Help with CVs
What is a CV?
A CV - or curriculum vitae, which means ‘the course of your life’ - is your chance to ‘sell yourself’ to an employer. Your CV lets employers know all the facts they need about you so they can decide whether you are suitable for a job.
A good CV can really improve your chances of getting an interview.
You might need to send a CV with a covering letter to apply for a job. You might send a CV with a speculative letter to companies asking if they have any suitable vacancies. Employers might keep CVs which are sent to them on file until they have a vacancy.
What needs to be in a CV?
Your contact details
This should include your name, address, telephone numbers and e-mail address if you have one. Use a sensible e-mail address - don't use wording that an employer might find offensive.
Your education
Where you went to school and/or college. Even if you didn’t complete your education you should put on where you went when you did attend.
Employment/Work Experience
If you have ever had a job then you should include the details such as who you worked for and detail your duties. The same goes for school work experience or any placements you might have done. If you haven’t done any work experience, you can use your CV to highlight your other experiences and qualities.
Your qualifications
If you have any qualifications you should put them on your CV. If you are awaiting exam results you can put which exams you've taken and any predicted grades. If you don’t have any formal qualifications there may be other achievements that you can put on your CV.
Your skills, qualities and achievements
This could be in a paragraph or bullet points highlighting your personal qualities, the things you are good at and how they would benefit an employer.
Hobbies and interests
You can mention any interests you have in your spare time. Good examples of this would be if you play for a team as it shows team working skills or if you like using computers, as this is a transferable skill.
References
Referees are people who know you and can tell an employer whether they think you could do the job well. Employers often ask for a reference from school or college or from someone you have worked with, for example, on a work experience placement or as a volunteer. You should not give family members as a reference but you can give the names of family friends or other adults you know. You need to ask permission of anyone you give as a reference before you put their names on your form.
If you have a written reference from a job or work experience placement, or don’t want to put referees details on your CV, you could write ‘References are available on request’.
Types of CV
You can set your CV out in different ways to best reflect your skills, qualifications and work experience, but you always begin with your personal details.
A chronological CV arranges education and employment information in date order, usually starting with the most current information and listing your education and employment in reverse order.
A functional (skills-based) CV focuses on your skills and abilities. A functional CV will usually begin with a personal profile highlighting your achievements, skills and personal qualities. A functional CV might be especially suitable if you've had a lot of experience in different areas of work, as you can use your personal profile to highlight the skills you have which are relevant to the position you are applying for.
Top tips for creating a CV
- Don’t use more than two sides of A4 paper.
- Word process your CV if you can.
- Use a common, plain font. Don’t use decorative fonts or fancy graphics.
- Look at examples of CVs to find out which type would be suitable for you.
- Be positive and focus on the things you can do, not the things you can’t do.
- Proof read your CV when you have finished and ask someone else to proof read it as well.
- Keep your CV up to date.
If you need help, ask your Connexions Personal Adviser or call into your nearest Connexions Centre.
You can create a CV by registering for our on-line vacancy service.