You may have spotted our extensive personal statement section with hundreds of examples to help you apply to uni – well, here is an example CV and covering letter to help you land a job either as a graduate, before university or as an alternative to university. There is no one right way to set out your CV so do not worry if yours looks different from the example below. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when setting out your own CV.
1. Don’t squash all the information up – this does not make it easy for prospective employers to read and if it’s not easy to read…in the bin it goes!
2. Don’t go over two pages – now this may seem tricky given number 1 on this list! But if all your information doesn’t fit on two sides of A4 without looking cluttered, you need to take some information out. Remember, keep the most recent and most relevant experiences and delete that bit about your paper round when you were 13!
3. Have clear headings – generally speaking, the most common headings to include on a CV are: Education and Qualifications, Employment Experience, something along the lines of Achievements, Voluntary Work and Interests and finally the Referee section.
Example CV:
<<Your Name>>
Address:
<<Your address>>
Mobile: <<Your mobile number>>
Email: <<Your email address>>
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
<<Dates attended>>: <<Your University/College>>, <<Your course>>, <<predicted/actual grade>>.
Enter some information here about how long your course is, what it has involved (for example a lot of group work, presentations, working with young people or perhaps a lot of statistics). Also mention relevant or interesting topics that you have covered in your course.
<<Dates attended>>: <<Your school, school’s address>>
A/AS Levels: <<Subjects and grades achieved>>
GCSEs: <<Subjects and grades achieved>>
<<Mention any awards achieved while at school if relevant, for example commendation for helping in the classroom or achieving a top mark in a test>>
EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE
<<Dates in employment>>: <<Job Title, Company Name, Address>>
<<A short sentence describing the role followed by:
– A bullet point list
– Of some of the most relevant
– Parts of your job>>
<<Dates in employment>>: <<Job Title, Company Name, Address>>
<<A short sentence describing the role followed by:
– A bullet point list
– Of some of the most relevant
– Parts of your job>>
<<Repeat for more relevant job experience>>
ACHIEVEMENTS, VOLUNTARY WORK & INTERESTS
– <<Include here any achievements that you have not already mentioned including awards at university/college>>
– <<Any interests for example, are you a member of any sports teams? Have you done any coaching or captaining? Do you play an instrument and what grades have you passed?>>
– <<Have you completed any voluntary work or charity fundraising? Employers really value experiences like this so don’t forget to mention them! If you don’t have any of these experiences, see our voluntary work section to see how you can get involved!>>
REFEREES
<<Referee name>>
<<Job Title>>
<<Company/School/University Name>>
<<Institution’s address>>
<<Email Address>>
<<Phone number>>
<<Referee name>>
<<Job Title>>
<<Company/School/University Name>>
<<Institution’s address>>
<<Email Address>>
<<Phone number>>
Covering Letter Example for a Management Consultancy Role
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am currently studying at <<University/College>> and heard about your job vacancy for <<job title>> through my careers department. I am extremely keen to have the opportunity to learn more about the company and proceed with the application process for the role of <<job title>>.
My current part-time employment as a <<job title of part-time job>> at <<company name>> has provided me with a sound introduction into the varied field of consultancy and I am eager to pursue a role with <<company applying to>> that will allow me to develop my skills in this area. My degree in <<name of degree>> has ingrained a critical approach into the way I work. This is evident in all that I do.
Outside of work and academia, I <<mention here a hobby/interest outside of work, for example a keen sportsperson>>. <<Give more details of how this interest has helped you develop certain skills that will be useful in your job, for example: I feel that the leadership skills I have refined through these activites would be greatly beneficial in a role as a <<job title>> with <<company name>>.
Another important quality is the ability to work well in teams and I feel this is one of my strengths which I demonstrate most frequently. <<Give specific examples in the past where you have displayed this skill or choose another skill area, for example verbal communication>>.
I enjoy being challenged and I am confident that I have many suitable skills for the <<job title>> role with <<company name>> but that also the role will provide me with some challenges that I will enjoy facing.
Please find attached my CV with more details of my relevant experience and qualifications.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
<<Your name>>
Feel free to use the above as templates for your own CV and covering letter but ensure you make yours unique so you stand out from the rest of the crowd. And finally, good luck!!!