Step 1: Creating your CV
Getting started with CV structure and content
The 2 page reverse chronological CV is the most common style of CV and is suitable for most situations.*
ACTION
Guidelines
- 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.
- Avoid complicated formatting and designs that detract from your content.
- Using a word document is often the best way to help an ATS (applicant tracking system) read your CV.
- Use strong action words
*Some employers may request a 1 page CV - the rules are the same but you need to be very concise and focussed on the requirements for the job. Check the requirements for different countries. You can use GoinGlobal or the Prospects country profiles. Find out more about Academic and creative CVs ( link to example CVs page)
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.
Work experience:
- This can include part-time jobs, internships, placements, volunteering periods of full time employment or working in a family business.
- Talk about how you used your skills to make an impact, use the CAR model.
- Make relevant experience stand out by grouping it together e.g. Legal Work Experience, Scientific Work Experience or Relevant Work Experience. (See example CVs - LINK
Education
- Don't forget your current education - your degree/Masters/ PhD. Consider which projects, modules or activities are most relevant to talk about.
- Employers, even for graduate level jobs often need to see your pre-university schooling and exam achievements. ( A levels, GCSEs and equivalents)
Extracurricular activities / hobbies and interests
- Can be important to showcase skills you have developed but not evidenced elsewhere in your CV.
- May include positions of responsibility.
- Can provide evidence of motivation for a particular career.
Personal profile
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.
References
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.
