Marketing yourself on paper
“Effective CVs”
Karl Fraser
Careers Consultant
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
k.fraser@rgu.ac.uk
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
What is a CV?
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The first point of contact with a potential employer.
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A personal, targeted marketing tool (what’s your USP?!).
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A means of highlighting your academic qualifications, skills and work
experience.
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A means of demonstrating your suitability for the position you are
applying for.
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The first step towards obtaining an interview.
Remember more applicants are weeded out at this stage than any
other during the selection process!
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
Before you start your CV
• Research what the employer is looking for.
• Use job description, website and company brochures.
• Think about what you have to offer an employer.
• Give yourself plenty of time.
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
A sobering thought
A major employer dealing with responses to a newspaper ad. will
spend about:
15 seconds per CV on the first sift........
1 minute per CV on the next sift..........
5-10 minutes per CV on the final sift before short-listing for
interview.
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
CV presentation
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Concise and clear content – don’t waffle
Use simple, positive English
Use correct spelling, punctuation and grammar
Well laid out and split into sections – i.e.
o
o
o
o
“Attention to detail is
essential.. Bad
grammar and spelling
mistakes will ensure
your CV goes to the
bottom of the pile!”
Recruitment Manager, RM –
ICT for schools.
Skills Profile
Education
Work Experience
Interests/Achievements
• No less than size 10 in a normal font, i.e. Arial or
Times New Roman, try Verdana font for a change!
• Maximum of 2 pages
• Use a computer and top quality paper
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
2 main types of CV

Chronological
•Provides all the information most employers want in a
familiar format and demonstrates steady development in
education and career.
•Lists education and work experience by date with most
recent information first.
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
Chronological CV – Lay out e.g.
Personal Details
Career Objective
Education (Most recent 1st)
Key modules
Key skills / abilities developed demonstrated - evidence
Work Experience (Most recent 1st)
Duties – what did you do, how did it develop you
Key skills/abilities demonstrated – evidence
Additional Skills
Achievements
Interests / Activities
What do they say about you – evidence of skills / abilities
References
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
2 main types of CV

Skills-based
•Same headings, different lay-out with targeted approach through skills
matching.
•Work experience details kept to a minimum
•Useful for highlighting particular skills enabling the selector to
understand the relevance of skills and experience and for distracting
away from a varied career history
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
Skills Based CV – Lay out e.g.
Personal Details
Career Objective
Key Skills / Skills Profile / Skills & Achievements
List Skills relevant to opportunity and evidence from education work experience activities
etc your ownership of them – you then need less emphasis on skills developed in the other
sections.
Education (Most recent 1st)
Key modules
Work Experience (Most recent 1st)
Duties – what did you do, how did it develop you
Achievements
Interests / Activities
What do they say about you – evidence of skills / abilities
References
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
CV content – Personal Details
Standard
Optional
• Name
• Date of Birth
• Address
• Nationality & Gender (unless you
are an international student)
• Telephone number
Not required
• Email address (personal pref.)
– Marital status
*think about voicemail/ansaphone messages and
appropriateness of e-mail address!
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
– Photograph
CV content – Career Objective (optional)
• Short, snappy opening statement to set the scene for the
employer.
• Provide a summary of your current status, previous experience,
relevant skills and career ambition.
• If uncomfortable with this type of ‘sales pitch’ or are short of
space include the above in the covering letter.
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
CV content - Education
• Start with your most recent qualification first.
• Include dates and results – as you have not received your
degree result yet, write ‘expected’ next to the result.
• The amount of detail you write about your degree may depend
on its relevance to the position you are applying for. It is up to
you how you market your degree.
• You may not need to list all your Standard Grades, instead
providing a summary, e.g. Standard Grades: 7 subjects, grades
1-3 including English (1) and Mathematics (2).
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
CV content – Work Experience
Include:
• Employer’s name
• Location
• Your job title
• Description of duties involved
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
Skills Profile
•
•
If you decide to do a skills-based CV it may be helpful to create a Skills
Profile by drawing on your experience, knowledge, skills and qualities
and matching them to those required for the position you are applying
for.
Some common headings are:
o
o
o
o
o
o
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Communication/Interpersonal
Team Work
Leadership
Problem solving
Using initiative
Organisational
Be explicit but concise when demonstrating evidence of your
experience and skills.
You can draw upon extra curricular activities if they demonstrate
relevant skills.
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
CV content – Additional
Skills/Information
Indicate level of competence:
•
Driving licence
•
IT (name packages)
•
Language Skills
CV content – Achievements/Positions of
responsibility (optional)
•
If you have a number of achievements that you wish to highlight
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
CV content – Interests
• This section enables you to let your personality show through.
Include:
• Leisure activities both within the university and the community.
• Positions of responsibility and voluntary work
• Membership of clubs or societies.
• Do not just write a list. Give enough details to entice the
employer wanting to know more.
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
CV content - Referees
• Some choose to write ‘References available on request’ if they
are running out of room.
• Make sure you gain a referee’s permission before citing their
name.
• If you have space and choose to include references’ details then
you need:
o
o
o
o
o
Name
Job title
Address
Telephone number
Fax number or email address
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
Covering Letter
Purpose:
to market yourself and your motivation
to highlight that you have what they are looking for
The covering letter gives you the opportunity to get
recruiters interested in you and your CV
so every CV needs one!
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
Covering Letter
• Address it to a named person if possible
Include:
• Why you are writing
• What interests you in the job
• Your key selling points related to the job, i.e. key skills,
qualifications, experience
• Why you want to work for their company
• Positive, enthusiastic ending expressing your willingness to
discuss your application at interview
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
Covering letter tips: Style
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Word-processed, unless requested otherwise
Consistent font with your CV
One page of A4 only
Three or four paragraphs
Keep to the point
Use clear language
Yours faithfully/Yours sincerely
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
The Final Check
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Spelling and Grammar
Is the CV/letter neat and clean?
Is all your evidence relevant?
Is all your time accounted for?
Have you followed all instructions?
Ensure distinct file name for CV e.g. ‘GayleScott CV 07’
Take a photocopy for future reference!
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers
Last but not least...
• Make sure you get your CV checked before sending it out.
• If you have any queries about your CV content or layout make
sure you use the resources e.g. ‘Making Applications’ available
at the Careers Centre.
• Once you are in the final draft stages of the CV, book an
appointment with Careers Consultant to look over it.
• Careers Centre, Blackfriars Building, Schoolhill or InfoZone+,
Garthdee, www.rgu.ac.uk/careers - sign in via RGU: JOBSHOP
www.rgu.ac.uk/careers