NTU Employability CV Resource Pack

1 NTU Employability CV Resource Pack We have put together this pack of CV examples and guidelines to help give you some ideas as to how you could present your CV. There are examples from different schools and courses to give you a wide range of ideas. The documents are for guidance only. You need to make your CV unique to you. DO NOT directly copy any of these CVs. Decide on your own layout and style, and ensure that the content matches the job / employer requirements (read the job description!) CV Guidelines - developed by The Employability Team 2015 CV Guidelines (UK) Before you There is no ideal format or layout of a CV; these are simply guidelines to help you You will need to adapt your CV for every application Employers expect your CV to be targeted towards the job you are applying for Make sure you include evidence proving that you meet the employer s requirements Recruiters spend on average 5-7 seconds looking at a CV- first impressions count!

2 For more help and resources use your School Employability NOW Learning Room Never written a CV before? Use our CV Builder tool: PRESENTATION: MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION Design: Clear headings for each section Appropriate font (no smaller than size 10, sans serif font) Use consistent formatting spacing, borders, fonts, headings, bold, italics Distribute text evenly using the full page Use bullet points or short paragraphs to break up block text Appropriate length (2 sides of A4) do not go over two pages Do not put Curriculum Vitae at the top - your name should be the title Structure.

3 Order the sections by prioritising the information that the employer will be most interested in The first page should contain the most important information for the role Typically: Personal details, Personal Profile (optional), Education, Work Experience, Skills (optional), Interests and Achievements, References Language: Spelling and grammar must be correct proofread your CV carefully and read it out loud Avoid starting sentences with I You can use 3rd person but don t use your name, ( A business student with retail experience ) Use action words at the start of bullet points, ( managed/coordinated/liaised ) Write in short and snappy sentences Be consistent with your use of tense it is generally much easier to write in the past tense CONTENT: INFORMING THE READER Personal Details.

4 Name, address, telephone number, email Ensure that you have a professional-sounding email address Do not include: date of birth, nationality, marital status, national insurance number, passport number or any other personal information Do not include a photograph (unless requested) Personal Profile (optional): A 3-5 line overview of your key selling points for the position you are applying for You could include: Who you are What you have to offer, experience/skills/knowledge/personal qualities Your career aim / what you are looking for Avoid generic statements do not write a hardworking individual , can work well independently or as part of a team everyone writes this!

5 You could choose the top three achievements from your CV to help you CV Guidelines - developed by The Employability Team 2015 Education: List qualifications in reverse chronological order (most recent first) List the full course title, provider/institution, dates to and from, and grades If you are part way through your degree then list the grades you have so far Include UCAS equivalency information for BTECs or overseas qualifications where possible You can include relevant modules, projects or practical assignments Avoid including negative information, ( listing failed exams) List any relevant professional memberships, ( RICS Student Member) Work Experience/Employment History.

6 List your job title, place of work, location, type of work ( Work Experience/Volunteering) and the dates you worked there (MM/YY) in reverse chronological order If you have more than one example of relevant work experience then you could have a separate section on your first page ( Marketing Experience ) Bullet point the responsibilities of the job, your personal achievements/contribution within the role and relevant industry specific or transferable skills you demonstrated Do not just list every duty of the job make it relevant Skills profile (optional): You can include a list of the key skills with examples of where you have demonstrated this Choose 4-5 skills that match the job description and order by importance to the job Provide a range of strong examples including some context and your achievements Examples can be gained from work, volunteering, extra-curricular activities and education These sections are useful if you have limited work experience or extensive work experience If you include this you do not need to include as much detail about skills in the rest of the CV Interests and Achievements.

7 List your most relevant, recent, interesting or impressive interests and achievements Provide some information about what you have achieved for each one, ( Running: recently completed the Nottingham Half Marathon raising over 200 for Cancer Research) Could include: volunteering, being a course rep, mentoring other students, being part of a society or going to personal/professional development events, sports, charity Do not just put socialising , going to the cinema , reading etc. References: Provide contact details for two referees or write references available on request Can be previous employers or university tutors but ask permission first TAILORING: THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL CV!

8 Use the job description to identify the skills, knowledge, experience and personal qualities the employer is looking for The purpose of your CV is to show that you match their requirements make sure you include evidence that proves you meet as many of their requirements as possible Use key words from the job description throughout your application (some companies will use computer software to scan for key words first!) Prioritise your information according to the job description the most relevant information should always go first If there isn t a detailed job description then do your research have a look at the company website, or similar job roles for ideas Thomas Parsons Home Address: 456 East Leake Avenue, Loughborough, LE11 111 Term Time Address: 123 Trent Street, Nottingham, NG1 111 Home phone number: 0000 0000000 Mobile number: 00000000000 Email address: LinkedIn.

9 (if appropriate) Student Membership of Professional Bodies ( ICE/ IStructE/ CIOB/ RICS Student Member) Full UK Driving Licence (Clean)- (if no licence, provide test date) Profile (optional) MUST be relevant to the role or don t include it! In 3-4 sentences, give a BRIEF summary of: 1- Who you are; 2- What you have to offer (experience, skills, attributes backed up by specific examples); 3- What you are applying for. Education 2014 - present Nottingham Trent University BEng (Hons) Civil Engineering Expected 2nd year result (if required) Overall 1st year result- 2:1 Explain how your course is relevant to the job Highlight relevant modules and results Highlight any prizes or achievements Key selling points of the course: presentations, consultancy projects, MM YYYY MM YYYY Mary Stuart Sixth Form College, Derby A levels: Mathematics (B); Physics (C).

10 Geography (C) MM YYYY MM YYYY Elizabeth Tudor High School, Worksop 10 GCSEs grades A*-C including English Language (A) and Maths (B) Relevant Experience MM YYYY MM YYYY Job title, Company, Location Use bullet-points and direct language to make it easy to read. Explain your role briefly. Concentrate on the skills you have learned and your achievements in the post. Co-ordinated , managed , communicated use action words at the start of your bullet points Try and relate the skills gained to the job applied for. Prioritise your points put your most impressive/relevant points first MM YYYY MM YYYY Youth Leader, Camp stateside , Deeprock Lake, NY, USA international mobility is important to some employers- evidence of working/ volunteering abroad can be impressive.