Emma Fry Careers Consultant3rd December 2019

CV writing

Forthcoming events:Moodle

• Not really used CV much yet (have mainly been in education), not sure how effective it is

• CV reflects jobs I have done but I am looking for different jobs now

• CV is very sector/career specific (eg medical) –how do I adjust it for different situations?

• CV was written to suit a non-UK country – how do I tailor it for UK jobs?

• Have reviewed many CVs from a recruiter perspective

What is your CV situation?

Principles for writing effective CVs

The recruiter perspective

CVs for career changers

What we will cover:

• Info relevant and targeted to job (reflect skills words from job ad/person specification)

• Be factual and specific, quantify where possible (size of team, size of study etc)

• Highlight achievements / outcomes where possible

• Avoid overly descriptive language, use active verbs (e.g. achieved, controlled, etc.)

Prioritise what you want the recruiter to see –starting point should be their job description/person spec

Principles (part 1): content

• Usually 2 pages in UK, unless stated otherwise

• Distinct sections, clear headings and subheadings

• Keep to point, use bullets, keep paragraphs to 4 lines or less

• Appropriate & consistent formatting / highlighting

• Check for spelling or grammar errors!

Aim for maximum clarity

Principles (part 2): format

How long would a recruiter typically spend looking at a CV?

You, the recruiter

Activity

Your turn…

Consider the CV pack and score them for the criteria given

Consider working with others in similar/different CV situation to you (knowledge sharing)

1. Personal details – name and basic contact details

2. Education – put some detail in

3. Work Experience (consider splitting experience into two sections to keep most relevant near the top)

4. Other Skills (or Technical Skills)

5. Referees – ‘references available on request’

Optional

Career Aim or Personal Profile

Positions of Responsibility or Special Achievements

Interests and Activities

List of Publications (most relevant to research & development roles in industry)

Tips: Organising the evidence – CV sections10

The ‘impact zone’

• Source: Keeping an eye on recruiter behaviour

• The Ladders

Put the most relevant where they are most likely to look

Presenting the evidence

Think action verbsanalysed, developed, evaluated, increased, initiated, implemented, led, liaised, organised, planned, presented, supervised, etc.

Stuck? http://www.thecvstore.net/blog/cv-power-words

Think concrete quantities“5,000 items”, “£50,000”, “team of 12”

Think real-world results“4 weeks before deadline”, “25% increase”, “excellent feedback”, “successful implementation”

More relevant

More room

More prominent

Key information on page 1 where possible

Keep the reader’s interest!

A 1-size fits all approach rarely works

Tailor your CV to the opportunity - not just the cover letter

A CV is not a life history - it’s a marketing pitch for your suitability for the opportunity

Signposting• Help the reader to find what they’re looking for• ‘Mimic’ keywords from the person specification• Bring keywords to the front of evidence using a ‘point: evidence

approach’

Remember: action words, quantify where possible

Don’t tell them, show them – with evidence

The issue?

CV reflects past experience

How to demonstrate you have the requirements

CVs for career changers

Short profile – your ‘story’

Focus on skills (backed up with specific examples)

Emphasise education

Address any CV skills ‘gaps’

The strategy

Your career background +

your studies here +

any other relevant factors =

The unique combination you would bring to the job

Formulating personal profile

Discuss…

Think film trailer…lens through which remainder of CV is read

Find our leaflets (‘helpsheets’) on this section of Moodle: https://ble.lshtm.ac.uk/mod/folder/view.php?id=104862

Our CV leaflet

Another helpsheet

Takeaway action:

Questions?

If you would like us to work on your CV with you book an appointment: https://ble.lshtm.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1070&section=3

For best advice bring:• Draft CV• Job description/person spec