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curriculum vitae writing tips and

templates
how to write a CV - curriculum vitae templates,
cv samples and examples
This page is full of CV writing tips, techniques, examples,

and help for career change and career training.
If you want a quick easy CV without the supporting advice

and techniques for career training, go straight to the quick
CV writing guide, CV phrases examples and CV template. Writing CVs -
Here's a good free quick easy CV template in MSWord, and index
as a PDF.
If you are just using the CV template, see the notes about
CV/Curriculum Vitae in the heading and personal details in a
CV.
Here's a very direct local job-hunting method and tool, which is adaptable for
your own situation, and can help put your CV in front of local employers very
quickly and effectively.
If you want more details and methods for writing a great CV, planning and
achieving good career developments and helpful job changes, read on.
While the basic rules of a good CV remain constant, the world of work and
business changes quickly. This especially impacts on how managers and
graduates can best show themselves to be outstanding candidates.
Read and use the basic CV rules, then take time and effort to define your own
special qualities (for example see what successful progressive employers need) so
that you offer strongly differentiated capabilities which promise special and
relevant value to a potential employer.
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CV tips, templates and examples for eﬀective curri... http://www.businessballs.com/curriculum.htm
The US English version of these CV tips and format examples ('resumes'

instead of 'curriculum vitaes' or 'CV') are on the Resumes tips and examples
webpage, and here are the US versions of the templates: Resume template in
MSWord, and as a PDF.
index - writing the best possible cv

CV writing tips introduction
CV survey information and key points
basics of CV presentation and structure
Specific CV structure options: - extent of personal details - contact/address details

- CV heading
Writing CVs when you have very little or no work experience
Opportunities where a job role or vacancy is not fully defined
Internships
CVs style and presentation
CV file formats for electronic submission or circulation
CV template structure and examples
CV cover letters and examples
CVs and cover letters for unadvertised positions - a speculative proactive

approach
Examples of effective CV self-describing words and phrases: - personal profile and

capabilities - experience
Describing and presenting relevant achievements in your CV
Explaining disabilities, difficulties, redundancies, etc., in CVs
Presenting highly desirable attributes to progressive employers - give yourself a

special advantage
curriculum vitae writing tips - introduction
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Keep your curriculum vitae simple. Your curriculum vitae
must be concise. Your curriculum vitae must be easy to
read. Your curriculum vitae must sell you. And your
curriculum vitae must be tailored to what the reader is
looking for.
These CV and letter principles apply to all career moves.

Having a good CV is essential for full-time jobs, part-time,
internal, external, promotions, new jobs, career changes,
internships and work experience placements - wherever
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A CV does not have to be a text document. It can be a ROI on R&D
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exists now for anyone to create a video CV, and to upload
it onto a website - including this one. re
These notes are therefore not restricted to text-based

CVs. The principles are good for your video CV too. Text or
Video - the same principles apply.
How you perform at the interview or group selection is of

course crucial, but only the people with the best CVs and
letters get to that stage.
CV writing is a form of marketing or advertising,

when the product is you.
This is especially so now when you can publish your CV - and/or video CV onto
websites.
Opportunities like the ones offered on the Businessballs Community will

increasingly enable you to create an impressive 'new-media CV' and then to
proactively market yourself to employers where you can be seen, and also
referenced by you in letters and hard-copy documents.
Your CV must sell you to a prospective employer, and compete against other
applicants who are also trying to sell themselves. So the challenge in CV writing is
to be more appealing and attractive than the rest.
This means that your curriculum vitae must be presented professionally, clearly,
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and in a way that indicates you are an ideal candidate for the job, i.e., you
possess the right skills, experience, behaviour, attitude, morality that the
employer is seeking. The way you present your CV effectively demonstrates your
ability to communicate, and particularly to explain a professional business
proposition.
Put yourself in the shoes of the employer: write down a description of the person
they are looking for. You can now use this as a blue-print for your CV. The better
the match the more likely you are to be called for an interview.
If you find it difficult to match your own CV description to the requirements of the
role, then perhaps the role isn't for you. There's little or no point distorting or
falsifying yourself in order to get a job. If you falsify yourself in your CV you'll be
unlikely to provide the necessary proof of your claims at interview, and even if
you manage to do this and to get the job, then you'll not be able to do the job
enjoyably without stress.
Obviously lying in a CV is a risky strategy, especially about qualifications, and you

should avoid any such temptation. Better to be proud and confident of who you
are. Integrity and reputation are more important than qualifications. A CV with a
lie is an embarrassment, or even a dismissal, waiting to happen, sometimes years
later when you've a lot more to lose.
Blow your own trumpet, emphasise your characteristics, your capabilities and
achievements - this is all fine - but know where to draw the line. Positive
emphasis and strong presentation is good; falsehoods are not.
On the point about 'blowing your own trumpet' (presenting yourself within the CV
in a very positive light) - many people find this difficult, especially those with
strong 'sensing' personalities, who see life in terms of bare facts (make time to
see the personality section, and read Jung, Myers Briggs, etc - it will help you
understand a lot about yourself). If you are one of these people (in fact many
people are) try to get help from someone creative and enthusiastic to assist you
in interpreting and writing very positive phrases and descriptions about you for
your CV. In your CV it's important to emphasise your attributes in strong, relevant
and expressive terms; modesty doesn't work particularly well on any CV.
Additionally, there is a widely held school of thought that writing such statements
- powerful descriptions about yourself, your personality and your strengths and
capabilities - actually helps you to become even more like the person you
describe. It's related to NLP, self-talk, self-belief, and positive visualisation: we
tend to live up to our claims when we write them down and commit to them.
Creating a positive CV for ourselves helps us to grow and to become how we want
to be.
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cv surveys and key points of interest

