How To Write A Curriculum Vitae (CV)
Please note you will need to send a cover letter with your CV and sometimes even a personal statement. Both cover letter and personal statement are discussed elsewhere on this website. Please click on the links below.
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR HOW TO WRITE A COVER LETTER
LINK TO OUR L.I.P HELP GUIDE FOR HOW TO WRITE A PERSONAL STATEMENT
WHAT IS A CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)
A CV is a concise document that essentially talks about you and sells you to an employer/organisation.
Another name for a CV is resume.
TIPS FOR YOUR CV
- A CV is approximately 2 A4 sides long but can be longer or shorter depending upon your experience.
- Write your CV using a professional font such as Arial or Times New Roman.
- It is suggested that you should write your full name as the heading on your CV.
- Your CV can be divided into the following sections with each section titled in bold and underlined:
- Personal details – Title, full name and date of birth.
- Contact details – Home address, telephone numbers and email address.
- Education and professional qualifications – . With the most recent first, you will need to write down (from left to right) the date of the qualification, the type of qualification, and the grade.
- Work experience – With the most recent first detail your work experience. From left to right write the dates you were employed, the company that employed you, your job title, and your responsibilities.
- Skills & achievements – It is important to list the skills that are relevant to your application first. Mention any language skills, computer skills, and music skills.
- Hobbies and interests – This section will give the employer an all round picture of you. Explain what you like to do, why and what you get out of it.
- References – Generally you will be asked to provide one academic and one personal reference. Write the referee’s title, full name and all contact details.
- When you save your CV please make sure you save it under ‘your name CV’ so that when someone receives it they can identify what it is.
- It is best to save your CV as a PDF. Please make sure it can be opened and read using any computer and software.
- If you are hand delivering or posting your CV it should be on white 80gsm paper, one side only and not folded.
IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT YOUR CV
- Keep your CV relevant and concise
- Make sure your CV easy on the eye and not over crowded
- Tailor your CV to the job you are applying for and company you are applying to.
- Check spelling and grammar.
- Be honest about the facts you write.
- Explain any gaps in education and work in your cover letter that will accompany your CV.
FURTHER INFORMATION