Structure

• A CV should never be more than 2 pages long
• Your personal profile should be no longer than 3 or 4 sentences and should highlight something personal about you that is relevant to the job, as well as some of your skills and experiences that make you the perfect candidate for the job
• Key Skills should be specific and relevant to the job you are applying for. Use 4-6 Key Skills and present them as bullet points
• Your Employment History should start with the most recent one, then working backwards chronologically. Highlight in bold the name of the employer, your job title and the dates for every work experience.
• For each job, list responsibilities/achievements/key information that is relevant to your application
• Education History/Qualifications should also start with the most recent one, then moving backwards. Keep it brief and to the point – only give out details of the qualifications if they are relevant to the job you are applying for
• Personal Interests/Hobbies – do not mention computer gaming or similar activities – mention activities that show that you are a team player and committed to learning new skills
• References – make sure you only give out details of references where you are sure that it will be a positive one. You can write that references are available on request. Make sure your referee is happy to be contacted by an employer

Keep it fresh and relevant

• A CV should always be adapted to each job you apply for (after researching the company/role). This means matching the skills and experience you have to what the employer is looking for and adding into your CV. Also think about what transferrable skills you have that you could highlight
• Using “key words” in your CV can be useful if the company is scanning for them – can check person or job specification (if there is one) or google job profile or look at company website

Speculate

• Approach companies that you would like to work for, even if they are not currently advertising any vacancies – remember over 70% of all UK vacancies are never advertised
• When speculatively applying for a job in person follow these top tips:
  • Dress as if you would go to a job interview
  • Only ever hand your CV to someone who is in charge of recruitment – if they are not in, ask when they will be back, ask for their name and then return at that time
  • Be mindful of the day and the time of day you approach a company – stay away from weekends and times when the business might be busy (lunch, dinner, etc)
  • Always include a covering letter with your CV – most employers will delete your application if it does not include a covering letter. Best practice to send to a named person

Top tips

• Do not add the following to your CV: photos, personal details such as age, gender, ethnic background, religious beliefs, height, weight, political beliefs, football teams you may support, social media profiles (except LinkedIn – if your LinkedIn profile matches your CV)
• Do not underline anything – use bold words instead
• Always use spell–check, but get someone to proof-read as well – spell-check does not pick up on every spelling mistake
• Ensure all fonts are professional and consistent throughout the CV – how your CV “looks” is important – be concise and use bullet points to make it easier for the reader to pick out key information
• Know your CV inside out! This is your marketing document and if you have gained an interview from your CV, the employer is interested in what you have to offer. Make sure you can talk through your CV with confidence and that it reflects YOU!

Give yourself time
Do not rush into writing a cover letter. Allocate yourself time to work on putting together and planning your cover letter, it is important not to rush this part of your application as it is a great opportunity to showcase what you can do to a perspective new employer.

Read the Job Advertisement
The Job Description & Person Specification highlight exactly what the employer is looking for. Break it down into manageable chunks and compare the skills that they are asking for to the skills and experience that you already have. Take some time to think and write down examples from your own experiences that really showcase the skills that they are asking for. Use these examples throughout your cover letter.

Research the Employer
Look at their website and work out what their core values and priorities are. Once you know the core values and priorities of a company – think of examples and work-related experiences & achievements that will showcase your skills to the prospective new employer in line with their values and priorities. Use these examples in your cover letter as these will help you to write in a way that is appealing to the employer as they will be able to see how well you would fit into their company.

Be Professional
Use a professional font that is clear and readable and address your cover letter either by using the name of the employer/ recruitment officer (as given on the Job Advertisement), ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ or ‘To the Recruitment Team at …’

Sound Enthusiastic
Write in a way that shows that you are enthusiastic about the job that you are applying to. Be enthusiastic about the company you are applying to and highlight why you want to work for them.

Tailor Your Cover Letter
Do not use the same generic cover letter for all job applications. Feel free to create a template that you base your cover letters on but be sure to tailor them to their specific job advertisements & company values.

Be Personal
Refer to and include the title of the job you are applying to and the name of the company you wish to work in throughout your cover letter.

Be Original
Do not just repeat what is on your CV – add extra examples, experiences and other detail about you that make you more desirable to an employer.

Keep it Reading Well
Use clear sentences to structure your cover letter. Do not use abbreviations and avoid jargon, slang and shorthand ways of writing words.

Keep it Professional
Be sure to sign off your cover letter with ‘Yours Sincerely’, ‘Best Regards’ or ‘Kind Regards’ and follow it with your name & contact details

Proof-read
Always check your spelling and grammar before sending off your cover letter