Applying for work: writing your first CV

A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is a document that outlines your skills, qualifications and work experience.

Many employers will expect you to apply for work by sending in a CV, so one of the first things you need to do before you go looking for work is to write one.

Employers use CVs to help them to choose who to interview. A good CV will persuade the employer that you are worth interviewing.  

You can use your CV:

• to apply for advertised jobs  
• to apply ‘on spec’ to employers
• to help you to fill in application forms
• to help you get ready for interviews 
• to jog your memory if you are asked questions when you phone about a job.

One of the hardest things about writing a CV is that, although you have to include your relevant skills, qualifications and experience, you also have to keep it short!

Most employers just don’t have the time, or energy, to read lengthy CVs.

So, knowing what to put in and, just as important, what to leave out of your CV is very important.

CV checklist

A good CV should be:

Other things to remember

• Be prepared to work at it to get it right.
• Don’t put ‘CV’ or ‘Curriculum Vitae’ at the top of your CV.
• Save an electronic master copy of your CV (on your hard drive, on disk or on a ‘memory stick’).
• Use Word or another word-processing package to adapt your CV for different jobs, and to try different styles or formats.
• Don’t go overboard on the formatting. Keep it simple.
• Update your CV whenever you learn, experience or achieve anything new.
• Take a copy of your CV with you to the interview.
• Attach a copy of the relevant job advert to the CV, and then you’ll be able to read them both over again before the interview.
• Always send a covering letter, or covering email, with your CV. (Read the article on ‘Applying for work: covering letters for your CV’.)
• Attach your CV to the email separately - don't send it in the body of the message. Don’t use an embarrassing email address, such as ‘snugglybunnykins@aol.com'!

What should you include in a CV?

You can set out your CV in lots of different ways. The main thing is to organize the relevant information into clear sections, and put these into a logical order.

Here is a general guide to the type of information you would normally include in CV.

1.    Personal details

• your full name 
• address
• postcode
• telephone number (with UK dialing code)
• e-mail address (if you have one). 

2.    Personal profile

This is a short statement – just two or three sentences – highlighting your main skills and personal qualities. It also gives you the opportunity to tell the employer what type of work you are interested in if you are sending your CV in ‘on spec’.

3.    Skills and achievements

Focus on skills that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. If the employer is looking for someone organized, and you are, tell them so. And, if it looks like your skill in making balloon animals will not be useful this time, don’t mention it.

Think about what the job involves. Make up a skills list for the job on a separate piece of paper. Then list your own relevant skills. Focus on the skills that you and the job have in common.

Your achievements should also be relevant, and recent. Winning the egg and spoon race in P6 is all very well, but mentioning a 100% attendance rate at school or college might be more impressive at this stage.

You can mention any prizes you’ve won, or positions of responsibility you’ve held. You might have helped to organise a school event, done voluntary work or collected for charity.  

4.    Education and qualifications

List each secondary school and college you’ve attended, including the town or city it is located in and the dates when you started and finished your course. Start with the most recent school or college and work back.

List your qualifications, including any that you have still to take, or have taken recently. Give the subject and level of the qualification - for example, Standard Grade Credit/General or SVQ 2 Business Administration) - and the grade or result (if you have it).  

5.    Work experience

List your most recent work experience first, and work back. Include work experience placements and any part-time work you’ve had. Give the dates, the employer’s name, your job title and a bit of information about the job, describing the duties and the skills you have developed as a result. 

6.    Interests

Keep this section fairly short. Mention any interests that demonstrate skills relevant to the job you are applying for (although this can be difficult in a first CV).

Interviewers may ask questions about your interests. So, don’t be tempted to make them up.

You may want to leave this section out once you have more work experience to include, and less space in your CV! 

7.    Referees

A referee is someone that an employer can contact for information about your character and suitability for a job. You don't have to name your referees on your CV, but most first time job seekers do.

You will need two referees; one should be a teacher from your school or a lecturer from your college. Your second referee could be your work experience placement provider, someone who employs you on a part time basis or a friend of the family. Always ask the person for their permission to name them as a referee before you add them to your CV. 

List the name, address, telephone number and email address (if possible) of both referees. Include their job title or say how you know each other, for example are they a neighbour, your football coach or a family friend.

Have a look at these sample CVs.

Sample 1. Kirsten (for an engineering Modern Apprenticeship)

 Sample 2:     Michael (for a playworker job)