Creating your CV

Career KnowHow Series

Careers & Employability, Student Life

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Writing your CV
This handout aims to help you gain the knowledge and ability to create and tailor a CV. It
will focus on these key areas:
1. CV Dos and Donts
2. CV Layout
3. Selling yourself
4. Employability skills/transferable skills for your CV
5. Writing for impact
6. Chronological CV template
7. Skills based CV template
8. Sending your CV

1. CV dos and donts

Do

Dont

Always TARGET your CV to each

job. Check the specifics of what a
CV looks like for your sector.

Dont lie. Be honest and objective. You

will be questioned about your CV in
detail during the interview

MATCH the skills you have to the

skills the employer is looking for

Dont use the same CV for all your

applications target!

Make it EASY TO READ: an

attractive layout will grab an
employers attention

Dont write curriculum vitae at the top

of your CV

Pay attention to GRAMMAR and

SPELLING: your CV may not get
through to the next stage if there are
mistakes
Give SPECIFIC EXAMPLES to
illustrate your skills. Remember who,
what, when and how
Get someone to CHECK over your
CV before submitting your
application.

Dont write long descriptive sentences,

keep them concise and to the point
Dont be downbeat. Avoid negative
words, false modesty or inappropriate
email addresses.
Dont include a photograph unless you
are applying for a job in the modelling
or acting profession

2. CV layout
When deciding what layout to use, always think RELEVANCE and TARGETTING. Put
the most relevant information about you and your biggest selling points which relate to
the job, near the top of your CV. Its often a good idea to put yourself in the employers
shoes if you were an employer, what would you want to see on a candidates CV?
There are 2 main types of CVs, although be aware that there are lots of variations on
these 2 types and these can work perfectly well.
Chronological CV
-

Lists education, work and other experiences in reverse order, starting with the
most recent first. CV1 is an example of a Chronological CV
This is most commonly used if you have relevant work experience in relation to the
job and/or your education is your biggest selling point
Skills developed will be interweaved into the body of the CV rather than in a
separate section.

Skills Based CV / Functional CV

-

This type of CV emphasises skills required for the job in a specific section, details
on education and work experience will be brief. See CV2.
This layout is best if you have limited work experience but can demonstrate
evidence of the required skill set i.e. communication skills, team work and time
management through your degree, part - time work, volunteering.
It is also useful for career changers who may have a lot of experience but want to
show how skills are relevant to a different job.

CV Headings and Order

There is no one-size fits all template when it comes to CVs, what you put in or leave out
of your CV can be interchangeable depending on the job applied for. Generally:

* Indicates that these headings can

Personal Details
be used/swapped around according
Profile/career objective*
to what is most suitable to you in
Education*
relation to the job applied for.
Relevant Work Experience*
Additional/Other Work Experience*
Skills*
Additional Information /Positions of Responsibility/Achievements*
Interests
References

3. Selling yourself
REMEMBER: Before your write your CV, its really important that you can reflect on who
you are and what skills and experience you can offer. Always put your unique selling
points near the top of your CV and make sure they are relevant to the job you are
applying for.
Look at the advertisement snippet below:
Applicants should be organised individuals with a desire to learn and develop in
the field of direct marketing. No experience in the field is required, as full training
will be provided, but applicants must have a resilient can-do attitude, be able to
meet deadlines, and to work under pressure with a range of stakeholders.
Applicants should also be good team players, have sound administrative skills,
and be comfortable in a computerised environment.
Establish what skills the employer wants
From this you can establish that the employer has set some key criteria, these are the
words in bold and these are the skills you need to match within your CV.
Document your evidence and subsequent employability/transferable skills
This may not be the final version, but will provide a good framework to work from. The
following approach may help you in this
Skills

Evidence
Developing relevant skills and knowledge through my degree.

Desire to learn
and develop

Training courses attended via work covered effective

customer service skills and promotional activities.
Completed a placement year within a marketing department.

Helped to form new student society.

Can-do
attitude

Promoted and marketed the society and gained 25 members.

Developed a varied programme of events.

Able to meet
deadlines
Administrative
and IT skills

Worked to challenging targets in my part-time job.

Met multiple assignment deadlines throughout my studies.

Experienced user of MS Word etc.

4. Employability skills / transferable skills for your CV

Some skills are highly specific in nature and particular to an occupation, e.g.
programming skills within computing or being able to perform x-ray crystallography.
Employability skills/transferable skills on the other hand are the softer skills that enable
you to be more effective in your day to day working role.
Recruiters will ask for evidence of these skills. Being able to identify when, where and
how you developed certain transferable skills and competencies will give you a head-start
in terms of writing your CV and performing well at interview.
Here are some examples of employability/transferable skills. Dont feel you have to
squeeze all of them onto your CV but it would be useful to get some of them in.