These statistics relating to CVs and interviews were published in the Guardian in
July 2006. The survey quoted the sources: Cubiks HR, IRS, and IAG. The survey
findings serve both to remind job applicants and interviewers of warnings,
opportunities and critical aspects of CVs and related preparation and approach
for job interviews. The statistics also provide a basis for formulating some very
useful pointers for CVs and job interviews:
Apparently 86% of interviewers think CVs and application forms (we assume all
CVs and application forms) are not wholly truthful, whereas separately it seems
that 35% of CVs are actually factually correct, although (for some reason, not
actually explained) this apparently reduces to 23% for CVs belonging to women
aged 31-35. The precise source of these statistics is not made clear, but the
interesting point that comes from all this is that people who are truthful, and can
convince the interviewer as such, will place themselves in an advantageous
minority group, since the majority of interviews involve CVs which contain lies,
and/or are perceived by interviewers to do so. So if you want to have an edge
over most other CVs and applicants, tell the truth. (For what it's worth this
confirms what I've observed over the years - an honest solid applicant will always
be preferred to a dishonest 'star' - integrity is considered to be a significantly vital
factor among all good quality employers.)
It seems that only 8% of interviewers believe that academic qualifications reliably

indicate future performance in the job. This confirms that for all but the most
academically-dependent roles (NASA scientists, brain surgeons, heads of
university faculty, etc), it's important to emphasise strengths such as relevant
achievements, capability and attitude, and appreciation of what is required to
make a difference in the role, rather putting a lot of emphasis on academic
qualifications.
Combined with the first point, these findings also confirm that lying about
qualifications on a CV and/or in an interview is a completely daft thing to do,
because seemingly most interviewers won't believe you (moreover, 66% of
interviewers say that they check up on professional qualifications, and 56% check
academic qualifications), and hardly any interviewers regard qualifications as the
most significant factor anyway.
N.B. This does not mean that you should not bother with training,
self-improvement, and striving for new professional or academic
qualifications, which are helpful for personal growth and for increasing
your range and depth of capabilities. The point is simply that there are
far more important things than qualifications in CVs and interviews.
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Next is a crucial factor in CVs and interviews that's easy to prepare for:
Apparently 59% of employers say they have to withdraw job offers after receiving
poor references about successful applicants. The survey doesn't say what
percentage of applications are affected, but we can presume that it's a significant
number if 59% of employers mentioned it as being a problem. This means that
lots of people are failing to prepare their references properly. It also means that
some people who are initially unsuccessful stand a chance to be offered the job
because the preferred applicant was found to be rather less than they claimed to
be, but only of course if the second-choice applicant's references check out well.
Given the high incidence of rejection due to references, this will inevitably create
a sensitivity among interviewers and a desire to avoid the disappointment and
time-wasting nuisance of receiving a poor reference about a chosen candidate.
Thus there is an opportunity for applicants to increase their value (as perceived
by the interviewer), to be the first-choice candidate, or failing that to be reliable
second-choice candidate, by:
emphasising the availability of good reliable references on the CV

taking good printed references to the interview (see the reference letters
page), and
ensuring that reliable referees are prepared and able to provide excellent
references when asked by the interviewer, should (when) the job is offered
The survey findings also state that 85% of interviewers seek references from at
least one previous employer, which is further confirmation of the need to cover
this whole area professionally and reliably.
According to the research, these are the most common CV inaccuracies

(presumably from the perspective of interviewers):
employment dates (length of, dates from and to)

job titles
gaps between employment
qualifications, and surprisingly,
undeclared directorships
This is all very interesting because again it shows the opportunities for applicants
to sharpen up the reliability and truthfulness of their CVs in certain key areas. It
shows that interviewers will be sensitive to, and therefore on the lookout for
inaccuracies, distortions omissions and funny smells generally in these areas, so
again, be honest and consistent.
On which point, rather than spend time trying to create a 'believable' web of
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deceit (which most interviewers will see though at some stage anyway with the
result that your your credibility will be shot to pieces, along with the opportunity
or job offer), spend your time instead thinking about what you learned from the
things you are trying to hide, and be proud to have the courage to be
honest about your past. If you lie about it then it will continue to hang around
your neck as a failure. If you hold your head high and be honest, then you will
gain respect, and in many cases the interviewer will conclude that you have
learned from your experience, especially if you explain how and why this is so.
Remember, lots of interviewers will have considered hiding or distorting things in
their own CVs - nobody's perfect; and in fact the most impressive people in life
and work are generally those who've learned from and accepted their
experiences, rather than denying that they ever happened.
Whatever way you look at this, it makes sense to be truthful - firstly to yourself -
be proud that you have learned from your mistakes and that you have the
courage to admit them.
Don't try to hide failures, mistakes or shortcomings - accept them, learn from
them, seek to improve on them, and explain why and how this is so.
And as important as anything else - don't let people judge you, and don't work for
anyone who does, because they will make your life a misery.
Your integrity, honesty and commitment are extremely valuable in today's world -
so work only for an employer who respects you for having these qualities, and
don't lower yourself to work for anyone who will not.
cv writing tips - basics of template

