The Essential Guide To Applying For Jobs For Postgraduates : Part 1 - CVs Elizabeth Wilkinson University of Manchester Careers Service

What We Will Cover Why You Need A Great CV CV Conventions Types of CV Getting The Employer’s Attention Targeting Impact “ Skimmability”

Why You Need A Great CV

CV Conventions

Types of CV

Getting The Employer’s Attention

Targeting

Impact

“ Skimmability”

Do I Want To Read This? Presentation - “arms length” test Content - “90 second” test Does it get me interested immediately? Is the good stuff on the first page? Is it targeted to me? Yes Maybe No

Presentation - “arms length” test

Content - “90 second” test

Does it get me interested immediately?

Is the good stuff on the first page?

Is it targeted to me?

CV Conventions Which country? A UK CV is different to a US CV is different to a US resume… How long? 1, 2, 3, more pages? Depends on the job, not the applicant National legislation Age, Marital status, Gender, Nationality CV Fashions Don’t worry about spelling Curriculum Vitae – use your name!

Which country?

A UK CV is different to a US CV is different to a US resume…

How long? 1, 2, 3, more pages?

Depends on the job, not the applicant

National legislation

Age, Marital status, Gender, Nationality

CV Fashions

Don’t worry about spelling Curriculum Vitae – use your name!

Types of CV Reverse Chronological (including CVs for PhD Applications) Skills Based Academic Refer to handouts for example CVs: For 1 & 2, see CVs From Scratch For 1, 2 & 3, see Effective CVs For Research Students

Reverse Chronological (including CVs for PhD Applications)

Skills Based

Academic

Refer to handouts for example CVs:

For 1 & 2, see CVs From Scratch

For 1, 2 & 3, see Effective CVs For Research Students

1. Reverse Chronological CV Often includes Personal details Education Work History Positions of Responsibility Skills eg. IT, languages Interests References (2 referees)

Often includes

Personal details

Education

Work History

Positions of Responsibility

Skills eg. IT, languages

Interests

References (2 referees)

CV for PhD Applications Generally reverse chronological CV, emphasising University course grades, especially later years Project/Lab work – vacations, academic projects Techniques & knowledge acquired Attendance at relevant seminars Evidence of original thinking and ability to work independently Interest in subject, over and above coursework

Generally reverse chronological CV, emphasising

University course grades, especially later years

Project/Lab work – vacations, academic projects

Techniques & knowledge acquired

Attendance at relevant seminars

Evidence of original thinking and ability to work independently

Interest in subject, over and above coursework

2. Skills Based CV Often includes Personal details Personal profile Skills Profile eg. examples of teamworking Education Work history Interests References (2 referees)

Often includes

Personal details

Personal profile

Skills Profile eg. examples of teamworking

Education

Work history

Interests

References (2 referees)

3. Academic CV Often includes Personal details Education & Prizes Research interests – past, current, future Research experience Teaching & administrative experience Professional memberships Publications and attendance at conferences References (3 referees)

Often includes

Personal details

Education & Prizes

Research interests – past, current, future

Research experience

Teaching & administrative experience

Professional memberships

Publications and attendance at conferences

References (3 referees)

Employers How to give them: What they want How they want it In a way which impresses them

How to give them:

What they want

How they want it

In a way which impresses them

Targeting Aim at whoever is reading it What do they want to know? Researching jobs and employers Ask for job specs, person specs Web sites – recruitment, department, corporate News items, recent academic publications Talk to them – recruitment fairs, mutual contacts, seminars, meetings of professional associations

Aim at whoever is reading it

What do they want to know?

Researching jobs and employers

Ask for job specs, person specs

Web sites – recruitment, department, corporate

News items, recent academic publications

Talk to them – recruitment fairs, mutual contacts, seminars, meetings of professional associations

Your Sales Pitch : Your Postgraduate Degree Jobs related to topic Content Supervisor (for PhD) Collaborations Industrial and academic Techniques used Communicating to others publications, seminars, presentations Jobs unrelated to topic Content Could a non-specialist understand? “ How” more important than “What” Challenges overcome Creative approaches Collaborations - how did you interact? Communication - different audiences & activities?

Jobs related to topic

Content

Supervisor (for PhD)

Collaborations

Industrial and academic

Techniques used

Communicating to others

publications, seminars, presentations

Jobs unrelated to topic

Content

Could a non-specialist understand?

“ How” more important than “What”

Challenges overcome

Creative approaches

Collaborations - how did you interact?

Communication - different audiences & activities?

Your Sales Pitch Base it on evidence of relevant skills, knowledge & experience, including : Your education and research Your work experience Part-time student jobs relevant for jobs unrelated to postgrad degree – unless have significant work experience Other activities: Leisure activities/interests, work experience. Showing involvement with others - someone who makes things happen eg. Time management - holding down a part-time job, getting a good 1st degree and going climbing at weekends

Base it on evidence of relevant skills, knowledge & experience, including :

Your education and research

Your work experience

Part-time student jobs relevant for jobs unrelated to postgrad degree – unless have significant work experience

Other activities:

Leisure activities/interests, work experience.

Showing involvement with others - someone who makes things happen

eg. Time management - holding down a part-time job, getting a good 1st degree and going climbing at weekends

Impact Logical structure Tell the story, clear headings Don’t just “bolt-on” your PhD or Masters to your old CV Give important info plenty of space Get the good stuff on the 1 st page Keep the tone upbeat and positive Base it on achievements, not opinions Perfect grammar and spelling “ 3 strikes and you’re out” policies! Take care over technical jargon & abbreviations

Logical structure

Tell the story, clear headings

Don’t just “bolt-on” your PhD or Masters to your old CV

Give important info plenty of space

Get the good stuff on the 1 st page

Keep the tone upbeat and positive

Base it on achievements, not opinions

Perfect grammar and spelling

“ 3 strikes and you’re out” policies!

Take care over technical jargon & abbreviations

Achievements With Impact Use strong words Set up - founded, launched, introduced Sorted out - reorganised, resolved, transformed Made better - simplified, eliminated, improved Quantify Stress personal involvement – “I” not “We” Use recent experiences – from all parts of your life

Use strong words

Set up - founded, launched, introduced

Sorted out - reorganised, resolved, transformed

Made better - simplified, eliminated, improved

Quantify

Stress personal involvement – “I” not “We”

Use recent experiences – from all parts of your life

Edit ruthlessly – don’t cram too much information on to one page Line up text in columns Short sentences - avoid long prose passages Break up text with bullet points NOT TOO MANY CAPITALS AND Changes of font Use colour and shading sparingly If printing, use quality A4 paper – white or cream “ Skimmability”

Edit ruthlessly – don’t cram too much information on to one page

Line up text in columns

Short sentences - avoid long prose passages

Break up text with bullet points

NOT TOO MANY CAPITALS AND Changes of font

Use colour and shading sparingly

If printing, use quality A4 paper – white or cream