C.V. Writing tips
for Apprenticeship
Applicants
C.V. Writing tips for
Apprenticeship Applicants
C.V. stands for Curriculum Vitae which is Latin for ‘the course of life’.
When writing your C.V, think about including the following information;
•
Name and contact details
•
Personal Profile (a short paragraph about yourself, include your qualities, e.g. hardworking,
reliable etc.)
•
Education/ Qualifications
•
Work experience/ Employment History
•
Key Skills (e.g. organisational skills, computer literacy etc.)
•
Hobbies and Interests
•
2 x Referee details (could be a teacher/doctor or other professional)
What does my e-mail address say about me?
Make sure that your email address is appropriate when applying for jobs.
fluffywuffybunnykins@hotmail.com may be fine amongst your friends but think about the impression
it may give a potential employer. It is best to have a neutral address set up such as:
firstname.lastname@hotmail.com Make sure you check this account regularly though as you won’t
want to miss out on any job offers!
Should I use fancy lettering?
Always use a clear, easy to read font when writing your C.V. You don’t want to give the person reading
it a headache! Use black ink on white or cream paper and space it out well. It needs to look
professional. If the employer struggles to read your C.V. they may not bother.
More hints and tips:
•
When listing your Education or Employment History, make sure you do so in reverse date order
(most recent first). This will make it easier for the employer to see what you have achieved so far.
•
Make sure your contact details are accurate and you can be contacted. There is no point giving
the employer a landline number if there is never anyone at home. If you never check your email
account, you could miss important information or an interview date.
•
Don’t leave any unexplained gaps in your employment or education history as the employer may
wonder what you have been doing during that time. If you have, for example, been travelling,
taking time off to look after family or actively seeking employment make this clear on your C.V.
•
Keep in contact with your referees and let them know that you are applying for jobs so that it
doesn’t come as a surprise if they get a reference request for you.
•
Use good quality plain paper and keep copies in a folder so they remain flat, clean and un-creased.
Never fold your C.V. in half. If posting it, make sure you use a big enough envelope (and pay
enough postage). Remember, the way your C.V. looks is a reflection of you.
•
Don’t be tempted to lie on your C.V. It should be an accurate reflection of your skills and abilities.
The best thing to do is be positive and make the most of what you have. More often than not, if
you lie on your C.V. you will be caught out.
•
When writing about your work history, don’t just give your job title and leave the employer to
guess what you did, make sure you include a full description of your role. You should tailor your
description to the job you are applying for and highlight the skills you have gained that are most
relevant. That way, the employer can see at a glance that you have the experience they are
looking for.
•
If you are struggling to think of what your skills and strengths are ask a friend or family member.
Asking someone else may give you a good insight into the qualities you have that would be
valuable to an employer.
•
Ideally your C.V. should be no longer than two pages. If you have a long career history or have
had lots of jobs you may want to condense these to the most relevant. Usually an employer will
want to see the last five years of your work history.
•
Employers are busy people who receive hundreds of C.V.s these days. Try to make your C.V.
reader-friendly. The layout should be ‘easy on the eye’. Try to avoid the temptation to cram as
much information in as possible. In the case of your C.V. ‘less is more’. The reader should be able
to quickly skim the C.V. and know exactly what your strengths and abilities are.
•
Leave some space between the sections of your C.V. and also 2cm margins at the top and bottom
of the page. This will make the content much easier to read and will make your C.V. look more
professional.
Student Services is open during term time and the holidays, you can make an appointment with our
Careers Adviser for further help and advice about writing or updating your C.V. Please ring: 0800
306 306 to make an appointment.
How to structure your C.V.
Name
Use your first and family names, not a job title. Your C.V. should not exceed two pages. Use email
friendly fonts like Ariel and Times New Roman.
Contact Details
List these at the top of the first page. Include your email address & mobile number, also a link to your
website if you have one if it is career or work related. Don’t use a jokey email or Facebook/Twitter
page that could make you look unreliable or unprofessional.
Profile
This is a 30 to 40 word statement about what you are like to work with, please see example in italics
below:
Profile:
An enthusiastic individual I approach tasks with results in mind. I am well organised and I can work
well as part of a team or on my own. I like completing things on time, and making sure that I keep
learning how to do things well and quickly.
Qualifications
If you are a recently qualified graduate list your qualifications by institution, course study dates, grade
and subject. If you completed any project or dissertation work relevant to the jobs that you would like
to do go into greater detail. Use up to 40 words to describe relevant course or degree work. See
example in italics below:
Qualifications:
Academic institution – York Sixth Form College
Start date - Sept 2005 / Finish date - May 2007
Subjects studied – A/S Level Maths, Physics & Music
Grades achieved – Maths B, Physics A, Music Theory B/ Performance grade 8 distinction
Work History
If you have one; list your work history starting with your most recent and ending with your oldest
one. If you haven’t worked yet, miss this section out and go straight to hobbies and interests. See
the work history example in italics below:
Work history:
Company name – Start date: Month YYYY End date: Month YYYY
Position, role or job title e.g. Events organiser - (maybe use bold or italics)
Whilst working as an Events Organiser with company X I ran all of the events for on campus
students including two foreign trips per year. I helped to increase profit for these events by 3% and
saw attendance levels rise from 54% of under graduates to over 65% (on average). I was
instrumental in building a Twitter & a Facebook page so that students could follow events and
individual stories which created an on campus buzz and meant that people didn’t want to miss out.
Interests
This is a really important section, as your work history (if you have one) is likely to be shorter than
those of more mature candidates that may be competing for this job too. Show how what you have
taken an interest in relates to the work that you want to do (where possible) and also identify work
skills using 30-40 words. See the example in italics below:
Interests
I am a keen photographer and have won several awards for my work (Under 16 Photographer of the
Year Canon Power Shot UK & Amateur Photographer of the Year Portsmouth Herald). I combine my
love of events particularly gigs to try and capture that atmosphere and sense of adventure.
Typically I will visit a venue before an event and take several set up shots, experimenting with light
and exposure to get the best results. I put a lot of work into research before hand to stand the best
chance of getting something special on film.
Apprenticeship C.V. layout 1
Fill in each section with your own details
YOUR NAME
Your postal address
Phone: (landline and/or mobile) Email: xxxx@kent.ac.uk
PERSONAL PROFILE
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
year - year
School/college etc (name and town/city)
year
A-levels or equivalent (subjects and grades)
year
AS levels (if applicable – subjects and grades)
year
GCSEs or equivalent (subjects and grades optional)
WORK EXPERIENCE
Date[s]
Name and location of employer
Brief description of the work, your responsibilities, skills gained, etc
Example:
2002 - 2004
Flora Motley Ltd, High Street, Canterbury
Saturday Sales Assistant in fashion store, where my responsibilities
included customer service, stock control, cash handling
This involved me in advising and assisting customers, coping with
problems and unexpected situations (such as a fire alarm) and
taking responsibility for counting up and banking money
INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES
Fill in each section with your own details
Your Name
Address
Phone Number
Email address
Personal Profile
Education
List most recent first. Include dates that you attended and qualifications you gained
Achievements
!
List academic and other achievements
Work Experience
Company Name, Dates of Employment
!
Job Title, description, responsibilities
Company Name, Dates of Employment
!
Job Title, description, responsibilities
Hobbies and Interests
!
List volunteer experience, sports, clubs, etc as well as dates of involvement
!
You can also briefly mention any hobbies or interests you have.