presentation, structure
Presentation and sequence of items with your CV are very important, as it is in
advertising, and most people get it wrong, which makes it easier for you when
you get it right. When you are selling anything you need to get to the key points
quickly. The quicker the reader can read and absorb the key points the more
likely they are to buy. A well presented and well-structured CV also indicates that
you are professional, business-like and well organised. The structure suggested
below sells your strengths first and provides personal and career history details
last - most people do it the other way round which has less impact. Structuring a
CV like this you can immediately stand out from the others and make a much
better impression.
For all but very senior positions your should aim to fit your CV on one side of
standard sheet of business paper. For large corporation director positions two or
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three sheets are acceptable, but a well-presented single side will always tend to
impress and impact more than lots of detail spread over a number of sheets.
Always try to use as few words as possible. In CV writing, like advertising, "less is
more". This means you need to think carefully about the words you use - make
sure each one is working for you - if any aren't, remove them or replace them.
Never use two words when one will do.
Here is a free CV template in MSWord - single sheet format, UK A4 paper size -

into which you can insert your own details - adapt the template to suit your
purposes. Refer to the CV words and phrases examples below to help you develop
and craft your own special CV.
Creating your own CV templates to use for different career moves can save you
time in writing different CVs for different types of jobs.
Changing CV words and phrases to suit different jobs is important. Writing and
keeping file copies of your own different CV examples and CV templates can save
you hours of work, and will help you to be able to produce an individually
'tailored' CV for each of the different opportunities as they arise.
Refer also to the writing technique page on this website - it explains about use of
fonts (typefaces), colour, headings, capital letters, positioning, etc.
A 2004 UK survey by the Royal Mail postal service of HR departments in large

organizations in the legal, retail, media and accounting sectors, identified these
other CV pointers:
Incompletely or inaccurately addressed CVs and CV cover letters were

rejected immediately by 83% of HR departments.
CVs and cover letters addressed to a named person were significantly
favoured over those addressed to a generic job title by 55% of HR
departments.
And, interestingly, over 60% of HR departments said that the inclusion of a
photograph with the CV adversely affected their opinion of the applicant.
Many of the principles above and on the remainder of this page apply to video
CVs, when and if you make one. When you do, you can post it free on the
Businessballs Community, where a growing audience awaits what you have to
offer.
cv structure options
While certain CV writing principles are quite fixed and widely accepted, a few
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issues are open to interpretation and are a matter for personal decision. The main
examples of variation and choice explained in this section are:
The level of personal detail to include in a CV
Where to show your contact and address details on a CV
Whether or not to included the words Curriculum Vitae or CV in the CV heading
In deciding about these and any other structural options, consider the specific
purpose and circumstances of your CV at the time, because this often determines
how best to structure it. Additionally, since you should ideally be using different
versions of CVs for different purposes, try to keep a record of what works best, so
you can refine a set of rules which are optimal for you and the job markets you
are targeting. Also seek feedback from interviewers and employers - and anyone
else with relevant experience - as to what can be improved in your CV, so that
you can progressively develop your understanding of what sort of CV formats are
most effective.
personal details in your cv

First - the rules for this should be different for printed CVs sent through the post,
electronic CVs passed to a safe trustworthy recipient, and electronic CVs and
personal data uploaded onto job websites.
In terms of CVs which you send or convey to secure and trustworthy recipients:
You will see from the CV examples and templates that I advocate reasonably open
and full disclosure personal details on a CV.
You must decide for yourself if such openness is appropriate for you and your
situation and the vacancy.
Employment laws, particularly relating to equality and discrimination (age,

gender, etc) have implications for interviewing and selection.
Consequently the applicant has more freedom today to withhold certain personal
information on a CV about age or date of birth, marital status, children or
dependents. It's entirely a matter of personal opinion and judgement whether to
include such information.
There is no law which compels or prevents the inclusion or withholding within

your CV of personal information that is subject to equality and discrimination
legislation.
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However, the reality is that while there are laws in most countries against
discrimination, identifying and proving such discrimination is virtually impossible
at the application stage. So the only initial defence is to withhold the information
- or to make it a selling point.
The dilemma for the applicant therefore is whether to be open and up-front about
personal information that (you fear) could put off an employer - regardless of the
legality of such a reaction - or to withhold the relevant personal information in the
hope of being short-listed for interview and overcoming any prejudices at that
stage.
On which point, be careful about your assumptions - while prejudices obviously

exist, your fears can be vastly worse than what actually happens. See Murphy's
Plough for example.
Another view is that any employer who discriminates unreasonably against an

applicant is not worthy of your loyalty and abilities anyway, which suggests that
full open confident disclosure is the best way to go. Full disclosure is potentially a
wonderful filter to prevent you wasting your time with idiots. Who wants to work
for a bigot? Or even a decent organization which tolerates or fails to recognise a
bigot in a position of responsibility?
Moreover, modern ethical employers will tend to respond positively to openness,

