Help with your CV                                                                      

For expert help finding a job call into your Local Connexions Centre and ask to speak to a Personal Adviser.

*NEW* A good CV can improve your chances of getting a job.  Here you can create a great looking CV using our online vacancy system and you could even find a job too! We also have some sample CV's that you can download and change as required.

         • *NEW* Create a CV online and search for jobs too!
            CV's can be saved, changed and printed at any time!
         • View sample CV #1
         • View sample CV #2
         • View sample CV #3

More about Cv's

"CV" is short for Curriculum Vitae. A CV is a list of information about you to help an employer decide whether you could be right for a job.

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 see if a company has any suitable jobs. Employers often keep CVs which are sent to them until they have a vacancy.

When you build a CV, you need to put information about what you have done and what you can do into sections with headings. You can set the sections out in different ways but you always begin with your personal details.

You might want to set the information out in a chronological CV. You need to arrange your headings like this:

• Your Personal Details
• Education
• Employment
• Skills
• Hobbies and Interests
• References

 HOT TIPS  Top tips for creating a CV

You might prefer to stress your skills with a functional CV. You need to arrange your headings like this:

• Your Personal Details
• Skills
• Hobbies and Interests
• Education
• Employment
• References

• YOUR PERSONAL DETAILS

You need to give your name, date of birth, address and contact details such as your email address, your telephone number and your mobile number. Employers may contact you using this information so do make sure you check these regularly. You also need to write a short personal profile, a few lines giving a very short summary of your skills and experience. Employers can look quickly at this section to find out a little bit about you.

• EDUCATION

In this section you need to list the secondary schools you have attended and the qualifications you have in date order. You should start with your most recent school. If you are still at school you should start with the qualification you are doing at the moment. You need to include information about when you will sit your exams and any predicted grades. You need to make sure that you give the names of the schools, the date you started and the date you left and details of any qualifications you have already achieved.

• EMPLOYMENT

In this section you need to list any jobs you have had. You should start with the job you are doing at the moment or your most recent job. You need to give details of your employer, the date you started and the date you left, and the title of your job. You need to give a short list of your duties or responsibilities. Don’t forget to mention any part-time or voluntary work you do.

• SKILLS

You need to list the skills you have with information about how you have shown your skills if possible. You can use your Progress File or your Record of Achievement to help you with this section. Remember to put in any special skills you have, such as speaking another language, good keyboard skills, having a first aid certificate or a full, clean driving licence.

• HOBBIES AND INTERESTS

This section gives the employer a little information about what kind of a person you are. List some of the things you enjoy doing. You should mention any clubs you belong to, any sports or social activities you are involved in or any voluntary work you do.

• REFERENCES

Your references are people who know you and can tell an employer whether they think you could do a job well. It is a good idea to give two references, one from school or college or from someone you have worked with as an employee, on a work experience placement or as a volunteer. You cannot give family members as a reference but you can give the names of family friends or other adults you know.

You need to give the name and contact details of your references. You could also put details of their relationship to you. That would be something like ‘employer’ or ‘team leader’, ‘personal tutor’ or ‘family friend’.

You need to ask permission of anyone you give as a reference before you put their names on your form.

  

   • HANDY HINTS FOR BUILDING A CV   [BACK TO MENU]

• Don’t use more than two sides of A4 paper
• Do type your CV if you can
• Don’t use fancy graphics or coloured effects, black is clearest
• Do look at lots of examples of CVs. You can find some examples on the internet or ask in your local Connexions Centre or in your local library
• Do be positive and focus on the things you can do, not the things you can’t do
• Do proof read your CV when you have finished and ask someone else to help too, the more the merrier!
• Do keep lots of spare copies of your CV
• Do keep your CV up to date
• Don’t panic! Get help from Your Local Connexions Centre.

   

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