Cole's presentation on professional documents: CV and Cover Letter

1. Preparing Professional Documents
How to make a good CV and Cover Letter

2. Part 1: Building your CV / Résumé Part 2: Writing a good Cover Letter

3. First, some questions:
● What is a CV?
● Why is it important?
● What do you think are important aspects of a CV?
● What do you think makes a good CV and what do you think makes a bad CV?
Part 1: Building your CV / Resumé

4. What is a CV?
● A CV (Curriculum Vitae), or résumé, is a document that you give to a company if you
would like to apply for a job.
● It should include details of your education and employment history as well as your
skills, qualifications and abilities (remember, you need to try to sell yourself in your
CV!)

5. Why are CVs important?
● CVs are important because they are your first and maybe only direct communication
with a potential employer.
● A top-quality CV will considerably boost your chance of getting a face-to-face
interview, so it is worth spending time and effort on the content and presentation.

6. What are important aspects of a CV?
A CV should include five main parts:
➔ Personal Details
➔ Employment History
➔ Education and Qualifications
➔ Skills and Achievements
➔ References

7. Personal Details
Include your name, address (or just city), telephone number and email address.
You do not usually need to include your date of birth, nationality or a photograph of
yourself if you are applying for a job in the US or UK (check if the job advert asks for
these though).
You could also include a short personal profile to introduce yourself and list your main
skills and experience relevant to the job you are applying for.

8. Employment History
Start with your current job (if you have one) and work backwards through the others.
For each job, include your job title, the name of the company, location of the company
(e.g. London, UK), and the dates you worked there (if it is your current job, you can write
‘May 2013 – present’).
For each job, include a short outline of your role, responsibilities and skills used,
highlighting any that are particularly relevant to the job you are applying for.
Use short sentences that are to the point and highlight your key skills (make them bold).

9. Education and Qualifications
Include your university qualifications and any other qualifications you have (e.g. exams
you took at school).
If you are still studying, make this clear and say when your course is going to end.
What field of study are/were you in, and what did you do/accomplish in that field? What
projects and research did you work on?

10. Skills and Achievements
List any relevant skills you have, e.g. languages and language certificates, IT skills (which
computer programs you can use), driving license etc.
Include details of courses or training you have completed.
Write about other professional achievements or awards you have received. Make sure they
are relevant to the job you are applying for though.

11. References
Many people do not add the details of references to their CV. You can write “References
available on request” and give details at a later time.
If you want to include references, it is usual to write the names and contact details of two
or more people who know you well, either current/previous employers or a tutor/teacher.
Before you add their details to your CV, make sure they are happy to provide a reference
for you.

12. Tips
● No spelling or grammatical mistakes
● Ask your teacher if they can check it
for you before you send it
● Don’t make it too long. It should be a
maximum of two sides of A4 paper
● Relevant to the job you are applying
for and show appropriate skills
● Do not copy sentences from the job
advert
● Make sure your CV is easy to read
● Use a simple font and lay it out clearly
with headings

13. Examples of CV’s
What is good and what can be improved in the following CV’s?

16. Part 2: Writing a good Cover Letter
First, some questions:
● What is a Cover Letter?
● Why is it important?
● What do you think are important aspects of a Cover Letter?
● What do you think makes a good Cover Letter and what do you think makes a bad
Cover Letter?

17. A cover letter is a document you send with your CV (traditionally as the front cover)
It is DIFFERENT from a CV in that:
● Instead of being an overview of your skills and experience, it is written with a
specific job application in mind – allowing you to highlight certain areas you think
would make you right for the job position.
What is a Cover Letter?

18. Your cover letter is the easiest and most effective way to stand out from the crowd.
It brings something extra to the table when you apply for a job – the employer will learn
more about you, your personality, what you actually want from the job and gain insight as
to why you’re applying.
And, as your CV is supposed to be short and sweet, your cover letter is the perfect way to
elaborate on your achievements.
Why is a Cover Letter important?

19. What should a Cover Letter include?
They are more flexible than a CV, but should still include:
● Your personal details (e.g. name, address, phone number)
● The hiring manager’s name (if you have it)
● Where you found the vacancy
● Why you’re suitable for the job
● What you can do for the company
● Closing statements (and thank the recruiter for their time)

20. Be clear and concise
Keep paragraphs short and direct
Back up any statements you make with facts & figures
Choose a professional font
Check spelling and grammar
Some advice when writing a Cover Letter

21. “Draw out all the reasons you're suitable for the job and wave them under the employer's
nose … A good covering letter should whet the employer's appetite to read your CV - and
ultimately to meet you - by drawing their attention to your experiences and achievements
which most convincingly showcase your skills and suitability for the role.”
- Hannah Clements, University of the Arts London
Professional advice from Career Advisors

22. “Think of your covering letter as a love letter, setting out why you and the employer are
perfect for each other: Make sure it is relevant to who you are writing to and what you are
writing for. Generic covering letters do not work as they do not focus and give concrete
examples, or enable a prospective employer to see how you fit with them.”
- Phil Marsland, Leeds Metropolitan University
Professional advice from Career Advisors

23. Professional advice from Career Advisors
“If a letter reads well, looks and feels good then it is likely that the recruiter will identify
those qualities with the candidate … Keep your letter clear and concise. And finally, use
good quality paper and a high quality printer. A good covering letter will not get you a job
alone but it might encourage an employer to single out your application in preference to
others.”
- Lesley Hassall, University of Wolverhampton

24. Professional advice from Career Advisors
“An uninspiring covering letter increases the risk of your CV not being read: Your
covering letter is the packaging for your CV, just as the design of a bottle represents the
perfume inside or the picture on a box represents the chocolates it contains. You need to
take care that your letter is consistent with the style, presentation and quality of your CV,
and makes the employer want to find out more about you.”
- Alexandra Hemingway, University of Surrey

25. Example of Cover Letter
What is good and what can be improved in the following cover letter?