CV’s and Applications

When you identify the job you would like to apply for you need to find out how the employer wants you to apply. There are many different ways you can apply for a job, including:

• Send a CV with a cover letter (post or email)
• Phone for an interview
• Interview or informal chat over the phone
• Online or paper application form

Make sure you use the application method that the employer asks for, for example if you send a CV when they have asked you to complete an application form it is likely your CV will be thrown away without any consideration, why? You have demonstrated in that single action that you can’t follow instructions, a skills that most if not all employers value highly.

Whenever contacting an employer for the first time, whether in person, over the phone, by letter or email you need to remember that it will be their first impression of you, so make it count. Ensure you are polite, speak clearly and you are confident, even if you are just requesting an application form.

On the following pages you will find hints and tips on completing your CV, filling in an application form, writing cover letter or speculative letters and interview techniques.

CV (Curriculum Vitae)

Your CV is a very important tool that you need in your search for work. It is a document that allows you to sell your skills, qualities, qualifications and experience to the employer. It should tell the potential employer all they need to know about you.

If written well your CV will help show an employer why you are the right person for their vacancy, helping them to realise that you have the right skills and experience they need. How well you write your CV will determine whether or not you are invited to interview.

What needs to be included?

There are many ways to present your CV, if you have no clue there are templates on the internet, and even word and many other word processing programs have templates for you to use. That said, there is some basic information that should always be included in your CV. Below is a list of the important pieces of information you need to add, along with the recommended order your CV should be in to maximise employer attention.

Personal Details

At the top of the CV you should write your full name, this should be in a larger font and in bold than the rest of the text on the page. Under your name you then need to write your address, telephone and/or mobile number, and your email address.

It is recommended that you do not add your date of birth. Why? Sometimes your date of birth can lead to bias against you, for example if they see you are only 18 the employer may not believe you are responsible enough in comparison to older candidate. Conversely if you are over 50 it could lead employers to feel you are too old and so will not concentrate as much. We all know that these are not truthful facts, but when you have hundreds of CV’s to go through, employers will sometimes find a way to shorten that list without even reading past the personal details so don’t give them any easy excuses to discard your CV.

Personal Profile

This is an important part of your CV as it allows you to summarise in a paragraph your skills, achievements and what you are doing at the moment, along with your future goals. This is your chance to really sell yourself to the employer and tell them about the skills, experience and interests that will be of benefit to them. It is a statement of why they should hire you over someone else?

Your personal profile is such an important selling tool that it is recommended that you match your profile to each employer you apply for, most of it will be very similar, however you want to make sure you focus on those skills, experiences, achievements and future goals that will really hit home with the employer.

Key Skills

Again this is another important section the employer is interested in. This is where you will write down the important skills that you have, that match the skills required by the employer. This can be a bullet pointed list of skills, however it is recommended that you add a sentence with each to explain your skills for example:

• Communication: Able to communicate with individuals from different backgrounds with ease, whether face to face, over the phone or in writing.

Employment/work experience

This is the section that most employers are most interested in as it lists all the experience you have had, whether employed or on a work experience placement. So it is important that you write as much as you can about any work experience you have had. That means write down any school/college work experience/placements you have been on, any part time work you have had, voluntary work and full time work (if applicable).

Your employment history should be in chronological order with your most recent work experience first. You need to include the dates, name of the employer and your job role title. Below that you need to detail all your responsibilities within that role. An example of this is below:

Education and Qualifications

Employers need to know that you have met the minimum academic requirements to enable you to be competent in the job they are advertising. Like your employment/work experience you need to add the details of your education in chronological order, listing with your most recent qualifications first.

You need to include the details of all secondary schools/sixth form or colleges you have attended, you also need to include the subject, title of qualification e.g. GCSE, A Level, BTEC), grade or predicted grade if you haven't received them yet. Example below:

Hobbies and Interests

Write a brief paragraph outlining any interests or hobbies you have, especially any that have helped you to develop your skills related to working with others or being part of a team.

Your hobbies and interests need to help show the employer a little of your personality and to find out a little more about you. This is where you add information about any clubs, societies or organisations you are a member of. If you like football, ,rugby or any other team related sport you can mention it here, but do not mention what teams you support. Why? It could lead to bias against you, for example if you are a Manchester United supporter the employer may support Arsenal, this may unnecessary bias.

Referees

Although Employers are highly likely to request two references it is not necessary for you to add these to your CV. Why? Firstly you may want to have a chance to change who you want as your referee depending on the job and secondly it can help you find out if an employer is interested in you as they will request reference details from you.

What do I write instead? Under references just add the statement "References Available Upon Request".

If you do want to add referees to your CV, or you are requested for them what do you need to do?

Your reference tells the employer about you and your ability character, so your referee will need to know you well enough to be able to give a reliable reference. They will be asked about your reliability, how well you work with others, ability to follow instructions etc.

You need to think of two people that will be prepared to write a reference for you (make sure you ask them). Your first referee is likely to be someone who you work for, if you haven’t worked yet and you are still or have recently left school/college , then you should ask a Teacher/Head of Year/ Form Tutor etc.

For your second referee you could choose a family friend, neighbour (not a relative). You could also use the staff from your work placement, people that you have worked with on a voluntary basis, coaches from sports teams you may be involved in or even youth club leaders.

When giving the referee’s details you will also need to add their name, their job title, relationship to you—for example you may write teacher, supervisor or coach.

What if I haven’t had any paid employment?

If you haven’t had any paid work there is no need to worry as there is still a lot of information you can use for your CV that an employer will be interested in. You just need to ensure you focus on the skills you have developed through school, hobbies, family life, voluntary work or sports that will be helpful within work.

Presentation

Remember that your CV is a representation of you and therefore it needs to make a good first impression. You need to ensure that it is neat, easy to read and that there are no mistakes, such as spelling or grammar. Below is a list of tips to help you:

• Make sure you CV is word processed using a clear font to include Times New Roman, Arial or Verdana.
• Carry our a spelling check, make sure you also read through and not just rely on the spell check tool as there may be some miss steaks it will knot find—for example the spell check did not identify that the last sentence should have read “there may be mistakes it will not find”, as all the words though incorrect were spelt correctly.
• Have a friend, parent or teacher read through it.
• When you save your CV do so in a standard file format, such as Word or RTF. This means if you do email it to an employer or use it to register on line with an employment agency it will ensure they can view it.
• Don’t use fancy or unusual fonts, it will make you stand out in the wrong way.
• Don’t use coloured paper, good quality white or cream paper is the best to use.
• Keep it short, try to keep it within 2 A4 pages. Remember that the employer will have lots of CV’s to read through.
• Don’t add clip art, photographs, borders or use lots of different colours. Employers want clean, easy to read text.
• Print a few copies and make sure you have it saved. If you do change it to meet a new employers needs give it a different name, e.g. CV 2.
• You should have a cover letter with your CV - there is an example in the applying by letter or email section.

If you want further help a CV template is attached to help you.