and particularly to someone who is proud of their personal situation and
characteristics. There's a case for simply being proud of who and what you are -
and use your CV to tell people why.
So whether to include date of birth or age on a CV (or gender if it is not obvious

from the name) is ultimately a matter of personal choice, with arguments either
way.
A guiding rule is possibly:
If you are reasonably confident and have a level of inner calm and resolve, and
especially if you can make positive claims and advantages relating to your
personal circumstances, then full openness is probably the right approach for
you.
If you are less confident, or less able to pick and choose a truly worthy employer,
then arguably a more cautious approach is justified.
In terms of CVs provided or uploded to job websites, or to less secure and

trustworthy recipients:
As highlighted by the serious security breach at a major jobs website in January
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2009, exposing the personal data of millions of jobseekers - consider how much
personal information you provide or include in any CV uploaded to a website.
Personal data on a CV uploaded or stored electronically is - to one degree or

another - subject to security risk from accidental release of data, or deliberate
hacking and identity theft.
Therefore you should always adapt the level of personal detail you
include on your CV according to the security and trust that you believe
is offered by the recipient or destination for your CV.
(I am grateful to L Haughton, October 2007, for initially raising the issue of

personal details such as date of birth in CVs.)
contact and address details - top or foot of the

cv
You will see from the CV examples and templates that I advocate a structure
which puts the contact address and personal details at the foot of the CV.
This is because the first vital seconds are best used in conveying your crucial and
relevant personal strengths. Given a profesionally presented CV and cover-letter,
most employers will assume you live in a house or a flat of some sort, and have an
address and a phone number, so what's the point in wasting vital early impact to
convey these mundane details?
This is particulrly the case for middle and senior-ranking job vacancies, when
screening is likely to be relatively professional and responsive to an effective and
strategically presented CV.
Positioning contact and address details lower on a CV, so as to give maximum

immediate impact to more relevant factors, is also very sensible when you are
applying for a role internally, when obviously you are already known.
There is an argument however (and I am again grateful to L Haughton for raising

this issue) for putting address and contact details at the top of the CV, to counter
any possible risk of the CV being rejected at first glance because address and
contact details are not instantly obvious to the reader.
This will be more of a factor for junior job vacancies, in which perhaps the
screening process is hurried or unprofessional, which would increase the risk of a
CV being rejected quickly because contact and address details are not instantly
apparent.
As with the issue of openness and disclosure of personal details, the positioning of
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your contact and address details is a matter for your personal judgement.
If you want a guiding rule, here's one:
Put the contact and address details at the foot of the CV for middle and
senior job vacancies, when you want maximum impact for your
job-related strengths.
Put your contact and address details at the top of the CV if you have the
slightest feeling that the vacancy or the screening process involves
processing large numbers of applications, and in which basic skills and
basic personal circumstances are the priority screening and selection
criteria.
name and 'cv' or 'curriculum vitae' - or just your

name in heading?
An additional point of recent debate about CV presentation is whether to include
the words Curriculum Vitae or CV (or Resume) in the document title next to your
name.
This is a relatively minor issue, but an interesting one which seems lately to have
veered to a particular trend, which may not actually be as helpful and correct as
some people suggest.
As with several other aspects of CV writing and presentation, this is open to

different views, and you are free to decide for yourself. Here's my observation and
guidance on the matter - which basically is to include CV or Curriculum Vitae in
the heading. Here's the explanation.
In recent years a fashionable view has emerged suggesting that it is somehow

wrong to put the abbreviation 'CV' or the words 'Curriculum Vitae' (or in
American-English markets, the word 'Resume') at the top of a CV - typically after
the person's name, or alternatively before the name.
If anyone can send me any evidence or solid logic as to how and why including
'CV' or 'Curriculum Vitae' in the document heading is unhelpful or counter-
productive I would be happy to show it here.
As far as I understand the communication and management of text-based

information, there is not really a good reason for excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae
from the heading of the document, whereas there is probably at least one good
reason for including one or the other.
Excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae from the heading does not usefully save space
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unless there is something better to do with the space. Subject to using a sensible
font size, which you should anyway, there is no real space saving by excluding CV
or Curriculum Vitae from the heading, since nobody's name is so long as not to fit
comfortably into a heading line with the words Curriculum Vitae, or the
abbreviation CV.
Excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae does not actually save time for the reader.
There is no real time saving for the reader since the brain scans such peripheral
data subliminally (below a normal conscious level) - unless the reader actually
needs it - just as we are not conscious of the printed page numbers as we read a
book or newspaper.
Excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae is said by some to reduce the risk of irritating

the interviewer or screener. Does it? Does it really? Is anyone out there actually
irritated by this? I'd love to know. And I leave it to you to decide if you want to
work for an organization which employs people who are irritated in such a trivial
way.
Excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae from the heading arguably might improve -

very marginally - the visual presentation a CV, simply on the basis that white
space is generally helpful and pleasing to the eye of the reader. But then so
would reducing the CV content to about 35 words, in a specially designed
typeface, and engaging a designer for the layout too, which would be extremely
pleasing to the eye, but then the document would cease to be optimally
effective as a CV, and this is the point.
A CV must achieve a balance between presentation, content, and increasingly

