is photocopied – or dumped.
When posting your CV, don‟t fold it like a concertina. Either fold it once or use an
appropriately sized envelope, or enclose it unfolded within an A4 sized white
envelope.
To Boldly Go (or not)
Go easy on the bold in your text. Too much bold can defeat the purpose of using
it – which is to highlight things you want to emphasise.
The same applies to italics and underlining. Too many italicised words or phrases
can upset the easy flow of reading and break up the crisp lines of a sharp-looking
text.
Underlining words in a CV looks clumsy and is best avoided. Underlining also
photocopies badly and can be difficult for people with dyslexia to read.
So, avoid too many typographical tricks; let your words make your point.
Which leads us into the next section.............
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SECTION 3: WORDSWORTH
If your CV looks good, employers will be more inclined to read it. This is your
chance to grab and keep their interest.
To keep their interest one of the best ways of doing this is to include active verbs
(action words), as these convey an impression of energy and achievement.
An effective CV will often demonstrate four main types of past achievement when
you:
1. Showed initiative
2. Solved problems
3. Managed situations
4. Achieved targets
Think of action words you could use that connect with these four types of
achievement. Write them in the space below. An example of each has been
included to get you started. Some words can recur in different sections.
Showed Solved Managed Achieved
Initiative Problems Situations Targets
Created Advised Decided Accomplished
Now look at the next box.
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Showed Solved Managed Achieved
Initiative Problems Situations Targets
Created Advised Approved Accomplished
Designed Analysed Appraised Achieved
Engineered Combined Controlled Completed
Forecast Cut Decided Conducted
Formed Examined Developed Delivered
Generated Identified Directed Demonstrated
Improvised Investigated Drove Exceeded
Initiated Reduced Employed Improved
Invented Reorganised Guided Increased
Launched Resolved Headed Obtained
Originated Revised Implemented Produced
Pioneered Solved Inspired Promoted
Produced Streamlined Led Secured
Trimmed Managed Selected
Praised
Ran
Think of past situations when you have successfully accomplished tasks that
connect with these four achievements. If you have completed „Futures‟ workbook
„Your Skills‟, you may find the results of exercises there relevant to the tasks that
follow. Write sentences in the space below, using action words and positive
phrases. You may want to use the STAR system developed by Price Waterhouse
Cooper to assess candidates, to develop your examples.
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SECTION 4: Skills Section
Preparing a Skills Section for Your CV
A skill section is an opportunity to draw out the skills you have gained from work,
your course, volunteering and other activities. Try structuring your skills using the
STAR method developed by Price Waterhouse Cooper.
Think about A:
Situation, then the
Task, then your
Actions, and finally the
Result
An example is given of the STAR method of generating examples to use for your
skill section in your CV. Try generating examples you can use for the other
graduate level transferable skills identified (communication, team work) and then
identify three other skills required fir the work you want to enter. Think of STAR
examples to use for these too.
When you have completed the table you should be able to summarise the
examples if phrases such as these below, ready to put in your skill section.
Example Skill Section
Organisation: Whilst acting as a marketing manager for Leeds Met hockey
club, I organised a successful recruitment drive: printing flyers, arranging
volunteers to distribute these and putting in place free trial sessions to
welcome potential members. Membership increased by twenty per cent.
Communication: I lead seminars for undergraduate students. It is
essential that I listen carefully to establish their current knowledge and only
intervene when necessary to encourage them to consider other areas. My
performance in semester one led to an increased work load in semester
two.
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STAR
Skill to convey:
Situation -
____________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Task -
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Action -
____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Result -
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
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Employers are also interested in your personal qualities concerning:
Social interaction Flexibility
The way you interact with others in How you adapt to change and to
an effective way. demands made of you.
Write a sentence in the space below the Write a sentence in the space below(preferably
describes positively (preferably using an using an example) how you have adapted to
example) how you have interacted with others in change and to changing demands made of you
a positive way
Resilience Personal Motivation
How you deal with pressure or Your awareness of personal and
setbacks. career goals, and steps taken to
achieve these.
Write a sentence in the space below that
describes positively (preferably using an Write a sentence in the space below that
example) how you dealt with setbacks or describes your awareness for personal and
pressure career goals and steps taken to achieve
these(preferably using an example)
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Clichés, At the End of the Day
Did you include any of the following phrases in your examples?
At the end of the day
At this moment in time
thinking outside the box
24/7
address the issue
ballpark figure
basically
on a weekly basis
between a rock and a hard place
blue sky thinking
bottom line
glass half full (or half empty)
going forward
literally
move the goal-posts
ongoing
prioritise
touch base
value-added
You did? Oh dear!
