How to Write a Curriculum Vitae
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Transcript of How to Write a Curriculum Vitae
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How to write a Curriculum Vitae
Your CV is your first chance to impress and you’re likely to be competing with dozens of others. With
this in mind, it is vital you lay it out correctly, convey your skills, experience and strengths succinctly
and make sure it is free of errors, so that you grab the reader’s attention and make them want to
read on.
Below you will find some tips and pointers to help you to write your CV.
• Choose a clear and concise structure. The classic format is outlined below:
‐ Personal details, including name, address, phone number, email address and possibly
any professional social media presence. You no longer need to include your date of
birth, owing to age discrimination rules.
‐ A personal profile which sells yourself and your qualities, tailored towards the job you
are applying for.
‐ Career history, starting with your most recent job first. Include achievements from
previous jobs that are relevant along with a description of your main responsibilities.
‐ Qualifications and training.
‐ Interests, if they are relevant and especially if the skills or teamwork concerned are
relevant for the job.
‐ Any extra information, such as reasons for a career change or reasons for gaps in career
history.
‐ References, ideally two or more and including a recent employer.
• Your CV should not exceed two pages in length; anything longer is off putting for employers.
• Employment history should be listed chronologically, with the most recent job first. The rule
of thumb is to detail employment of the last 10 years, anything earlier than that can be
simply listed with company name and dates.
• Any gaps in employment history should be explained.
• Always proof read and spell check your CV!
• Always write in the 3rd person, rather than using “I”.
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• Specialist skills such as foreign languages, professional qualifications and software
knowledge should be listed separately to employment history.
• Try to inject some of your personality within your CV by briefly listing your hobbies and
interests so employers can get a picture of you as a person.
• Tailor make your CV for each application rather than using a standard version. Adapt the
examples you use within your employment history to show the relevant experience you
have for the role.
• Always include a cover letter to accompany your CV, this provides the opportunity to add a
more personal note, explaining why the role appeals to you and outlining why you would be
a suitable candidate.
• Include relevant keywords within your CV, taken from the job specification.
• Avoid words or phrases which could trigger email spam filters, such as Free, Buy, Discount,
or Offer.
• Avoid sending your CV to lots of people at the same time, this will trigger spam filters and
your email will end up in Junk folders.
Help and Examples
The below websites also provide helpful tips and examples which will be useful when writing your
CV.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/jobkit‐cv‐writing.pdf
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/getajob/cvs/Pages/default.aspx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business‐15573447
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/how_to_write_a_cv.htm
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/assets/assets/documents/cv_traditional.pdf
These tips are intended to be helpful suggestions only. If you have any additional tips which might be
of help to other Old Stoics writing their CV please email [email protected]