how the data is managed and processed.
Given this, there are perhaps a couple of positive reasons for including the
abbreviation CV or Curriculum Vitae within the heading of the document:
1. Crucially from the standpoint of data management, web/computer searching,

and data/document retrieval - on the web as a whole, on individual websites, on
organizational computer systems, and on personal PCs and other local storage
devices - the words Curriculum Vitae and/or the abbreviation CV are central to
the description and categorization of CVs as a type of document. Any CV which
includes the keywords Curriculum Vitae or the abbreviation CV will obviously be
found more easily than documents which contain neither. Excluding the words
Curriculum Vitae would in many computer systems, including websites, require
the document file to be 'tagged' with the words Curriculum Vitae in order for it to
be found using those keywords. If a document does not include the keywords,
and is not tagged as such, then it won't be found by anyone searching for those
keywords. Imagine a recruiter searching the web or a website or a local computer
file system using the keywords 'curriculum vitae - french-speaking retail
manager'. If you have the words 'french-speaking retail manager' in your CV, but
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not the words 'curriculum vitae', your chances of being found are somewhat less
than if your CV contains the words 'curriculum vitae'. If you want your CV to be
stored and found electronically then this is a significant point.
2. Your CV is a CV - a Curriculum Vitae - a very specific document for a very

specific purpose. It's not a biography. It's not a Facebook page. It's not an
personnel file or a meeting note. It's not any of the countless other types of
documents and files that could carry a person's name in the heading. So say
what it is. People who argue for the exclusion of CV/Curriculum Vitae from the
document heading typically justify this view from a narrow perspective - that
within the job application process 'it's obvious' that a CV is a CV. This is fine, but
what about all the other times? And what about when you circulate or upload
your CV speculatively - when the context is not immediately obvious to the
reader. The reason that humankind has developed a system of names for things -
especially significant things, and definitely documents which have purpose
beyond the initial 'obvious' context - is so that items can be quickly recognized
and processed in as many different systemic environments as possible. A CV is a
very good example of a document which has purpose beyond initial context. It
must stand alone. CVs commonly become separated from their cover-letters.
They get lost in archives and saved accidentally in inappropriate file directories
and folders. Identifying a CV clearly as a Curriculum Vitae or CV at the heading of
the document inevitably increases its chances of being recognised and processed
as one in the future, and is therefore is sensible.
writing CVs with no career history or work

experience
The tips and examples in this article still apply if you have little or no work
experience. Experience is in everything we do - especially in the most important
areas such as maturity (grown-up attitudes) and emotional intelligence,
communications, creativity, responsibility, determination, integrity, compassion,
problem-solving, etc - these are the qualities employers really seek - so if you are
leaving school or college or university and putting together your first CV, then
look for the relevant transferable experiences and learning in your life experience
and use these examples within the structure provided on this page. You'll not
have a career history, but you can certainly illustrate and prove that you have
qualities gained and learned from your life experience, that employers will
recognise and want.
Consider and show achievements and qualities from your life, relevant to the job,
such as:
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leadership
teamwork
creativity
initiative
problem-solving
self-motication
discipline
reliability
persistence and determination
compassion and humanity
love and care for others
specific abilities with numbers, language, communications and ICT
(information and comuunications techology - especially computing and
websites), fixing and making things, selling and marketing something, etc.
in non-employed situations such as:
school or college projects and responsibilities

part-time jobs
sport
voluntary work
clubs
caring
supervising, teaching, helping young people
charity work
hobbies and pastimes
outdoor activities
holidays and travel
and any other personal interests which illustrate your strengths, capabilities and
passions.
It is true that many employers need experienced people. Some are firm about
this; others can be persuaded to consider an applicant who has special qualities
but no experience - it depends on the job and the needs of the employer. There
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are some employers who will be interested in fresh young people who are keen to
learn and who are highly committed, and who can demonstrate that they
possess other qualities that perhaps more experienced people do not. This is why
you need to write a good letter accompanying your CV that explains clearly and
concisely your strengths and values, and relevant life experience, to an
employer, and then to send the letter, and follow up with phone calls to as many
employers as you can. Be persistent and determined, and you will find in time
find an employer who wants someone just like you. Meanwhile take advantage of
every opportunity to learn and gain experience in your chosen field: join
discussion groups, read journals, attend courses, lectures and exhibitions, study
the newspapers and news websites business pages, perhaps work part-time for a
school and/or a voluntary organisation or group who need your skills. This will
enable you to build useful and relevant experience that will definitely be seen as
transferable to employed situations, and it will also demonstrate to employers
that you are enthusiastic and willing to invest your own time in making a positive
contribution to help others and to help yourself.
If you are aiming at a job which asks for experience, yet you have no experience
in conventional employed work, look for other examples in your life which prove
that you have the right attitude and potential, and even some very relevant
transferable experience, despite it not being from employed work.
Many employers prefer a young candidate who can demonstrate reliability,

self-motivation, drive and enthusiasm, etc., from having, for example, applied
themselves for years in low-paid paper-rounds and weekend jobs, or who can
show serious dedication to some other worthy activity, than applicants who have
a career history but demonstrate none of the vital qualities that employers really
value and seek in new recruits.
writing a cv for a job to be developed or fully

