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How To Write A CV - Prospects - Ac.uk

This document provides guidance on how to write an effective CV. It explains that a CV is a summary of one's education, skills and experience used to market oneself to potential employers. The document recommends keeping a CV to 2 pages or less and including key sections like contact information, education history, work experience, skills, and interests. It also provides tips on formatting, such as using a professional font and layout, as well as writing strong, active verbs and tailored content to match the specific job. Students can seek help drafting their CV from their university careers service.

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391 views3 pages

How To Write A CV - Prospects - Ac.uk

This document provides guidance on how to write an effective CV. It explains that a CV is a summary of one's education, skills and experience used to market oneself to potential employers. The document recommends keeping a CV to 2 pages or less and including key sections like contact information, education history, work experience, skills, and interests. It also provides tips on formatting, such as using a professional font and layout, as well as writing strong, active verbs and tailored content to match the specific job. Students can seek help drafting their CV from their university careers service.

Uploaded by

Ali Nawaz
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How to write a CV

Jemma Smith, Editor


March, 2019

First impressions count, especially when applying for jobs. Find out how to write a CV and
discover useful tips to help make your CV stand out from the crowd

What is a CV?
A CV, which stands for curriculum vitae, is a document used when applying for jobs. It allows you to summarise
your education, skills and experience enabling you to successfully sell your abilities to potential employers.

In the USA and Canada CVs are known as résumés. These documents tend to be more concise and follow no
particular formatting rules.

How long should a CV be?


A standard CV in the UK should be no longer than two sides of A4. Take a look at our example of a chronological CV
(/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/example-cvs/chronological-cv-example) for inspiration.

To save space only include the main points of your education and experience. Stick to relevant information and
don't repeat what you've said in your cover letter.

As a recent graduate your CV may only take up one page and that's ok. Some medical or academic CVs (/careers-
advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/example-cvs/academic-cv-example) may be longer depending on your experience.

What to include in a CV
Contact details - Include your full name, home address, mobile number and email address. Unless you're
applying for an acting or modelling job you don't need to include your date of birth or a photograph.
Profile - A CV profile is a concise statement that highlights your key attributes and helps you stand out from
the crowd. Usually placed at the beginning of the CV it picks out a few relevant achievements and skills,
while expressing your career aims. A good CV profile focuses on the sector you're applying to, as your cover
letter will be job-specific. Keep CV personal statements short and snappy - 100 words is the perfect length.
Discover how to write a personal statement for your CV (/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/writing-a-
personal-statement-for-your-cv).
Education - List and date all previous education, including professional qualifications. Place the most
recent first. Include specific modules only where relevant.
Work experience - List your work experience (/jobs-and-work-experience/work-experience-and-
internships) in reverse date order, making sure that anything you mention is relevant to the job you're
applying for. If you have plenty of relevant work experience, this section should come before education.
Skills and achievements - This is where you talk about the foreign languages you speak and the IT
packages you can competently use. The key skills that you list should be relevant to the job. Don't
exaggerate your abilities, as you'll need to back up your claims at interview. If you've got lots of job-specific
skills you should do a skills-based CV (/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/example-cvs/skills-based-cv-
example).
Interests - 'Socialising', 'going to the cinema' and 'reading' aren't going to catch a recruiters attention.
However, relevant interests can provide a more complete picture of who you are, as well as giving you
something to talk about at interview. Examples include writing your own blog if you want to be a journalist,
or being part of a drama group if you're looking to get into sales.
References - You don't need to provide the names of referees at this stage. You also don't need to say
'references available upon request' as most employers would assume this to be the case.

For more help and advice on how to write a CV and to find CV templates, see example CVs (/careers-advice/cvs-
and-cover-letters/example-cvs).

CV format
Avoid fonts such as Comic Sans. Choose something professional, clear and easy to read such Arial or Times
New Roman. Use a font size between 10 and 12 to make sure that potential employers can read your CV.
Ensure all fonts and font sizes are consistent throughout.
Section headings are a good way to break up your CV. Ensure they stand out by making them larger (font
size 14 or 16) and bold.
List everything in reverse chronological order so the recruiter sees your work history and most recent
achievements first.
Keep it concise by using clear spacing and bullet points. This type of CV layout allows potential employers
to skim your CV and quickly pick out important information first.
If you're posting your CV, print it on white A4 paper. Only print on one side and don't fold your CV - you don't
want it to arrive creased.

How to write a good CV


Use active verbs when possible. For example, include words like 'created', 'analysed' and 'devised' to
present yourself as a person who shows initiative.
A good CV doesn't have any spelling or grammar mistakes. Use a spell checker and enlist a second pair of
eyes to check over the document.
Avoid generic, over-used phrases such as 'team player', 'hardworking' and 'multitasker'. Instead, provide
real-life examples that demonstrate all of these skills.
Tailor your CV. Look at the company's website and social media accounts, look to see if they've recently
been mentioned in the local press and use the job advert to make sure your CV is targeted to the role and
employer.
Create the right type of CV for your circumstances. Decide whether the chronological, skills-based or
academic CV is right for you.
Don't put the term 'curriculum vitae' at the top of the page.
Make sure your email address sounds professional. If your personal address is inappropriate create a new
account for professional use.
Don't lie or exaggerate on your CV or job application. Not only will you demonstrate your dishonesty to a
potential employer, but there can be serious consequences too. For example, altering your degree grade
from a 2:2 to a 2:1 is classed as degree fraud and can result in a prison sentence. Take a look at this advice
and guidance on degree fraud for students (https://prospects-ac-uk.cdn.prismic.io/prospects-ac-
uk/8989d128-3ad7-4155-ac1a-b0fbdb71297a_hedd-student-toolkit-2020.pdf).
If posting your CV online don't include your home address, as you could be targeted by fraudsters.
You should always include a cover letter unless the employer states otherwise. It will enable you to
personalise your application. You can draw attention to a particular part of your CV, disclose a disability or
clarify gaps in your work history. Find out how to write a persuasive cover letter (/careers-advice/cvs-and-
cover-letters/cover-letters).

Get help with your CV


If you're a student or recent graduate and you'd like help creating a CV then you can get professional advice from
your university careers service.

During COVID-19 many university careers services have moved their entire programme of activities and events
online to support students and graduates during the current crisis.

Find out more


Discover how to write a legal CV and cover letter (/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/law-
sector/writing-a-legal-cv-and-cover-letter) and take a look at an example law CV (/careers-advice/cvs-and-
cover-letters/example-cvs/law-cv-example).

Written by Jemma Smith, Editor


Prospects · March 2019

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