{"id":10070,"date":"2023-04-24T14:04:00","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T13:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/?p=10070"},"modified":"2023-06-27T12:37:08","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T11:37:08","slug":"get-ahead-10-steps-to-a-successful-cv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/get-ahead-10-steps-to-a-successful-cv\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Ahead: 10 steps to a successful CV"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>Another week, another post as part of the\u00a0<\/em><em><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/?s=%23GetAhead\">#<strong>GetAhead blog series<\/strong><\/a><\/em><em>\u00a0we are introducing to inspire you during this new period of distant working and e-learning. This time we are looking at CVs. The post was written by one of our own Career Consultants, Vanissa Amliwala, who supports the School of Social Sciences, School of Finance and Accounting and MBAs. Enjoy!<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"color: #ff00ff\">*<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff99cc\">*<\/span>*<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">If you want to know how to write a good CV, why not follow our 10 steps to CV success.\u00a0 Whether your CV needs updating, or you are starting from scratch, putting together a CV might be easier than you think.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the letters CV, shorthand for the Latin phrase Curriculum Vitae, which means \u2018course of life\u2019.\u00a0 A CV is essentially your life story.<\/p>\n<p>On average, recruiters will spend 30 seconds reading your CV.\u00a0 So, what makes a successful CV?\u00a0 Here\u2019s our 10 steps to get you there\u2026.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10071 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2020\/04\/for-blog-8.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"559\" height=\"419\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2020\/04\/for-blog-8.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2020\/04\/for-blog-8-248x186.jpg 248w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2020\/04\/for-blog-8-496x372.jpg 496w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2020\/04\/for-blog-8-124x93.jpg 124w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2020\/04\/for-blog-8-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2020\/04\/for-blog-8-276x207.jpg 276w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2020\/04\/for-blog-8-476x357.jpg 476w, https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2020\/04\/for-blog-8-320x240.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Step 1 | Length <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A good CV is clear and concise.<\/li>\n<li>Keep it short, no more than 2 A4 pages, and don\u2019t waffle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Step 2 | Layout &amp; Format<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>There are two main CV formats:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Chronological \u2013 this is the most common CV format, it starts with your most recent job and then works backwards (reverse chronological order).<\/p>\n<p>Skills based or Functional CV \u2013 here your skills are the \u2018stars\u2019 because this format presents your main skill areas.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Think of the format that will best suit you. There are lots of CV examples in the <a href=\"https:\/\/engage-employability.westminster.ac.uk\/menu\/svc\/cms\">Career Discovery Feed on Engage<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Step 3 | What should I include?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Personal details \u2013 keep to: name (at the top, make it larger and bold), address (city\/county will do), mobile, email, LinkedIn URL, driving licence and work permit status (if relevant).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There is no reason, whatsoever, to include: a photo, date of birth, marital status, nationality, religion.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Personal\/Profile Statement \u2013 optional. A brief statement, no more than four lines, directly under your contact details. It should cover who you are, what you can bring and your career goals\/aspirations.<\/li>\n<li>Education<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>List in reverse chronological order, most recent first.\u00a0 Include: institution (university, college and secondary school), geographical location, qualification, subject, grade &#8211; do not embellish grades.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Employment History<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>List your most recent role first, include: name of company, geographical location, job title, dates of employment (month and year).\u00a0 Next highlight responsibilities, but don\u2019t just list tasks, include key achievements and skills that are relevant to the role you are applying for. Be specific &#8211; factual information and figures are good.\u00a0 Don\u2019t forget to include placements, internships, volunteering, gap year.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Additional Skills<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Add any additional skills or other information that is relevant and will help you stand out.\u00a0 This could include language skills, IT\/Digital Skills, awards or membership of professional bodies\/institutions.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Interests<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Make the most of your interests and don\u2019t be tempted to leave them out. Remember your CV is your \u2018whole\u2019 life story.\u00a0 Include three things, something:<\/p>\n<p>Cerebral &#8211; it could be reading, cryptic crosswords.