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Writing A Good CV

A curriculum vitae is a presentation of your basic academic, personal and work experience details. It should be word processed and accompanied by a covering letter.

In contrast to an application form, you are in control of the content of your CV - you don't have to answer the set of questions asked on application form but are free to highlight your best points and adapt the style to suit you.

There is no fixed format for writing a CV but several well- accepted variants. However, there are some points to note:

  • Print your CV on good quality paper
  • Spelling and grammar - check, check and check again

Basic Framework of a CV

Your CV should contain the following information:

  • Name
  • Home Address (and dates if a student with a term address)
  • Contacts: email, phone and mobile
  • Personal Statement: you in a short paragraph, your key selling points and why an employer should choose you
  • Education and Qualifications
  • Degree Details
  • Work Experience
  • Referees (name, contact details and relationship to you)

Optional additional headings (if relevant):

  • Other positions of responsibility
  • Interests and Activities
  • Additional Information not covered in the above

Gender, nationality, age or date of birth should not be included.

Presentation and Style

  • Use one font, clean, modern and straightforward. Avoid too much emphasis (use either bold, capitals, undelining or italics) as it often detracts from the content and looks less professional.
  • Make effective use of the paper width, space your text clearly but do not waste space.
  • Avoid long sentences, use bullet points to get to the point. Here are some examples:
    • giving presentations and regularly chairing club meetings
    • establishing new customer care systems
    • using MS Office and Adobe software
  • Use facts and figures to illustrate your achievements ('While in post, I introduced measures that saw a 12% reduction in customer complaints').
  • Use only well-known abbreviations.