CV Writing

Your CV is a very important document that sells your skills and abilities to potential employers. This information should enable you to put together the right CV for the right situation.

If you are finding that you are applying for jobs, but are failing to get interviews, it could be that your CV is at fault and you are underselling yourself.

Length

There is no correct length for a CV. However, the length should reflect your skills and experiences, however, we suggest:

Layout

Preparation is important. You should be concise, but do not miss out any vital information.

When applying for scientific jobs concentrate on any scientific employment, listing responsibility and achievements. Place other temporary or holiday jobs together, e.g.

1996-1998: Various temporary jobs

When listing your references, save vital space simply by using the phrase "available on request". If your CV does spill on to another page, references could be included.

Non-graduates

• There is no need for personal information to take up more than a fifth of a page of A4.
• All GCSE/'A' Level results and any relevant work experiences should be included.
• Interests should be highlighted.

Recent Graduates

• Again there is no need for personal information to cover more than a fifth of a side of A4.
• Include an aim, such as:-

  "To find employment as a junior scientist or technician to launch my scientific career"

• Concentrate on your most recent education, i.e. your degree, giving details of your course title, result, outline of courses and give the title of your dissertation/final year project with a short paragraph of detail. In bullet point form, list your achievements/skills.
• Only give brief details of GCSE's, e.g. "8 GCSE's-including Maths, English and Science."
• For 'A' Levels, just give your results.

Post-Doctorates

• You should still follow the basic CV format, i.e. only a fifth of a side of A4 on personal information and truncated early education.
• Your degree should still be important but do not include as much detail.
• The majority of your CV should be taken up with your research information. However do not neglect the fact that you have been working for 3-4 years and you may have developed other, non-scientific skills in organisation/presentation/management/etc..
• Include papers, conferences or presentations.
• When registering with an agency it is often a good idea to send in 2 CV's. One is a full CV which can be used when looking for jobs, and the second is a "dumbed down" version which could be used for securing temporary work to see you through. The latter should contain a statement saying you are prepared to do any work.

Experienced

• People with experience in the scientific industry still need to pay attention to their CV. Many people undersell themselves by missing out too much detail.
• Your work experiences should make up the majority of your CV (work details should be placed before education). The more experience you have the longer the CV can be. If you have had many jobs then a table could be advisable.

Style

• Choose a sensible font as this or this look unprofessional.
• Use the same font all the way through.
• Underline or embolden points but do not do both (and be consistent).
• Check all spelling.
• Bullet points/concise lists are good.

Agency CV's

• These should be of a more general nature.
• When sending your CV it is often advisable to send with it a an extra sheet with a list of skills gained at university or in industry. Include even minor skills.
• Agencies often use computerized databases and this may aid your selection.
• Also indicate in a covering letter whether you are prepared to relocate, if you have your own transport (and how far you will commute) and an approximate wage (remember that the average new graduate working in science gets around £9000).

Covering Letter

• When applying for jobs it is often required for you to send in a covering letter along with your CV.
• This letter should be hand-written and gives you a useful opportunity to highlight parts of your CV that are of particular relevance to the position for which you are applying.
• You should also aim to state what you wish to gain from employment by this company, e.g.

  "following my degree I wish to continue in the scientific environment and increase my knowledge of science"

• Also, this is a good chance to say what you can offer the company. Use positive words, e.g. enthusiasm, dedication, energetic, hard work, team working, flexibility. You need to come across as though you have something to offer the company.
• Always address the letter to the correct person and make sure the name is spelt correctly.

Some CV Do's and Don'ts

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