CVs and Covering Letters

CVs

CVs and Covering Letters enable you to capture the interest of employers and to show them what you can offer now, and indicate your potential for the future. But how can you make the most of these documents?

• Firstly, you should think through what you have to offer; your skills, your experience, achievements, personal characteristics and your interests.
• Secondly, you need to understand what they are looking for; this then enables you to relate what you have to offer, to what they want.

When creating your CV, keep in mind the following:

• Emphasise the points you want them to know about you. You can do this by positioning the most important points close to the top and giving a corresponding amount of detail and space.
• Think about the transferable skills you have developed, not just through your course, but through experiences at University, at School, through volunteering, through part-time/temporary work, through travel or through sports and other interests. Illustrate them by giving examples.
• It’s your document. You need to feel happy with it and will probably want to revise it several times before sending it out. Try to get feedback, maybe from friends and, if possible, from the Careers Service.
• Think about your use of language. This is a professional document and employers prefer not to see casual writing styles. Careful use of power words can sell your achievements more than long detailed paragraphs.

When writing a Covering Letter, keep in mind the following:

• Recruiters will often read the Covering Letter first. You need to generate enough interest to make them want to read your CV and then, hopefully, to invite you for interview
• Make sure you answer the following questions:
  • What is the job for which you are applying?
  • What is it about this job that interests you?
  • Why are you applying to this organisation?
  • What do you have to offer that makes you a candidate that they should consider for this job?
• Try not to duplicate your CV, but it can be useful to refer to things in your CV. For example – ‘you will see from my CV that I have …’

Getting help with your CV:

A carefully considered and well presented CV is an important tool in securing the job you want.

While most would agree that there is no such thing as a perfect CV, there are a number of steps you can and should take to improve your chances of success. In constructing your CV, have you:

• Researched what the employer is looking for in your chosen field?
• Built up a picture of the ideal candidate?
• Read the advice on preparing a CV available on the Careers Service website and in our booklets?

The Careers Consultants and Applications Advisers will be able to help by:

• Questioning you about the requirements of the role for which you are applying
• Exploring the main points that you want the CV to convey
• Offering feedback on the structure and content of your CV
• Providing advice to help you evaluate your CV and to develop the career management skills that will enable you to become self-sufficient.

Careers Consultants and Applications Advisers are able to provide this support on an individual basis or with small groups of students.

The Careers Consultant or Applications Adviser will not normally:

• Check spelling and grammar
• Provide repeated checks to make a CV word perfect.

Find out how to book to see a Careers Consultant or Applications Adviser