The Plain English campaign asked 5000 of its supporters to nominate the phrases
that irritated them the most. "At the end of the day" was the clear winner!
Second place in the vote was shared by "At this moment in time" followed by
other phrases in the list above, many of which end up in CVs.
Spokesman, John Lister, for the Plain English Campaign, said over-used phrases
were a barrier to communication:
“When readers ... come across these tired expressions, they start tuning out
and completely miss the message - assuming there is one! Using these terms
... is about as professional as wearing a novelty tie or having a wacky ring
tone on your phone.”
These clichés can also annoy employers. It is a paradox that although jargon
and clichés are used often in the workplace, many employers don‟t like to see
them on CVs.
The Plain English Campaign, for example, reported that 60 per cent of IT
(information technology) employers surveyed thought phrases such as „thinking
outside the box‟ were the most irritating features of CVs (Plain English Campaign
2003).
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Thinking outside the cliché box
Originality of expression is central to good CV writing.
Using stale clichés can create a poor impression of your written communication
skills and can annoy employers.
The following are often found in CVs. Try and come up with an alternative using
plain English.
Cliché Your suggested alternative:
Thinking outside
the box
Joined-up thinking
Blue sky thinking
The bottom-line
is...
It‟s been a steep
learning curve for
me
The buck stops
with me
I‟m a hands-on
person
I have been at the
cutting edge...
See comments on the next page.
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Cliché Suggested alternative:
Thinking outside Thinking creatively; thinking differently
the box
Joined-up thinking A wider point of view
Blue sky thinking New ideas
The bottom-line The most important point is
is...
It‟s been a steep I learned quickly
learning curve for
me
The buck stops I am the person responsible
with me
I‟m a hands-on I enjoy solving practical problems
person
I have been on I have applied modern thinking and practices to...
the cutting edge... I have used the latest technology to…
Examples of positive phrases, avoiding clichés:
I was in charge of my own administration, including letter writing, contracts,
accounts, updating computer databases, answering the phone and much more.
I learned to defuse difficult situations in a diplomatic way.
I am very confident, use my initiative and work well within a group.
My ambition is to obtain a graduate trainee post to train for CIMA or ACA to
progress in a generalist managerial role.
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Effective Writing
Effective writing is plain, clear and concise. There are eight steps to effective
writing, including writing CVs.
B revity: aim for brevity in writing. Use short words rather than long and use
plain language. As you write, ask yourself „is there a shorter, plainer word
that means the same thing?‟ If so, use it.
A void tautology. If you use another word or words meaning the same thing in
a single sentence, that‟s tautology. Examples (in italics) include: new
innovation, added bonus, mutual co-operation, past history, going forward. It‟s
very easy to do this, but some employers will pounce on these as evidence of
careless writing.
C ut out superfluous words such as (in italics) advance planning; concrete
proposals; brand new. This will help to sharpen your writing.
T ry not to duplicate words in the same sentence or paragraph. This gives the
impression of poor vocabulary and lack of review of what you have written.
Look for alternatives in a Thesaurus.
U se active verbs that convey a sense of purpose, energy and action. Try and
use single syllable verbs if possible, for example, go, not proceed; send, not
transmit.
C orrect punctuation and good spelling is essential in any written document, but
especially in a CV. Watch out for „difficult‟ words, where there may be
inconsistencies, for example –ise or ize verb endings; -ise is mostly preferred in
the UK (e.g. prioritise).
W atch out for grammatical errors. However, you are allowed to „boldly go‟
sometimes, and split other infinitives too, if it sounds right and looks right
on the page. It is better to avoid doing so, but the editor of Fowler‟s Modern
English Usage, argues that „no absolute taboo‟ should be placed on this practice -
particularly when you want to project a natural voice to the reader.
R evise-rewrite; revise and rewrite. It is very easy to miss typing and other
mistakes, so read and re-read your text until you are satisfied. Even then, it
helps to let someone else look at it, as they will often spot mistakes that you have
missed.
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SECTION 5: THE RIGHT BLEND
So, assuming the CV looks good (see section 2) and the words keep the attention
of the reader (see section 3), what‟s next?
The important thing now is to think about what detail to include. Some
information obviously has to be included:
Obvious detail:
Nathalie Makin Name and address,
telephone number(s) and
Email address. Only use
Address: 20 Union Road an Email address that
New Mills you check regularly.
High Peak
SK22 4QP Be proud of your name
too, make it stand out
Phone: 01663 744409 (daytime) big and bold.
or 07999 663 554 (evening)
You can include your
date of birth if you wish,
E-mail address: makinnat@plainenglish.co.uk but there is no obligation
to do so.
