The document provides guidance on writing a good curriculum vitae or CV, including tips on structure, formatting, content and the use of power words. It recommends keeping a CV to no more than two sides of A4 paper and including sections for personal details, education, employment history, skills, references and interests. Formatting tips include using a simple layout that is easy to read, as well as clear and plain fonts on good quality white paper.

1. Writing a Good
Curriculum Vitae

2. CV’s can be word processed or typed but never handwritten
True
A CV should always clearly state CV at the top of the page.
False
Always send a CV with an application form.
False
Employers do not need to know your age, sex or marital status on your CV
True
A brightly coloured CV will attract attention and improve your chances
False
A CV should never be longer than one side of A4.
False

3. Choosing your Style
V
Reverse
Skills CV
Chronological
CV
Tells employers about your skills
Lists your information methodically
Easy for employers to identify how you
Gives basic information meet their needs
Has to be related back to experience.
Most common style of CV
Giving lots of practical examples can
Easy to put together be hard.

4. The Artists CV
Use Gallery Exhibition Competition
Only Professional Professional Professional
include Artistic Artistic Artistic
details: Experience Training Achievement

5. CV Rules
Length – 2 sides
Good quality white Always list most
paper recent first
Simple Layout –
Font – Clear & Plain
Easy to read
No to
colours, pictures, s
pelling mistakes

6. What to include
All relevant experience
counts. This could have
Personal Details been gained as part of
your studies or
Name Education voluntary
Address Name of
Contact Telephone School/College/Uni
Employment or Experience
Number Qualifications gained
You may include details of relevant
Email Address – No silly modules which have been studied
names Employers Name
Year Awarded
Town/City where based
This section should be
no more than 1/3 of a Dates of work
side of A4. Make sure
you are easily
contactable at the
Job Title
details given.
Brief outline of job role

7. Other optional sections
References
Personal Profile/Career Objective
Place under Personal Details. Should be no
Name of reference
longer than 3 – 4 lines. Can be changes to suit
job description.
Address
Skills section – if skills based
Place before employment and education. Contact Telephone Number
Allows you to provide information specifically
relating to advertised vacancy. Relationship to referee
Positions of Responsibility
Place either before or after Employment. May
include activities outside work e.g. Sports
coach, Scout Leader etc.. If references are not
Voluntary Work explicitly requested
Opportunity to highlight your commitment to you can write
area of work and skills gained. ‘Available Upon
Request’ to save space
Interests/Hobbies
Employers want to see you as well-rounded
person and imagine if you will fit into the
company.
Professional Development
In house courses/training i.e. Health and
Safety, National Licensees Certificate, Basic
Food Hygiene, Customer Care

8. Power Words
Power words can help you highlight your skills and abilities without using ‘I’ and
‘my’ all the time and becoming repetitive
For example: “I have good customer service skills”you could use instead “provided
fast and
efficient service to customers in a popular city centre restaurant on a Saturday
night.”
Some examples of power words
•Achieved Established Reorganised
•Co-ordinated Created Supported
•Arranged Attended Developed
•Designed Marketed Negotiated
•Edited Helped Planned

9. Think about your skills.....
Problem solving
Teamworking Interpersonal skills
Research skills
Leadership/
Management
Flexibility/
Adaptability IT skills
Time
Management/ Ability to work under
Communication
Organisational pressure

10. Leadership
•Being able to motivate & direct others
•Taking responsibility for the direction & actions
of a team
•Setting objectives.
•Training new members of staff, acting as a
mentor
•Leading on a presentation at college or work
•Organising & motivating others.
•Taking the initiative
•Persevering when things are not working out.
•Taking a positive attitude to frustration/failure.
•Accepting responsibility for mistakes/wrong
decisions.
•Being flexible: prepared to adapt goals in the
light of changing situations

11. Team working
• Playing in a sports team, or other group
i.e.) choir, drama etc..
• Working on a group project at college or
work.
• Leading/supervising a team of other
people.
• Attending meetings and making an active
contribution.
• Participating in group discussions and
taking initiative where appropriate.
• Recognising and utilising skills and
knowledge of other team members.

12. Flexibility/Adaptability
• Ability to work evenings/weekends and do
overtime
• Willing to undertake further training and
learn new skills to improve your work
competence.
• Self-awareness, being aware of strengths
and weaknesses and what you need to
improve on
• Flexibility in own job role and willingness
to take on new tasks, extra responsibilities
and helping out others when needed.

13. Communication
• Writing reports/essays/assignments at college.
• Making an active contribution to discussions in class, or in formal meetings at
work
• Delivering a presentation.
• Producing essays, reports, dissertations, etc at college.
• Writing letters, memos etc.. in employment.
• Writing in a grammatically correct, accurate and structured manner.
• Using IT software to improve written presentation i.e.) Word, PowerPoint
etc..
• Using e-mail to communicate with people, to request information or send
documents.
• Competent in using the internet to retrieve information or undertake
research.
• Communicating with people face to face or over the telephone.
• Ability to communicate appropriately
with a wide range of people, colleagues, managers, general public.
• Interviewing people.
• Giving/receiving constructive feedback on
other students work, progress.

14. IT Skills
•Using word processing packages
•Using spreadsheets and databases
•Proficiency of typing
•Use of internet and email
•Adaptability of skills – company specific
software packages
•Experiences of data input
•Experiences of producing electronic
presentations
•IT Qualifications

15. Examples - Creative CVs