Skills
Decision making
Problem solving
Planning
Oral communication
Written communication
Negotiating
Adapting
Leadership
Business awareness
Researching information
Flexibility
IT literacy
Time management
Numeracy
Team working
Ability to prioritise

Definition
Identifying options, evaluating them, and then choosing
the most appropriate course of action.
Identifying and using an appropriate method or
technique to arrive at a solution.
Working out how to schedule available resources and
activities in order to meet an objective or deadline
Using speech to express ideas and give information or
explanations effectively.
Producing grammatical, well expressed, easily
understood and interesting text in an appropriate format.
Holding discussions with people in order to reach a
position of mutual satisfaction and agreement.
Changing or modifying your behaviour in response to
the needs, wishes or demands of others.
Being able to lead and motivate, set direction, and win
the commitment of others.
An interest in and knowledge of, the commercial
environment.
Finding information appropriate to an issue from a
variety of sources.
Being able to change plans and respond to new
information and/or situations
Understanding and being able to use a range of office
software such as word processing, spreadsheets and
databases.
Ability to manage personal tasks effectively and to meet
deadlines.
Ability to use and work with figures.
Ability to work effectively with others to achieve
objectives.
Being able to decide priorities for achieving targets.

A useful technique to use in trying to write down evidence of your skills is by using the
STAR acronym. This is a useful tool for reflecting on your key selling points when writing r
CVs, applications as well as for preparing for job interviews. STAR stands for:S ituation

think of a situation where you had to use / demonstrate a skill

T ask

what was the actual task you had to carry out?

A ction

what did you actually do? (focus on what YOU did)

R esult

what was the result / outcome?

Here is an example which could be used to illustrate a number of different transferable

skills e.g. researching information, team working, planning and organising etc.
Situation
Required to work as part of a small project team which had to carry out a financial
planning exercise and then present findings to fellow students and Tutors for formal
assessment.
Task
My specific role was to research the different business plan models and prepare a
briefing paper with my recommendations as to which model the team should use. This
was to be achieved within a very tight time frame.
Action
The action I took was to research business plans on various web sites, visit several local
banks for advice and obtain information containing BP models. Spoke to the local
Business Advice Service for advice.
Result
Outcome - I prepared a report with assessments of the various BP models and my
recommendation for which one the team should adopt. This was achieved within the
target date owing to effective planning and organising of meetings with various parties.
We were commended for our presentation and in particular the quality and effectiveness
of our business plan by both students and the assessors (we received a mark of 78%).

5. Writing for impact

The language you use within your CV is important. Note the writing style within the points
of evidence below; items listed begin with positive verbs, e.g. developed, promoted,
completed etc. These emphasise action and contribution and will convey a positive
image to the employer reading your CV. Listing skills without evidence is rarely effective.
Here are some other words or phrases that could be incorporated into your CV and
covering letter:
Useful phrases:
More than x years extensive and
diverse experience in . . .

Initially employed to/joined organisation to

specialise in . . .

Demonstrated skills in . . .

Experienced in all facets/phases/aspects

of . .

Extensive academic/practical
background in . .

Promoted to . . .

In charge of implementing . . .

Proven track record in . . .

Knowledge of . ./experienced as . . .

Experience involved/included . . .

Extensive training/involvement in . . .

Successful in/at developing . . .

Constant interaction with . . .

Reported to senior management when . . .

Provided technical assistance to . . .

Disseminated results of analysis . . .

Worked closely with . . .

Instrumental in . . .

Succeeded in . . .

Good knowledge of . . .

Planned and managed . . .

Supported customers/colleagues with . . .

Initiated financial savings by . . .

Researched, assessed and synthesised. . .