Obvious detail:
Education and qualifications Education detail:
2006 to present Durham University, BA (Hons) List this in reverse
English (2.1 expected). chronological order, with
most recent education or
training detail first,
2005 to 2006 Dove Holes College, Buxton,
including qualifications
Access to Higher Education gained. You don‟t need to
course (A level equivalent): list all your GCSE or pre-
subjects included: English advanced level studies, but
literature, psychology, give results for key
sociology and history. subjects. You could also
include positions of
responsibility held and list
1994 to 2000 The Triardan School, New
other non-academic
Mills, 8 GCSEs including achievements.
Maths (A); English language Obvious detail:
(C); English literature (C).
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April 2004 to September 2005: Office assistant:
Andrew’s Solutions, New Mills
Work experience:
I helped to write courses, which are now used on
List in reverse
the Internet to train new staff. chronological order:
Provided quick and efficient help in letter writing, state dates employed
sending out important information, filing, faxing, and job title and give
finding valuable information on the Internet and details of main
much more. responsibilities held.
Always account for any
July 2000 to April 2004: Sales executive: The
gaps in employment or
Plexia Group PLC, Chinley between education &
employment.
Responsible for contacting and visiting existing,
potential and past customers throughout England.
Designed and wrote a new company leaflet. The
company sent this out to all potential customers in
the UK, helping to increase sales.
Organised and co-ordinated transport, planning
collections and deliveries for three vehicles.
I was in charge of my own administration: letter Stress any
writing, contracts, accounts, updating computer achievements
databases, answering the phone and much more.
January 1999 to July 2000 Bar person: The Dandy
Cock, Debley
Worked well under pressure at busy times Note use of
positive
Learned to defuse difficult situations in a
language in
diplomatic way. this section.
I gained good communication skills and performed
well within my work team.
(CV example adapted from Plain English Campaign from www.plainenglish.co.uk
website and used with their permission)
Futures: CV‟s and letters 22/45
This is an example of a CV created using software which uses a step by step
approach. Whilst this can be a quick way to create a document the software
makes everyone include the same detail whether it is relevant or not. A CV should
be a personal record and everyone‟s will be different. After considering the layout
and content here go to pages 24 and 25 which show an enhanced and
personalised version of Daniel‟s CV.
Example Microsoft Wizard CV
Curriculum Vitae
Daniel Burmatoft We know it‟s a CV, it
17 Sparrow Way would be preferable to
Leeds have Daniel‟s name here
LS16 4QP
No longer relevant due to age
Date of birth 27/2/85
discrimination legislation
Age: 24
Using up valuable space
Gender: Male these things do not sell
Daniel as a potential
Marital Status: Single employee.
Telephone: 0113 23232322
Email: danielburm@hotmail.com
Should be reverse
Education and Qualifications
chronological
2001-2007 William Wilberforce High, Hull
GCSE English E
GCSE French C
GCSE Maths C
GCSE dual Science CC Daniel has given most of his space to
GCSE Drama A his least relevant qualifications, he
GCSE Computing C could summarise GCSEs in a line or
GCSE Geography C two
GCSE History C
GCSE PE C
2003-2005 William Wilberforce High, Hull
A level Biology D
There is no need to
A level Sociology (C)
include details of failed
A level French (C)
qualifications
A level Maths (U)
Futures: CV‟s and letters 23/45
2007-2010 Leeds Metropolitan University BSc (Hons) Nursing
(2:1)
Daniel has told us very little of this most relevant
qualification. This section needs expanding
Employment
Barman The Blue Bull, Otley 2005 – present
This is a temporary part time post.
Care Assistant Netley Waterside House 2005-2007
Care home for ventilator dependant patients. I worked full time until
leaving to study nursing.
Referees
Mary Grimshaw
Leeds Metropolitan University
Room D204
Leeds
Who are these people? How are they
Francis Young competent to comment? Daniel should
The Blue Bull add their job titles or how he knows
Otley them.
LS21
Daniel has left a lot of space here. Whilst it is traditional in the UK to have
two page CV‟s, if you don‟t have enough information you can make it one
page.
Daniel may benefit from adding a skill section in however. See the next
page for an updated version of this CV
On the next page this version of Daniel‟s CV has been tailored to
emphasise his particular strengths and minimise his weaknesses. It
is also tailored to the specific job he hopes to enter.
Futures: CV‟s and letters 24/45
Daniel Burmatoft
17 Sparrow Way
Leeds
LS16 4QP
0113 23232322
danielburm@hotmail.com
Personal Profile
A keen nursing graduate with an interest in spinal care, demonstrated by
extensive work experience in this area. Enthusiastic and determined, I am
an effective problem solver as shown by my educational success despite a
late diagnosis of dyslexia.