defined
Given the fast-changing nature of work and organizations, jobs increasingly offer
the chance or require candidates to suggest how the role itself might be shaped
or developed or fully defined. It might be an existing role, or a new position.
Either way, this is a big opportunity which you should grasp eagerly.
A role that has not been fully or completely specified offers great opportunity for
the successful candidate to prove they'd be able to define and shape the role to
benefit the employer organization in accordance with the employer's needs, aims,
challenges, priorities, etc.
Of course at the same time you'd need to prove you can cover the stated/known
16 of 50 08/16/2010 02:56 PM
essentials, but if you see or detect that role development is also on the
employer's wish-list, then create your CV accordingly.
As regards the unknown aspects of the job (which the employer might say are 'to
be defined', or 'yet to be developed'), the candidate needs to show they
understand how the role can operate to its fullest potential within the
organization. This aspect of role defining or development invites the candidate to
demonstrate on their CV that they'd be able to do just that - help re-define or
develop the role.
This involves more strategic interpretation than might usually be expected in the
role. People who can shape their role have to be able to see outside the role and
understand the role in a wider context than simply doing a stipulated job.
Key attributes and abilities associated with this requirement would typically
include:
measurement and analysis of meaningful cause and effect - some appreciation

of productive use of time and resource in an organizational context - this is
really the crucial point: the capability to assess and judge the role in a future
organizational (and maybe also market) context
vision - appreciation of what's needed for the future; how things are changing
and how to meet those changes
strategic awareness and interest - seeing implications of issues beyond the
issues themselves
objectivity, maturity, tolerance, patience, wisdom, etc - the opposite of
impulsiveness - so as to use the additional responsibility wisely and fairly
and ideally (which can be a clincher) show a command and knowledge of the
role from a technical 'leading edge' perspective - as if you were a specialised
external consultant or expert, or perhaps a teacher or writer in the discipline,
or simply someone who takes a keen interest in the most advanced thinking
associated with the role - it's a matter of presenting yourself as, and being,
someone who sees the positive and future implications of the role, not just the
role itself.
The employer's ideal applicant in such situations is for an expert to join them and
manage the situation like a more senior strategic manager or executive would be
expected to do, given that they do not have such a person. For a job applicant
it's a great way to approach a job opportunity, especially if you are keen to
advance.
N.B. Many job vacancies offer this potential or flexibility even if the employer does
not state it. All good organizations need people who can see beyond their own
role; people who can develop the role, and also to develop and advance as a
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strategic contributor within the organization. So approaching any vacancy with

an eye on development and organizational context is often a good way to
differentiate yourself from other applicants who limit their CV presentation to the
strict confines of the job description.
applying for internships and work experience

placements
You should approach applying for internships in much the same way as looking
for a job. Therefore much of what appears on this page about CV writing and
covering letters for full-time jobs and career advancement will be relevant if you
are trying to find a placement for work experience or an internship. The tips and
ideas on the job interviews section are also relevant to seeking and applying for
and successfully gaining internships and work experience placements.
It's essential to research prospective internship employers. And plan this well in
advance. People who leave things until the last minute reduce their options, and
increase the amount of competitive pressures involved. Also, planning and
researching early in the process will maximise the chances of identifying and
securing the best placements.
Employers will be impressed by people who have clearly planned ahead of the
rest. Employers will not be impressed by those who've obviously left things late.
Be creative about the way you research your employer market sector(s). First
decide on the sector(s), and what you want to do.
Answer this:
Do you define your target sector(s) 'vertically' - according to 'vertical markets',

such as retail, solicitors, accountants, charities, healthcare, transport, sports,
leisure, etc.; or do you prefer to define your target employers 'horizontally' -
according to services and professions that are used across all industries, such as
administration, sales, financial, legal, creative, production, quality management,
business management, human resources, training and development, etc? Or
perhaps a combination of the two, for example, I want to get an internship as a
HR person in a charity, or as a production designer in a hi-tech manufacturing
company?
However you define your target sector, it's important to do so, because this gives
you something specific to aim at. Clarity here is extremely valuable. Clear aims
have a much greater chance of being met than fuzzy or indeterminate ideas. This
is because we can build an action plan around a clear aim. We can't build a plan
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around a vague idea.
The action plan starts with researching your target market or sector, however
you define it. Focusing on a defined sector helps because certain economies of
scale come into effect: commonalities exist between similar organisations and
situations which save our time and enable efficient use of our efforts. We can get
into a groove and a mind-set that will work in lots of similar situations. Being
vague and having no focus makes it impossible to derive these advantages.
Variety might be the spice of life, but it's not helpful in putting together a
targeted action plan, where focus, consistency, familiarity, knowledge, expertise
and professionalism are the important criteria for success.
Research is relatively easy using the internet - but remember the phone as well,
especially when you locate a contact who might guide you. Try to identify the
focal points where information is gathered and disseminated for your target
sector(s). Most vertical industry sectors - and professions - are represented by at
least one trade association or professional body or institute. Large sectors will be
represented by many different trade associations, bodies and institutes - each of
which represents a sub-sector or 'niche' within the main sector. Each
representative body will generally have a trade magazine or journal, and also
probably a website. These pivotal points will enable you to find out most of what
you need to know so as to identify prospective internships (and employers). Use
the phone to talk to people in these organisations - editors and secretaries are
very knowledgeable and many are very helpful. Try to network and seek referrals
from contacts, each time asking politely for help - just be honest and courteous
about what you are trying to achieve and many people will be extremely helpful.
Accept the fact that you will find yourself barking up the wrong tree on a few
occasions - no problem - move onto the next point of contact. Sooner or later you
will find what you seek.
What you seek of course is of course a good list of potential employers (and
relevant contact details) who fit your criteria. Your criteria will extend beyond
market sector and job function. Geography, organisation size, market position,
style and culture might also feature in your ideal profile of an internship
organisation. Again, define and describe to yourself what you are seeking - an
employer profile - and use your research sources to compile a list of the
organisations that meet it.
Researching individual organisations on the internet and by telephone, and by