Positive, power words:

Achieved
Adaptable
Administered
Advised
Analysed
Arranged
Assessed
Broadened
Built
Capable
Collated
Communicated
Competent
Completed
Composed
Consistent
Consulted
Controlled
Co-ordinated
Created
Customerfocused
Dedicated
Delegated
Demonstrated
Designed
Determined
Developed
Devised
Diagnosed
Diligent
Directed

Distributed
Effective
Efficient
Eliminated
Enabled
Encouraged
Engineered
Ensured
Established
Evaluated
Expanded
Experienced
Expertise
Facilitated
Flexible
Focused
Generated
Goal-oriented
Guided
Hard-working
Helpful

Keen
Launched
Led
Liaised
Managed
Maintained
Mediated
Minimised
Modernised
Monitored
Motivated
Negotiated
Networked
Operated
Organised
Participated
Performed
Persuaded
Planned
Presented
Pro-active

Quantified
Reacted
Recommended
Refined
Repaired
Represented
Researched
Resourceful
Resolved
Responded
Restored
Revamped
Reviewed
Significant
Simplified
Solved
Specialised
Streamlined
Strengthened
Successful
Supervised

Honest
Identified
Implemented
Improved
Influenced
Initiated
Instigated
Instructed
Interacted
Introduced

Processed
Produced
Productive
Proficient
Profitable
Programmed
Promoted
Proposed
Provided
Qualified

Thorough
Trained
Transformed
Trustworthy
Undertook
Unsupervised
Valued
Versatile
Volunteered
Willing

6. Example of chronological CV
JAMES PARKER
Address:
Tel:
Email:

14 Flower Street, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 8XX

0121 123 4567
J.G.Parker-student@student.salford.ac.uk

PROFILE

Predicted 2:1 degree in Computer Science and Information Systems.

12 months experience of database development with Boots PLC.
Undertaking industry-based data security project for Boots PLC.

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATIONS

2009-2013

University of Salford
BSc (Hons) Computer Science & Information Systems (2.i expected)
Includes Systems Analysis, Programming Methods, Networks, Artificial Intelligence,
Web Development, Databases and Software Engineering.
Final Year Project: Conducting a study of data security systems within Boots
R&D department. This will involve product research, analysing system
requirements and presenting recommendations to IT and R&D department
managers.

2007-2009

Eric Watson College, Birmingham

A Levels: Computer Science (B), Mathematics (B), Geography (D), General
Studies (D).

2002-2007

Maryhill Higher School, Birmingham

9 GCSEs: Grades A to C including Mathematics and English.

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

2011-2013

Data Processing Assistant, Boots

Co-ordinated work on drawing up specifications for a new database system and web
interfaces.
Planned the required work for myself and one other person and monitored this plan
to ensure target deadlines were met.
Analysed information requirements and designed and built web based forms and
questionnaires to feed information into the database.
Trained other staff in the operation of the new packages.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Good knowledge of JAVA, C++, HTML, Oracle and Firewall and security systems.
Experienced in the use of office applications including Access, Excel, Word and Powerpoint.

SKILLS
Problem
Solving

When undertaking analysis of data requirements for the new database at

Boots, there was very little common ground emerging from users. I
presented a number of solutions and asked users to rank them. The result
being that one of my solutions was taken forward for implementation.

Customer
Service

Working with a variety of customers at Asda helped develop my

communication and listening skills ensuring a positive and friendly manner at
all times.

Time
Whilst working in Boots, I had to plan and manage work for myself and one
Management other person. To ensure deadlines were met I kept an up to date Outlook
diary as well as getting weekly check ins from my colleague to ensure
deadlines were met.
OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE
Summer 2010

Contractor Supervisor, Birmingham City Council

Organised this period of 4 weeks vacation work during which I supervised contractors decorating
the Town Hall. I gained valuable experience in planning, organising and problem solving when
delays occurred.
2007 2009

Checkout Operator, Asda

I worked mostly in the evenings on point-of-sale cash tills providing the high levels of customer
service demanded by Asda.
2006 2008

Trolley Collector, Asda

I achieved a quality award within the first month for my work.

INTERESTS
Member, and now Treasurer of the University Hiking Club. I manage funds of up to 3,000 per
year. I planned routes and camp sites for two sponsored treks on the Pennine Way. Each raised
over 1,000, for local charities.
I have played the violin since the age of 7 and have Grade VI theory and Grade VII practice. I
play in the South Birmingham Youth Orchestra and lead the string section.
REFEREES
Dr C. Charles (Course Tutor)
School of Computing, Science & Engineering
University of Salford
Manchester
M5 4WT
0161 295 5555

Miss F. Lawton (HR Manager)

Boots PLC
New Hall Street
Birmingham
B24 5XX
0161 295 4444

7. Example of skills-based CV recent graduate

Anne Heatherway
Flat A1 Billbrook common, 35 Batley Lane, Salford, Manchester, M6 1FU
Mobile: 07794 123456
Email: A.heatherway123@gmail.com

Personal Profile
I have recently graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Media & German with Business
and am now seeking to develop a career in training & development.