<\/p>\n<p>Creative\/cultural \u2013 eg drawing, cooking, crafting, museums, art galleries, music.<\/p>\n<p>Sports or physical activity &#8211; team sports and positions of responsibility look good.<\/p>\n<p>Remember nothing too cliched, and avoid \u2018binging on box sets\u2019, \u2018socialising with friends\u2019- it does not create the best impression.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>References<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It is common practice to put \u2018references available upon request\u2019, unless specified by an employer.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When requested, try to include two references &#8211; an academic referee (lecturer or personal tutor) and a current or past employer. If you\u2019ve never worked before a character reference from someone who knows you well will be fine. Do not use a family member or a relative as a referee.<\/li>\n<li>Always seek permission from your referee beforehand \u2013 it\u2019s only polite!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Step 4 | Don&#8217;t be afraid of selling yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>We tend to be quite humble about our successes. But remember a great CV is one that will make you stand out, so don\u2019t be afraid to celebrate your achievements.<\/li>\n<li>A CV is about what you have done &#8211; try to quantify your success and impact with facts and figures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Step 5 | Be relevant &#8211; Tailor your CV <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Research the company and role thoroughly \u2013 look beyond the company website if you really want to impress.<\/li>\n<li>Don\u2019t be lazy and hope that a general CV will work because it won\u2019t. Make sure the experience you are communicating is relevant to the job you are applying. Look at the job description and person specification carefully.\u00a0 Do you meet the criteria? An employer will want to see that your CV is tailored to them and not generic.<\/li>\n<li>Take the time to change your CV for each job that you apply for. This doesn\u2019t mean that you have to rewrite the whole CV, just adapt the details so that they are relevant.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Step 6 | Keywords <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Write your CV for CV Robots and human eyes \u2013 90% of large companies use Applicant Tracking Software to scan CVs. Look for keywords in the job advertisement, job description and person specification. If your CV doesn\u2019t contain these all-important keywords you could miss out on being shortlisted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Step 7 | Language <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Don\u2019t mix up first person and third person, present and past tense. Pick a tense and stick to it.<\/li>\n<li>Try to use active language \u2013 positive action words are great.<\/li>\n<li>Make the spellchecker your best friend \u2013 poor spelling and grammar is the number one reason why an employer will reject your CV. Always double check your CV for spelling, grammar and punctuation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Step 8 | Presentation &amp; Design <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A poorly laid out CV with inconsistent formatting, multiple fonts and graphics will stand out for all the wrong reasons. Successful CVs are always carefully and clearly presented.<\/li>\n<li>Choose a clear, legible font, the body text should be no smaller than size 11 font.<\/li>\n<li>Use bullet points to enhance the look of your CV and don\u2019t forget to keep sentences short.<\/li>\n<li>Remember the CV hotspot \u2013 the upper middle of the first page is where your eye will naturally fall, so make sure you include your most important information here.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Step 9 | Pay attention to detail <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Check every detail.\u00a0 Don\u2019t give an employer an excuse to reject your CV because of poor spelling, grammar and punctuation.\u00a0 Ask someone to double check what you have written.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\ud83d\udca1 Step 10 | Hurrah!<\/strong>\u00a0 Success, you have completed your CV.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10076 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2020\/04\/200-8.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"355\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"color: #ff00ff\">*<\/span><span style=\"color: #ff99cc\">*<\/span>*<\/p>\n<p><em>A big thank you to Vanissa for sharing her top 10 tips of building a successful CV. We hope you find this useful and tune in again next week for another post as part of the #GetAhead blog series!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>E:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:careers@westminster.ac.uk\">careers@westminster.ac.uk<\/a>|\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\">Website<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/University-of-Westminster-Career-Development-Centre\/144926765535925\">Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/uw_careers\">Twitter<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/universityofwestminstercareers\/\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|<a href=\"http:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/careers\/category\/westminster-business-school\/\">Careers Blog<\/a>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Another week, another post as part of the\u00a0#GetAhead blog series\u00a0we are introducing to inspire you during this new period of distant working and e-learning. This time we are looking at CVs. 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