Skills and Achievements
Communication
Strong verbal communication skills developed in care assistant role: this
role involves listening to and talking with clients with limited speech
and/ or brain injury.
Confident public speaker: I am a frequent contributor at seminar
sessions and have successfully led two seminar groups.
Team Work
Final year project involved effective team work. I worked with two
other final year students to develop a screening tool for assessing pain
experienced by paediatric spinal care patients post operatively. It was
essential the workload was managed effectively to ensure we all
contributed and utilised our strengths. I was responsible for making
initial contact with patients and staff members in order to collect data.
Working in a busy bar necessitates team work. The Blue Bull is small
but always busy and so we work as a team at all times, covering each
other for breaks; ensuring the whole bar and pub building is monitored
for problems; serving customers in a fair way.
Problem Solving
I have always been interested in spinal care and gaining a work
placement was difficult in this area. My dyslexia has led me to approach
people verbally wherever possible and by physically visiting spinal care
units and speaking with staff I was successful in gaining work
experience. I am the first person from my course ever to do so.
Computing
I am highly competent in the use of IT; I have a good working
knowledge of Excel, Access, Power Point, Word and SPSS. I have also
used many specific medical packages.
Futures: CV‟s and letters 25/45
Education and Qualifications
2001- 2009 Leeds Metropolitan University BSc (Hons) Nursing
(2:1)
I chose this course because of its holistic approach to nursing training:
covering areas around wellness in addition to as illness and the whole
framework of health and well being.
Placement One: Neuro Intensive Care, Leeds General Infirmary, due to
the nature of the nursing in this area my participation was limited, however
I learnt a great deal about the policies and procedures of the unit and in
particular how transition is handled when 1:1 care must be maintained.
Placement Two: A&E Department, Leeds General Infirmary, working in a
busy department in a city centre location provided a wide variety of
patients. I learnt to deal effectively with patients under great stress and
under the influence of drugs and alcohol. I developed confidence in my
ability to make accurate initial patient assessments.
2001-2007 William Wilberforce High, Hull A levels and GCSEs
Sociology, (C) Biology, (D) French (C)
Nine GCSEs (A-C) including dual science, computing and maths.
In 2005 I received the William Wilberforce award for most improved
student at the school.
Work Experience
Barman The Blue Bull, Otley 2005 – present
This is a temporary part time post.
Care Assistant Netley Waterside House 2005-2007
Care home for ventilator dependant patients. I worked full time until
leaving to study nursing.
Referees
Mary Grimshaw Francis Young
Principal Lecturer Bar Manager
Leeds Metropolitan University The Blue Bull
Room D204 Otley
Leeds LS21
Dissertation Supervisor Manager at part time job
Futures: CV‟s and letters 26/45
Other Sections
You could include other sections too, see examples below:
Further information
Fully competent in using Microsoft Office packages such as
Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
My keyboard skill is of a very high and fast standard (70 words
a minute).
I am very confident, use my initiative and work well within a
group.
Interests
Your interests can
Mountain biking and walking-I enjoy exploring
convey a sense of
and taking challenging routes.
you as a person.
Reading-from current affairs to novels.
Don’t be tempted to
Swimming-as relaxation.
invent interests to
impress employers –
be yourself.
Other sections that could be included:
Voluntary Work
Other Achievements
Personal and Professional Development
This is your CV; put your identity on it. You should also consider providing your
referee with more information to help them write your reference. Fill in the form
on the next page to help your referee.
Referees
You can give the names, addresses and contact details of two people in
responsible positions who know you well, or simply write „referees can be supplied
on request‟.
But check first with the people concerned to see if they are willing to be your
referee; never put them down as referees without their permission.
Futures: CV‟s and letters 27/45
SECTION 6: Information for your referee
Educational Attainments
Have you undertaken any studies, additional to your course work, whilst here at
the University? e.g. a language course, professional examinations, keyboarding
exams, evening classes. List them and if you feel it would be helpful, say why you
undertook them and what gained from them.
Work Experience
What experience of the workplace do you have? Did you work fulltime prior to
coming to the University? Have you worked as part of your course? Have you ever
worked during the holidays? Have you undertaken any voluntary work? Describe
what you learnt from this work
Futures: CV‟s and letters 28/45
Other Skills or Aptitudes
Do you have any special abilities which are unlikely to be known to your tutors or
that you would simply like to highlight?
Other Interests
How do you spend your time when you are not studying?
Describe those interests that might reveal something significant to an employer,
e.g. if you chaired or were the secretary of a club, put in a lot of time, took
initiative and/or responsibility, worked in or led a team, and generally any
contributions you have made.
