Job Hunting Part 2: Writing a CV

Following on from the post last week about getting a job during the summer, something that you will need regardless of what job you apply to and how you apply is a CV and perhaps a cover letter. Writing a CV for the first time can be challenging as you don’t know exactly what companies are looking for, and what you need to prioritise in your CV. This week I will be talking about the most important things to include in a CV and cover letter.

The first thing that is often overlooked is presentation. Presentation is incredibly important – remember, this is the first thing that potential employers will be looking at to get a sense of who you are, and they will often receive many of these across their desk, so the little things matter. Make sure your CV is concise, a good guide is to try and fit it in a single A4 page, as no employer is going to want to read through pages and pages of waffle. Make sure it looks good and is formatted similar to your cover letter if you need one; Microsoft word has many templates for matching CVs and cover letters which are easy to use as you simply input your own information. Finally, small things like only sending your CV as PDFs with no blank pages at the end and making sure the file name is your full name, not just ‘CV’, as employers will have many of these, so making sure that it is recognisable as yours is important.

Now, lets discuss what needs to be put in a CV. A CV needs to be a holistic view of your professional career, so some important things are:

• Personal information: Your name and personal information should be easily accessible at the top of your CV. You should include your full name, a phone number, an appropriate email (one that can be used professionally, you may want to make a new one if your current one is not appropriate) and any relevant social medias such as a work Instagram or LinkedIn account.

• A short bio: A few sentences to say who you are, highlight some key skills and experience and what kind of job you are looking for. Remember, this is as much a selection process for you to choose a company that will fit you as they are choosing someone to fit their company, so making sure that you and the company are a good match is a priority for them as much as you.

• Education: A brief summary of your education level, where you went to school and what grades you achieved.

• Past experience: Any valid past experience you have with dates, a sentence or two describing what you did in that role and most importantly anything you achieved or learnt from that role.

• Skills: what skills do you have that makes you right for this role? A great tip is to look through the job description and see what kind of person they are looking for and include this within your skills. Do they want a team worker or a team leader? Are they looking for someone who has specific skills such as proficiency in a language or mathematical skills?

• Awards and certifications: Include any awards or certifications that are relevant to the job you are applying to.

It is also a good idea to tailor your CV and cover letter based on what kind of role you are applying for, so for example, highlighting different experience in your bio and changing the skills you have listed in the skills section. It is also a good idea to set up a LinkedIn account – this is essentially a social media for professionals where your profile is essentially your CV as many places allow you to apply through LinkedIn, which can make the process much easier.

Now on to cover letters. This is often in addition to a CV, and this is written as a letter highlighting why you want that role and what makes you good for it. It is a good idea to do some research about the company and the role so they can see that you are knowledgeable about the role but also that you genuinely want it. Like a CV, a cover letter should be well written but concise, no more than an A4 page at the very max. Ensure things like formatting are similar to the CV and it is presentable, and the same things apply such as exporting it as a PDF etc. Make sure to alter this slightly for every job you apply to, as every company and role will be slightly different.

Applying to jobs can be daunting, and often you have to apply to many jobs before getting one that you like. You may also be intimidated by jobs that require certain skills you do not have, but don’t skip on these! Most jobs will have training at the start, and as long as you meet most of the requirements, there is no harm in giving it a shot! Many times, if you don’t get that specific role, you may get referred to a similar role more suited to you. I know it is a cliché, but you do miss every shot you don’t take. This is a process where you will fail and get rejected at least a few times, so be prepared for that. Good luck everyone, and happy job hunting!