requesting details from them (sales brochures, annual reports, etc) helps to build
up a feel of the market and or professional sector early on, and this individually
focused research is very beneficial later in the process when you begin to tighten
your specification and list of prospective employers. This detailed research will
directly improve your written approach, and you performance at interview.
When approaching organisations for internships or work experience placements,
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resist the temptation to send out lots of emails. Letters are best. Emails give a far
lower rate of response than letters. Letters have to be opened, but emails don't,
and many are binned as junk or spam. Follow the principles on this page to write
and send the most impressive CV and cover-letters possible. It's not necessary to
have had loads of work experience to create a great-looking impressive CV. See
the notes above about writing CVs with little or no work experience.
See also the tips on business writing and also the techniques for writing
introductory sales letters, which all relates to the process you are undertaking.
Remember, you are selling yourself. For that matter you should also look at the
sales training page too, which contains a lot of useful guidance about identifying
what people want and developing a proposition to meet those needs, both of
which are central to what you are doing.
Telephoning before writing is a good idea. This enables you to qualify the good
opportunities and remove the no-hopers. Phone the PA (personal assistant) of the
decision-maker, so as to make the introduction, to ask about and qualify the
opportunity and process of application and selection, and ask them to look out for
your letter. If you are referred to another person or department go with their flow
unless you are convinced it's taking you to the wrong place.
Carrying out telephone follow-up to the PA's, and your overall persistence after
you've sent your letters and CVs, will also greatly improve your success.
Also helpful is networking (asking contacts for referrals and suggestions about
other opportunities) to find the opportunities that best suit your capabilities and
aspirations. Networking among smaller business in the same sector can be very
effective and would be a useful tactic for example if you wanted to find a
placement in a small firm situated nearby or connected with lots of similar
providers. Many owners and directors know each other well and are often quite
happy to refer you elsewhere. Just because firms compete with each other does
not prevent them from referring this sort of interest between themselves when
asked. So ask.
Editors of trade journals will often have a good idea of who are the biggest
graduate recruiters and who offer most internships within certain sectors.
Research can be as easy or difficult as you make it. Try to find the people who
know most about what you want to discover and seek their help.
When it comes to sending letters and CVs to your selected organisations, writing
personalised letters that explain why you'd like to work for the particular practice
gives you a significant advantage over other people who send out an obvious
mailshot-type letter, oriented to nobody in particular.
Emphasise what you can do for the employer and your passion for the field or
profession or industry, rather than being seen only to seek what they can do for
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you.
Be flexible on fees and salary rates. Depending on your circumstances and the
significance of the opportunity you might even offer to work for minimum wage
or for free. It's called 'delaying gratification' or 'investing in your future' and under
certain circumstances it's a very effective technique. Good employers will in any
event generally pay a fair rate irrespective of what you ask for, and they'll
typically be very impressed by people who love their field so much that they are
prepared to make personal sacrifices as an investment towards learning and
experience.
"Everybody's got to have a first [internship] somewhere. My advice is, hey, if you
can find any way to afford it, try to work for free somewhere. Do anything to work
in your field." (Richard Hieb, astronaut, from from The Internship Bible, 2003
Edition by Mark Oldman and Samer Hamadeh, as referenced by The Princeton
Review.)
Enthusiasm and passion and commitment go a very long way with high quality
employers. The decision-makers you will meet in these organisations usually love
their work and their chosen field. They've become successful because of their
passion and determination.
The best employers want to employ interns who demonstrate this same level of
commitment.
curriculum vitae template presentation and

style
Irrespective of style and design, above all the presentation of your CV needs to be
high quality and clear and professional and up-to-date.
This means not using poor quality photo-copies. Original prints are best. This
applies to letters as well. Photocopies and documents that have obviously been
mass-produced imply that the sender is throwing lots of mud at the wall and
hoping some will stick. This makes the recipient or interviewer feel like you don't
care much where you end up, and that you don't have a particular reason for
wanting to join their organisation, which is the opposite impression that you need
to be making. Poor quality photocopies reflect on your own quality. Scruffy
unprofessional documents will be interpreted as a sign that the sender is scruffy
and unprofessional. Old CVs that are dated several months ago, or a photocopied
letter with a blank space in which the sender writes the date in biro, will suggest
that you are not up-to-date nor well-organised, and also that you've been looking
for a job (obviously without success) for some while.
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On the other hand, pristine professional-looking documents on good quality paper