Relevant Skills
Communication:
Learned to communicate in a clear and concise manner when teaching English to fellow
employees at Deutcsh-Englishen in Berlin;
Negotiated confidently with prominent university decision makers to resolve issues related
to resources and teaching whilst employed as Student Liaison Representative, and also
produced cohesive end-of year written report;
Participated in recent Communication skills day organised by Graduate Prospects.
Organisational & Timekeeping:
Developed a comprehensive spreadsheet to aid in prioritising and resolving issues
accurately and efficiently whilst employed as Student Liaison Representative;
Trusted by Tescoburys management to plan my sections effectively when supporting biannual warehouse reorganisation & always completed on-time for catalogue launch;
Managed my workload at university by listing deadlines and planning to complete work
around employment and volunteering commitments.
Research:
Conducted market research to develop an effective advertising campaign for local charity
within their budget of 500, commended for innovation & achieved First;
Investigated effect of the Internet on Services Industry for final year essay & awarded 1st;
Researched subject matter and vocabulary of texts to ensure accuracy of translations.
Teamwork:
Participated in Army-led Teamwork & Leadership day where I enabled all team members
to get involved by explaining clearly a members idea for completing a task;
Trusted by class teacher to support supply teachers with classroom activities, admin and
unfamiliar procedures when recently volunteered for 6 months at local primary school;
Led by example whilst employed as Supervisor at Argos by taking ownership and
demonstrating my commitment to excellent customer service.

Education
2009 - 2013:

The University of Salford

BA (Hons) Media and German with Business First Class

2006 - 2008:

Preston College
A-Levels: English Literature (C), English Language (C), German (B)

2001 - 2006:

Saint Peters School, Preston

9 GCSEs 5As, 4 Bs.

Employment
Sep 12 - Jun 13:
Student Liaison Representative, University of Salford.
Resolved a number of student issues by collaborating with key university decision makers in a
confident, assertive and constructive manner and raising issues to School or Faculty level when
necessary. I also recruited student reps to voice student views at staff/student committee level.
Sep11-Aug 12:
English Teacher / Office Assistant, Deutsch-Englishen
During the sandwich year of my degree I worked for a German engineering company where my
main duty was to prepare and teach English lessons to fellow employees. In addition, I
translated documents from German into English, such as an instruction manual for SAP. I
became proficient with many SAP transactions, and with the companys internal software, which
I used to upload all documents, relating to Berlins projects, for internal worldwide use.
Oct 10 - May 11:
Part-time Customer Service Advisor, Tescoburys, Salford.
Maintained a high level of customer service within the clothing department by taking the time to
help customers find the perfect outfit or size. Management quickly trusted me to contribute to
visual planning, enabling me to demonstrate my creativity and initiative.
Nov 09 - Oct10:
Weekend Supervisor, Card Factory, Salford.
Joined as a temporary member and was quickly promoted to a senior position because of my
enthusiasm and self-motivation. The role developed my perseverance and leadership skills,
and I enjoyed making important decisions in a fast-paced environment, handling customer
queries and complaints, and organising and motivating the team. I also supported tillreconciliation and banking, stock replenishment and warehouse re-organisation as required

Work Experience
Oct 10 - Mar 11:
Volunteer TA & Reading Helper, Salford High School, Salford.
Supported year 3/4 primary school teacher twice a week. Assisted with Literacy and Numeracy
in the mornings and read with 3 children in the afternoons following training from the charity
Volunteer Reading Help. Learned about school policies - behaviour management procedures,
marking techniques, and learning objectives, and also supervised group of 5 pupils on a trip.

Other Skills and Experience

Computer literate and am currently enhancing skills and knowledge in using social
media to support marketing campaigns
Possess clean current driving licence.

Interests
Volunteering. 2011 Mentored 2 international students. 2009 - Taught at primary school in
Ghana, Africa for 6 weeks during gap year. 2007/08- Won a Lancashire County Council Young
Achiever award for a year of volunteering at a care kitchen project for the homeless.
Sport. Enjoy biking & swimming to keep fit.
Travel. I spent a year living in Berlin and aim to visit India, New Zealand and Cambodia.