Area of Work You Are Seeking
Indicate which career area/occupation you are hoping to enter and the kind of
employer you would like to work with. What are your long term ambitions?
Futures: CV‟s and letters 29/45
FUTURES YOUR CV
Bringing it together
You can arrange the information in a way that suits you or is best suited for
the type of position you are applying for (see earlier discussion in section 1).
The CV below is another example of a basic (chronological) CV.
Nathalie Makin
Address: 20 Union Road
New Mills
High Peak
SK22 4QP
Phone: 01663 744409 (daytime)
or 07999 663 554 (evening)
E-mail address: makinnat@plainenglish.co.uk
Education and qualifications
2008 to present:
to presen Durham University, BA (Hons) English (2.1 expected)
2007 to 2008
9 to 200 Dove Holes College, Buxton, Access to Higher Education course (A level equivalent):
subjects included: English literature, psychology, sociology and history.
2001 to 2007
The Triardan School, New Mills, 8 GCSEs including Maths (A); English language (C);
English literature (C).
Work experience
April 2007 to September 2008 Office assistant: Andrew’s Solutions, New Mills
I helped to write courses, which are now used on the Internet to train new staff.
I provided quick and efficient help in letter writing, sending out important
information, filing, faxing, finding valuable information on the Internet and
much more.
30
FUTURES YOUR CV
July 2004 to April 2007: Sales executive: The Plexia Group PLC, Chinley
Responsible for contacting and visiting existing, potential and past customers
throughout England.
Designed and wrote a new company leaflet. The company sent this out to all
potential customers in the UK, helping to increase sales.
Organised and co-ordinated transport, planning collections and deliveries for three
vehicles.
I was in charge of my own administration: letter writing, contracts, accounts,
updating computer databases, answering the phone and much more.
January 2006 to July 2008 Bar person: The Dandy Cock, Debley
Worked well under pressure at busy times
Learned to defuse difficult situations in a diplomatic way.
I gained good communication skills and performed well within my work team.
Further information
Fully competent in using Microsoft Office packages such as Word, Excel and
PowerPoint.
My keyboard skill is of a very high and fast standard (70 words a minute).
I am very confident, use my initiative and work well within a group.
Interests
Mountain biking and walking- I enjoy exploring and taking challenging
routes.
Reading-from current affairs to novels.
Swimming-as relaxation.
Referees
Homer Simpson Tony Maher
1501 Evergreen Terrace Plain English Campaign
Springfield PO Box 3
Cheshire New Mills
SK2 5FW High Peak
SK22 4PQ
Phone: 01244 663719 Phone: 01663 744409
31
FUTURES YOUR CV
However, if Nathalie had wanted to use a skills based approach to writing her
CV (with a job in publishing in mind) it could have looked like this:
Nathalie Makin
Address: Phone: 01663 Email address:
20 Union Road 744409 (daytime) makinnat@plainenglish.co.uk
New Mills or 07999 663 554
High Peak (evening)
SK22 4QP Nathalie Makin
Address: 20 Union Road
I am graduating this year from Durham University with a degree in English; I am predicted a
New Mills
university,
2.1. Before studying at High Peak I gained over five years commercial experience that
involved significant experience of preparation, writing and editing a range of printed and
SK22 4QP
electronic material, including training courses, company leaflets and correspondence with
customer Phone: 01663 744409 (daytime)
or 07999 663 554 (evening)
My Skills:
E-mail address: makinnat@plainenglish.co.uk
Writing Training Material
I helped to write courses in reception and customer service for Andrews’s Solutions, New
Age: 27
Mills, which are now used on the Internet to train new staff. This required me to think
carefully about the needs of staff, break down the tasks into separate elements, write
interactive training material, confer with computer technicians and evaluate the material
after piloting it with a group of workers at the company.
Writing Promotional Material
At the Plexia Group, Chinley, I was commissioned by the company to write a new company
leaflet. This required me to discuss the needs of the company with the Board, write the
text, liaise with design team, test the leaflet with a focus group and then arrange its printing
and distribution. The leaflet helped to increase the sales of this company by 12 per cent in
the first six months of its use.
Correspondence & Administration
In all my previous jobs I have been responsible for my own external correspondence with
customers. I was also in charge of my own administration, contracts, accounts, updating
computer databases, answering the phone and much more. I have learned a range of skills,
including filing, faxing, finding valuable information on the Internet. I am fully competent in
using Microsoft Office packages such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. My keyboard skill is of
a very high and fast standard (70 words a minute).
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FUTURES YOUR CV
Education
2009 to present:
to present Durham University, BA (Hons) English (2.1 expected)
2007 to 2008
9 to 200 Dove Holes College, Buxton, Access to Higher Education course (A level equivalent):
subjects included: English literature, psychology, sociology and history.
