CVs
What is a CV (Curriculum Vitae)?
- Curriculum Vitae literally means 'record of life'.
- It's a personal marketing tool, presenting your qualifications, skills and attributes to employers in a way that demonstrates your suitability for the job or position.
Why you need a CV
- It's a document you'll use to apply for advertised and non-advertised positions.
- You'll need one to apply for vacation or part time work as well as for graduate positions and courses.
- The purpose of your CV is to get you an interview…in order to get the job.
Is there a perfect CV?
- Yes. The perfect CV is the one that opens the right doors for you in career fields that represent your personal objectives and your capabilities.
- A perfect CV is interesting, accurate and up to date. It is easy to read and carefully presented.
Is there ONE perfect CV?
- No. In today's world you should develop several 'perfect' CVs by tailoring them to the roles for which you're applying.
Is there a standard CV?
- The following will explain the standard or the most commonly used types of CV and will give you some guidelines on how to get started. However, it's important to remember that your CV is as individual as you are and you should choose a style that works for you. Use these pages, the Further Resources section at the end along with advice from your Careers Adviser to enable you to achieve this.
Getting Started with your CV
- Familiarise yourself with the typical sections and design of a CV.
- Start by writing everything relevant down. Don't worry about length or style at this point.
- Sort your information into categories such as 'Education', 'Work Experience' etc.
- Experiment with powerful headings, for example 'Relevant Skills', 'Key Achievements', and with layout, to draw attention to the vital facts you want the reader to see at a glance.
- Use powerful, positive words ('action words') to help you describe and maximize your achievements
CV examples
We have a range of CV examples available online.