References available on request

8. Example of a skills/Functional CV - older student

with work substantial work experience
Martha Wright
26 Riverside Road
Reddish
Stockport
SK18 2XX

Tel: 0161 123 4567

Mobile: 07777 987654
Email: maw@yahoo.co.uk

Business Studies graduate in Banking and Finance, with seventeen years

experience in personal and corporate banking. A track record of strong relationship
building skills with key clients in fast-paced commercial environments. Efficient,
focused and completes work with a high attention to detail.
SKILLS
Communication: Successfully maintained close working relationships with business
customers at NatWest Bank. Achieved this by providing complex information in plain
language and by paying close attention to their requirements. Have also developed
advocacy skills in my role as Student Representative where I presented student
views and concerns at the Staff Student Committee.
IT: Experienced user of MS Excel, Access, Word, PowerPoint. Familiar with SAGE
accounting software and SPSS statistics packages. I can build websites using HTML
and have designed and produced a website for a friends business.
Business Awareness: As a Small Business Adviser, I assessed business plans and
lending proposals from new businesses. This required judgements about the likely
success of proposed business ventures and deciding appropriately. I provided advice
to proposers on how to construct a business plan.
Organisational: The demands of being a full time student, having a part-time job
and family commitments have required me to plan my time thoroughly to ensure that
deadlines are met and that quality of work is maintained to a high standard.
Teamwork: In team assignments at University, I have encouraged all group
members to contribute to decision making and production of work plans by asking
open-ended questions, using brainstorming and summarising interim group decisions
to check for agreement.
EDUCATION
University of Salford
2010-2013
BSc (Hons) Business Studies with Financial Management
Broad-based business degree covering management, economics and finance.
Specialised in finance in the Final Year. This included management accounts,
company law, the corporate financial environment and auditing. Completed a
dissertation examining the effects of regulation on the process of new business set
up.

Stockport College of FE
2008-2010
A Levels (Evening Course) Business Studies B, Economics B.
Stockport Grammar School
1989- 1994
8 GCSEs Grade C and above including English and Mathematics.
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION/TRAINING
Institute of Bankers Examinations
Passed Stages 1 and 2.

1994-1997

NatWest Employee Development Programme

1999-2006
Courses undertaken included Negotiation Skills, Understanding Small Business,
Supervisory Skills, Business Planning and Corporate Taxation.
Also attended courses on Presentation Skills and IT skills courses covering use of
spreadsheets and NatWest internal software packages.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Lloyds TSB Call Centre, Team Leader
Sept 2008 - present
This has been a part-time job throughout my time at University. I am currently a
Team Leader supervising 20 part-time staff, with responsibility for their training and
attendance rotas.
NatWest Bank, Small Business Adviser
Sept 1994 - June 2006
Advised new business start ups on their business plans and proposals, assessing
applications for loans and providing information on some of the technical and
financial aspects of setting up a business.
Previous roles included aspects of personal banking, including managing a portfolio
of premium customer accounts, providing brokering services in the NatWest Share
Shop and working as a cashier in a busy city centre branch.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Raised 1,500 for my daughters play group by organising a sponsored fun run. This
involved devising a course, raising interest from our local newspaper, recruiting other
parents to provide assistance and accounting for all the money raised. In all 50
runners took part.
As student representative on my course, I achieved a change to the course
assessment schedule. Students expressed concern that coursework deadlines were
too close together. I logged the deadlines over the previous year and presented this
information to our Programme Leader. Agreement was reached that deadlines would
be spaced out better in future.
INTERESTS

Web design I have set up and run my own website.

Member of Reddish Rugby Union Club and regularly play for the Third XV.
References available on request

8. Sending your CV
Are you:
Happy that your CV meets the requirements of the job specification?
Sure that there are no grammatical or spelling errors?
Pleased by its eye catching and easy to read layout?
If s, it is time to send your CV. Generally, always send a Covering Letter with your
CV, please see our handout for information on this:
http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk/page/apply_interview
There are two main methods of submitting a CV:
1. Mail
2. Email
If asked to attach your CV, follow these simple rules to ensure it arrives in legible
format:
- Go for a standard typeface i.e. Arial
- Keep the main font size between 10-12, any larger may not scan accurately
- Ensure that you format the CV so that it prints out accurately, PDF is
preferable

Further Help
The following books are available for reference in the Careers & Employability Library;
Winning CVs for First-time Job Hunters by Kathleen Houston
The Perfect CV by Max Eggert
Creating Winning CVs and Applications by Kathleen Houston
Preparing Your Own CV by Rebecca Corfield
Why you? CV Messages to win jobs by John Lees
7 Keys to a winning CV, How to create a CV that gets results by Mildred Talabi
More help with applications and interviews is available on the Careers &
Employability website http://www.careers.salford.ac.uk or you can telephone 0161
295 5088 to book an appointment with a Careers Consultant. We also have CV
drop-in clinics every week. For dates and times visit our website or call our number
as above.

Updated September 2013 (AK)