2002 to 2007
The Triardan School, New Mills, 8 GCSEs including Maths (A); English language (C);
English literature (C).
Work Experience
April 2007 to September 2008: Office assistant: Andrew’s Solutions, New Mills
July 2004 to April 2007: Sales executive: The Plexia Group PLC, Chinley
January 2006 to July 2008 Bar person: The Dandy Cock, Debley
In all my jobs I have coped well with pressure and I am very confident and enjoy working
as part of a team.
Interests
Mountain biking and walking- I enjoy exploring and taking challenging routes; reading-from
current affairs to novels; swimming- as relaxation.
Referees
Homer Simpson Tony Maher
1501 Evergreen Terrace Plain English Campaign
Springfield PO Box 3
Cheshire New Mills
SK2 5FW High Peak
SK22 4PQ
Phone: 01244 663719 Phone: 01663 744409
Your CV will be sent to an employer either:
33
FUTURES YOUR CV
SECTION 7: COVERING & SPECULATIVE LETTERS
Your CV will be sent to employers either:
in response to a particular vacancy
or speculatively, in the hope the employer might be interested to meet you
– and offer you a job.
You might send it by post or electronically as an attachment to an email. If you
send it as an attachment, it would be best to alert the employer in advance, in
case they delete it in fear of a virus contaminated document if it is from an
unknown source.
In response to a particular vacancy
The important thing is that your CV has been adapted for the vacancy in
question. You need to think about the skills and demands of the post and
make sure you connect with these.
It is no use sending out your CV if there is no relationship between the skills
and qualities promoted on your CV and the skills and qualities needed for the
job advertised.
The big black hole
reserved for the CVs sent
to employers without any
attempt to tailor them to
job vacancies or the
companies‟ products or
services.
If you have made the effort to tailor your CV to the vacancy, your covering
letter can be short and to the point – see example on next page.
34
FUTURES YOUR CV
Example of a letter to accompany a CV for an advertised post.
Mrs Josephine Smith Nathalie Makin
Brown Brothers Ltd 20 Union Road
Hull Road New Mills
Leeds High Peak
LS10 9JR SK22 4QP
22 June 2006
Dear Mrs Smith.
I am applying for the advertised post of graduate management
trainee in your company and I enclose my CV, as requested.
You will see from my CV that I am graduating in July this year from
Durham University and would be available any time from the 7 th of
this month.
I am very interested in the vacancy and hope that you will give my
application your favourable consideration.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
Natalie Makin
Nathalie Makin
Always write to a named person in the company. Take the trouble to find
out who the person responsible for recruitment is and write to him or her.
Keep your letter short and to the point.
Don‟t forget, if you write to a named person, your letter ends with „Yours
sincerely‟.
On the next page is a covering letter from Daniel Burmatoft, whose CV we
saw earlier.
35
FUTURES YOUR CV
Daniel Burmatoft
Standard 17 Sparrow Way
formatting Leeds
Writing to a of letter. LS16 4QP
named person
23rd August 2009
Dear Mr Quartz
I am writing in response to your advertisement for a nurse for the Bupa,
Vermuyden Care Home, Beale. As you will see from my enclosed
curriculum vitae, I am a recent nursing graduate, with a special interest in Making links
the client group you serve at Vermuyden. You will note my first nursing between skills
placement was with the Neuro Intensive Care Unit at Leeds General and job
Infirmary. Prior to this I had several years experience as a care assistant advertisement
with ventilator dependent clients.
I am particularly interested in this vacancy as not only do I have a specific
interest in the client group, I am also attracted to working for Bupa. I am
ambitious and feel your organisation may offer opportunities for me to
progress.
In the person specification for the post I noted you asked for a minimum of
three grade C A levels for recent graduates. Although I do not have these I Explaining
do have a wealth of experience which I feel other recent graduates do not, any issues
and have achieved a 2:1 in my degree, one of only four on my course. My with his
A level results were affected by my dyslexia which was not diagnosed until application
I entered university. I feel my degree result reflects my academic potential
far more accurately.
However my dyslexia has been positive in many respects. I am more likely
to approach people in person than in writing as a consequence which
ensures problems are resolved quickly and amicably. Having dyslexia has
improved my problem solving and I have learnt to draw on a range of
solutions rather than assume every question is answered in a book. In
nursing this is highly relevant as I am particularly effective at getting case
histories from the primary source rather than reading many case notes and
interpreting them.
Thank you for taking the time to read my application. I will telephone on
Wednesday to ensure you have received this. Alternatively I am available
on 0113 2543413 most days, and an answer machine is available when I
am out.
