CV FAQS

Your CV will help an employer assess if you have the skills and experience needed for the job. You will need to provide strong examples so that they can rank you against other candidates.

How do I know which skills are most important?

Use the job description, person specification or job advertisement to work out which skills you need to evidence on your CV.

Think about internships, volunteering, part time jobs and holiday jobs, positions of responsibility, societies, clubs and hobbies where you can show, skills, commitment and achievements. In any situation how can you show that your actions made a difference?

What should my CV look like?

  • The 2 page reverse chronological CV is the most common style of CV and is suitable for most situations. Download our CV template
  • Use a clear font like Arial or Calibri
  • List your education and work experience in reverse date order (most recent first).
  • The order of headings on your CV will depend on what is most important for the job you are applying for.
  • Evidence of your skills and achievements are built into the CV against the relevant experience.
  • Keep dates aligned and tabs and bullets in the same format
  • Your best selling points should come first within a section
  • Use strong action words

Personal information

  • In the UK there is no need to include personal details such as your date of birth, gender, marital status etc. Name and contact details are sufficient.
  • Nationality is optional but it is good to mention the countries in which you have worked and studied to show you have a global mind-set.
  • It is not usual practice to use a photograph on a UK CV.
  • Link your CV and LinkedIn profiles by putting your LinkedIn profile’s URL on your CV.

Headings

  • Use headings which best describe the content of the section. Adapt the headings to fit your needs e.g. Awards and Achievements, Positions of Responsibility and Achievements.
  • Make relevant experience stand out by grouping it together e.g. Legal Work Experience, Scientific Work Experience or Relevant Work Experience. (See example CVs)

Do I need a personal profile on my CV?

A personal profile is optional; it can be used to give the reader a brief outline of your motivation for applying and showcase your unique selling points, it is not a list of skills. It should be brief 3-6 lines. You could use one when:

  • You are not using a cover letter e.g. uploading your CV online, handing it out in person, at a fair or using an agency.
  • Your degree and experience are not directly relevant to the job you are applying for, but your skills are transferable.

Good Examples

  • A student of Modern History and Economics with 6 months client relationship management experience in a commercial environment. Currently, looking to apply analytical research skills and business knowledge to a legal career.
  • Final year Biology student from the University of Manchester with practical experience of selling and generating leads within a healthcare business, now seeking an entry-level sales role in the pharmaceutical sector.

Who can I ask to be my referee?

It is not normally essential to have your refereers contact details on your CV, or even put references available on request. An employer will request these later. However it is a good idea to contact referees to ensure you have the correct details ready when needed.

  • References Who to ask and what they can say about you.

How Should I use AI to Help Write my CV?

Many applicants use AI in the job applications process. Learn the most effective ways to get CV writing help from AI.

My applications are being rejected by ATS / AI - what can I do?

It's disappointing to be rejected no matter how it happens, but let's think about what's actually happening and what you can do differently.

  • Only the very largest recruiters use ATS systems - most application filtering is done by people. ATS systems are mainly used to filter out applicants who don't meet the application criteria or haven't filled in the application fully, but sometimes they can't read your documents properly so that can be an issue - watch the 10min video on this page to learn more.
  • Most employers don't use AI in the application filtering process (there are legal implications). Your CV will be seen by a human in the majority of cases, but be aware employers are currently flooded with AI generated applications so your CV really needs to stand out.
  • Tailor your application to the employer and the role. AI can help with your research but does produce generic content - you need to make it personal and authentic. Submitting fewer applications but spending more time on them can be a successful strategy.
  • Don't use fancy CV templates, both ATS and humans find them hard to read. Keep to the basic headings suggested in our guidelines and submit your CV as a word document.