CV structure part 1

A commonly used structure for a CV would be:

• Name and contact details
• Personal statement – including your career objectives
• Education
• Employment history
• Skills
• Leisure and other information
• References

Name and contact details

Your name should head your CV, not the words ‘Curriculum Vitae’. Ensure that your name stands out by using a larger font, bold and/or upper case. Make sure that the email address you use, something like ‘iknowimmad@bluearmy.com’ would not give the right impression! Similarly, make sure that the answerphone message on your landline or mobile is suitable.

You do not need to include information such as your date of birth, ethnic origin, gender or marital status as employers are not allowed to ask these questions on application forms.

Personal statement

Giving a two or three-line introduction targeted to the type of employer and role in question is a good idea; it helps the employer grasp the essentials of what you are looking for.

• Introduce yourself e.g. "Recent student at…"
• Mention the type of job you are seeking ("sandwich placement" or "apprenticeship")
• Which field – e.g. geological technician or medical laboratory technician. Emphasise your commitment to the relevant area of STEM and give reasons or examples
• Type of company – obviously the kind of company you are applying to!
• Where your aims lie e.g. to gain Chartered Engineering status
• Summary of the skills you would bring to the post.
   

Education

• Use reverse chronological order
• Clear presentation of dates in a separate margin on left or right hand side
• Course title, institute name, location (full address not necessary)
• Indicate key modules studied which relate to the role/your career objective, possibly including good grades
• A2/AS levels or their equivalent and institute/school name and location
• GCSEs or their equivalent, but summarise, as your recent qualifications are more important
• Include school/college name and location.