CV Tips
Personal Details * Put your name in bold or a larger font at the top of the CV. * Follow with your contact details – your address, telephone numbers and email.
Personal Profile * Your CV should contain a personal profile, which is a summary of your skills and achievements, what you are doing at the moment and your future career goals. * This is your chance to really “sell” yourself to the employer and tell them how your skills, experience and interests can benefit them. * If you have a copy of your CV saved, you can change your personal profile to suit the job you are applying for by highlighting different interests, achievements and goals.
Education * Start with your most recent school or college. * Include details of all secondary schools or colleges attended and list any qualifications you have, or ones you have taken recently. * Include the subject, title of qualification (for example GCSE, NVQ) and grade or predicted grade, if known. * You should state the subjects that you have studied even if you did not take or pass any exams, especially if the subject is relevant to the job you’re applying for. * If you obtained distinctions or prizes for certain subjects mention this too.
Work Experience * Employers spend more time looking at this section than any other part of a CV, so make the most of all the work experience you’ve had. * Mention all the work you’ve done, including part-time, work experience and voluntary work - don’t forget to include your school or college work experience placements. * List your most recent job or placement first - include the name of the employer, your job title and the start and end dates. * Bullet point your duties in the job or placement - be positive about your achievements and skills gained.
Additional Achievements * You can use this section to list any relevant skills you have gained, such as working with computers, first aid, cooking meals, DIY or childcare. * Also mention any achievements, for example if you organised an event, obtained a Duke of Edinburgh Award or won a prize at school.
Interests * Give brief details of any interests or hobbies, especially ones which develop your skills in working with other people and as part of a team. * If you belong to any clubs, societies or organisations, mention them here.
Referees * Finish your CV with ‘References available on request’. This means that you will only be giving referee details out to employers who show an interest in hiring you. * Make sure you check with your referees they are happy to give you a reference.
Presentation * To make a good first impression, your CV needs to be neat, easy to read and free of mistakes. * Your CV should be typed using a clear font such as Arial, which looks smart and is easy to read. * Check for spelling errors - read it through carefully, and don’t just rely on automatic spellcheckers. * Keep it short - ideally one, but no more than two, sides of A4 paper. An employer may not have the time to read a long CV. Keep it simple - you may be tempted to add photographs, clip art or different colours but most employers say they prefer a clean, text only design. * Choose a good quality paper to print on - some employers say that using a pale cream or off-white paper can help a CV to stand out but don’t go over the top with bright colours! * Make a few copies and make sure you save it. You’ll save yourself time if you want to add to it or make improvements in the future.
For CV advice, visit Jas Lall in the
Careers Service in room 0Q30
Employability
Employability
CV Example
Sophia Aktar
121 Wellford Road, Birmingham, B12 9FF
0121 111 2222 / 07000 111222
s.aktar@jcc.ac.uk
PERSONAL PROFILE
I am a committed A-level student at Joseph Chamberlain College looking for work experience in a hospital setting. I have experience of using my communication skills in a medical and customer service environment. I am looking for experience to support my university application to study medicine.
EDUCATION
Sep 2011 - June 2013 Joseph Chamberlain College
A-levels in Chemistry (A) Biology (B), Maths (C)
AS level in Psychology (C)
Sep 2006 - June 2011 Holly Lane School, Birmingham
10 GCSEs including English, Maths and Science grades A*-B
WORK EXPERIENCE
October 2012 Lloyds Pharmacy Pharmacy Assistant * Provided excellent customer service on the counter * Checking and maintaining stock levels of medication * Preparing prescriptions for sign off by Pharmacist * Inputting data to electronic customer records
June 2011 Wand Medical Centre Surgery Volunteer * Observed GP appointments * Answered telephone enquiries from patients * Booked patient appointments * General administrative duties including preparing letters to be posted
OTHER ACHEIVMENTS
2013 Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award
2012 First aid certificate
INTERESTS * Member of college badminton team, regularly competing against other college teams * Teach Arabic to young children at local community centre during school holidays * Attended summer school for prospective medical students at Warwick University