Yours sincerely
Daniel is
being
Daniel Burmatoft proactive
ensuring his
Enc. CV is read.
36
FUTURES YOUR CV
Speculative Letters
As you might imagine, writing a speculative covering letter with a CV to an
employer that may not have a vacancy requires a very different approach to hook
the interest of the employer.
The employer may not have a vacancy when you send your CV, but:
might create one for you if you make a very positive impression
or
keep you in mind if a vacancy did occur.
Before we show you a specimen letter, think about it yourself for a few minutes.
If you were the employer, and received, out of the blue, a letter and a CV from a
complete stranger asking for work. What would it be about the letter and CV that
would stop you from putting both items in the bin? Write in the space below.
Writing Speculative Letters
37
FUTURES YOUR CV
If you were, let‟s say, Arthur Clough, successful Electric Blanket manufacturer of
Barnsley, you are likely to be rightly proud of your company. You have probably
worked extremely hard to set it up in the first place, fought off competitors and
are now making steady commercial progress with a good, committed team around
you. You employ staff on a regular basis, but they have got to fit in and pull their
weight; you don‟t want any layabouts working for you. You have recruited a
couple of graduates in the last five years and they‟re doing OK. They were from
business studies courses though, so you‟re not sure about recruiting from non-
vocational degrees, like English, or Sociology or Peace Studies. Have they got
their feet on the ground?
Arthur is an SME (small to medium sized employer) and many graduates will work
in such a company: these companies are in the majority and graduates are seen
as assets to growth by an increasing number of small businesses.
But even in the larger organisations, human resources personnel are often totally
committed to the company and show the same parochial pride in their
organisation as Arthur. They don‟t want any „layabouts‟ working for the company
either; it will reflect badly on them.
What Arthur and his peers often have in common is:
a strong commitment to their respective organisations. Speculative
applicants need to recognise and acknowledge this in their letters;
an implicit recruitment policy that seeks staff that appear to embrace the
same values as themselves: hard work, energy, strength of character,
resilience and reciprocity: “a fair day‟s work for a fair day‟s pay”
some caution about employing graduates from disciplines or courses
outside their experience and that seem removed from the pragmatic,
competitive world of work, particularly commerce and industry.
The speculative letter will need to bear these points in mind if it is going to get
more than a second glance from employers.
If you were writing this letter, you would need to do some research and show
some background knowledge about the company you were approaching. You
would need to offer some positive but not obsequious comments about the
organisation and demonstrate that you were hard-working and a potential asset
and not a liability.
You would need to show how your skills, personality and experiences connect with
the world of electric blankets, hotel and catering, quantity surveying and any
other career you cared to name. See example letter on the next page.
38
FUTURES YOUR CV
Mr Arthur Clough Nathalie Makin
Managing Director 20 Union Road
WonderWarm Blankets New Mills
Barnsley High Peak
South Yorkshire SK22 4QP
SS7 5TT
20 June 2009
Dear Mr Clough.
I am writing to you because I would like to work for your company when I graduate next
month.
You may be wondering why I have written to Wonder Warm Blankets. I have been making
some enquiries with the local Small Business network, my university careers service and with
the local Chamber of Commerce about progressive and expanding small to medium sized
companies in the region, and your name and company has been mentioned on a number of
occasions. I understand too, that you have recruited graduates in recent years.
I would be interested in working for your company in an administrative post because I
believe this will give me an opportunity to learn a wide range of commercial skills. I hope you
will consider me for any trainee administrative post that occurs in the near future; I have a
particular interest in marketing and the sales side of business.
My degree subject is English, which has taught me a range of skills relevant to a
commercial career. These include advanced written English skills, working to deadlines, and
a deeper level of understanding of human motives (always useful in business, particularly
marketing).
Before starting my degree course I gained both clerical and retail work experience and I
was responsible for contacting and visiting existing, potential and past customers
throughout England. I organised and co-ordinated transport, planning collections and
deliveries for three vehicles and was in charge of my own administration: letter writing,
contracts, accounts, updating computer databases, answering the phone and much more.
I am a hard-working and conscientious person and I enclose my curriculum vitae and hope
that you will be interested enough to meet me to decide for yourself if I would fit into
your company. I will telephone you next Tuesday, unless I hear to the contrary, to talk to
you about my interest in working for your company.
Yours sincerely
Natalie Makin
Nathalie Makin
39
FUTURES YOUR CV
SECTION 8: CV CHECKLIST
Use this checklist before you send your CV and covering letter out to a
prospective employer.
Don’t use a template CV, e.g. one where you just fill in the blank spaces –
construct one for yourself.
Don‟t forget, although you can start by constructing a basic CV, it is very
important you tailor your CV to connect individually with each employer you
contact.
Tailoring Your CV:
Tick which apply to you
Have you analysed the job advert and specification and done some
research on the organisation?
Are you clear on what skills, qualities and experience are essential
for the position?
Are you using the right language? (Key words can often be found in
a company‟s brochure, web site or publicity material)
Have you spoken directly (by telephone or in person), to anyone about
the opportunity? This is rarely done, but gives you three
advantages:
1. Unique information on exactly what is required
2. Gives the employer evidence that you are a person with the initiative and
confidence to do this
3. A more personal and customised approach to your covering letter you might,
for example, refer to the conversation in your letter.
40
FUTURES YOUR CV
Understanding Market Needs:
Have you sought advice or feedback on your CV from colleagues,
employers and careers advisers?
Do you adapt your CV to each job you apply for?
Have you looked at other people‟s CVs so you can compare yours to
theirs?
Have you assessed different styles and layouts and decided which is
most appropriate for this particular organisation or opportunity?
Promoting Your Talents
Have you kept your statements and summaries short?
Are you clear on which of your qualities are essential for this
position?
Are you clear on what makes you stand out from other likely
candidates?
Have you clearly stated how your attributes and skills are relevant to
the position?
Have you used „action‟ words?
Are you using the appropriate style and language for the particular
occupation or profession in question?
Have you made it very difficult for an employer to reject your CV?
Are the selection criteria for the job met in your CV?
41
FUTURES YOUR CV
Have you included the following:
Work experience: listing most relevant and recent experience first,
highlighting achievements, roles and responsibilities?
Qualifications: most relevant and up to date first?
Key skills: highlighting evidence of key skills for the job?
Specialist skills: highlighting your unique skills and experience?
Personal and professional development: providing evidence of your
willingness to learn?
References
Relevant Evidence
Is there enough evidence that you have the skills and qualities
needed?
Have you highlighted voluntary or project work, if relevant?
Are you being honest? Can all your statements be confirmed if
necessary?
Does the evidence persuade the recruiter that you can do the job in
question?
42
FUTURES YOUR CV
Lively, Logical Layout
Does your CV look readable enough to pick out from others on a
desk?
Is it clearly printed on good-quality paper?
Is the information clear and well presented within two pages?
Is there a sense of a living, breathing person behind the words?
Have you cut out all the padding, negativity and irrelevant
information?
Does the sequence of sections work in your favour, with the most
interesting stuff first and last?
Are you really happy with it?
Covering Letter
Does your covering letter:
Customise and personalise your application? (addressed to a named
individual, rather than to „Dear Sir‟)
Clarify your motivation for the position?
Demonstrate that you have a clear knowledge of what it entails?
Summarise the key skills and experiences that match you to the
job?
Provide any vital information missing from the CV?
End on a positive, forward-looking note?
Encourage the employer to read your CV?
43
FUTURES YOUR CV
Remember that an employer may receive hundreds of CVs and covering letters.
You must capture and keep the first reader‟s attention enough for that person to
pass it on to the next person in the chain. Three or more people may read your
CV before a decision is made. You must try and impress them all – but the first
reader is the most important of them all.
If you have ticked all or most of these elements, you can send your CV out to
employers with every confidence that you have done all you could to secure an
interview for yourself.
If your CV is effective and you get an interview with an employer, it is worth
reading the Futures Workbook on job interviews (see next page).
This CV checklist was inspired by „The Art of Building Windmills‟ (1999) by Dr.
Peter Hawkins, published by the Graduate Into Employment Unit, University of
Liverpool.
References:
Bernard, M., Mills, M., Peterson, M., and Storrer, K. (2001) „A Comparison of
Popular Online Typefaces: Which is Best and When?‟ in Usability News 3.2
http://psychology.wichita.edu/surl/usabilitynews/3S/typeface.htm (accessed
21/04/05).
Plain English Campaign (2003) Plain English Journal, issue 55, March 2003.
Sigman, A. (2001) „The Typeface You Choose Says as Much as the Words You
Write‟, Business in Vancouver, issue 632, Dec 4-10, 2001.
44
FUTURES YOUR CV
Other Topics in the Series
There are several topics in the Series of Futures workbooks looking at self-
assessment, job selection methods and effective communication with employers.
They are available to download from
www.leedsmet.ac.uk/careers/siteindex
Assessing
Your
Other Skills Your
Personality
Selection
and values
Methods
Graduate Decision
Making and
Interviews Skills
Problem
Solving
Job CV’s and
Letters to
Search
Employers
Work
Experience
45