stock (100 gsm minimum ideally) will signify that you are professional, and also
that you can be trusted to communicate appropriately and professionally when
and if you end up working for the organisation concerned. CVs and letters with
current dates, that are purpose-written (tailored) for the recipient, will suggest
that you are recently available, selective, focused, and also that you have logical
reasons for believing that a good fit exists between you and the employer, all of
which weighs heavily in your favour against all the mud-chuckers.
So: high quality, clear, professional and up-to-date CVs and letters are
vital.
According to research the inclusion of a photograph of yourself is more likely to

have a negative effect than a positive one, but I guess that depends on what you
look like and also how the reader responds to the way you look, which is not an
exact science at all. Until photographs become the expected norm, if ever they
do, unless you have a very good reason to include a photo then it's probably best
not to.
If you are asked to include a photograph of yourself, as certain jobs require, then
ensure you go about this professionally. Have a decent photograph taken by
someone who knows what they are doing. Definitely resist any temptation to use
a snap taken at the pub, or a picture of you dressed up as Father Christmas or
just about to climb the north face of the Eiger. One in twenty interviewers might
respond well to a zany picture, but most will be rather wary: getting shortlisted
generally depends on your seeming like a good fit, not looking like you could be
an oddball. If you want to convey that you are free-minded or possess great
individuality or creative strength, then use the descriptions and evidence in your
CV to demonstrate this. No-one relies on a picture.
Clear and clean and professional does not always necessarily mean 10pt black
font on 100gsm standard business stock paper, but be mindful that the farther
you stray from convention the greater risk you run that the reader will take
exception to the style. No-one ever threw out a great looking CV because it
looked too professional and business-like.
Of course certain industries - marketing, advertising, media, the arts-related

sectors - are more amenable towards unorthodox presentation and design, but
use your judgement. If in doubt keep it simple and professional. Gimmicks and
wackiness might initially grab attention, but most employers, even if the job
requires a high level of creativity, are seeking reliable professional people they
can manage, rather than someone who looks like they could be a bit of a nutter.
Use creative design with care. Make sure you are happy the situation really
warrants a strong display of creative individuality before you reach for the
holographic film and glitter.
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cv file format
This is obviously important if uploading your CV to a website, or sending via
email, or conveying your CV in digital/electronic format.
Use a file format which is most accessible to most people.
For example:
Docx files are not accessible to everyone. (Docx files cannot be opened by old
versions of MSWord).
Doc files are therefore more accessible to most people than docx files.
Pdf is arguably the most accessible and safest format. (Pdf files can generally be
opened by everyone - using Adobe Acrobat Reader - and also the pdf format
remains consistent when opened, unlike doc and other word processor files,
which are often affected by fonts and settings on the recipient's computer.)
The excellent open source 'office equivalent' www.OpenOffice.org enables easy

conversion from doc to pdf, although other methods exist.
Consider file format from the view of your target audience/reader and choose a
format by which the recipient will be able to access your CV easily and reliably.
As a general rule, the more complex/unusual your code/fonts in your CV, then the
more it will make sense to use a pdf file format.
Another consideration is that unless you protect with a password, word processor
files like doc and docx can be altered by the recipient. It is very much more
difficult to alter a pdf file. This robustness of a pdf is a further reason for choosing
pdf format.
In certain sectors (media, marketing, design, etc) pdf files will be recognised as a
more appropriate presentation format, which inevitably reflects as a subtle
advantage for anyone demonstrating that they've chosen to use the pdf format
in presenting their CV.
As ever - for the presentation of any important information to a specifically

targeted reader - ask what file format they prefer.
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curriculum vitae template - structure

(Other than 'Title', use these sub-headings or similar)
Heading
Simply your name followed by the word or 'CV' or 'Curriculum Vitae' ('Resume' is
used more in the USA).
See the notes about CV/Curriculum Vitae in the heading above.
Personal Profile (and/or Attributes)

Five to seven high impact statements that describe you. These are effectively
your personal strengths. Be bold, confident and positive when you construct
these key statements. Orientate the descriptions to the type of job you are
seeking. If you have a serious qualification and it's relevant, include it as the final
point. Look at the examples shown to see how these statements use powerful
words and professional business vocabulary. See the examples of CV words and
phrases below.
Experience (and/or Specialisms or Capabilities)

This is not your career history. It's a bullet points description of your experience
and/or your capabilities. Make sure you orientate these simple statements to
meet the requirements of the reader, in other words ensure the
experience/strengths are relevant to the type of job/responsibility that you are
seeking. Again try to use powerful statements and impressive language - be bold
and check that your chosen language and descriptions look confident and
positive. If you are at the beginning or very early stage of your career you will not
have much or any work experience to refer to, in which case you must refer to
other aspects of your life experience - your college or university experience, your
hobbies, social or sports achievements, and bring out the aspects that will be
relevant to the way you would work. See the notes for writing CVs with no work
experience. Prospective employers look for key indicators of integrity,
enthusiasm, passion, determination, initiative, creativity, originality,
organisational ability, planning, cost-management, people-skills,
technical skill, diligence, reliability, depending on the job; so find
examples of the relevant required behaviours from your life, and encapsulate
them in snappy, impressive statements. Go for active not passive descriptions,
i.e., where you are making things happen, not having things happen to you. See
the examples of CV words and phrases below.
Achievements
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High impact descriptions of your major achievements. Separate, compact,

impressive statements. Ensure you refer to facts, figures and timescales -
prospective employers look for quantitative information - hard facts, not vague
claims. These achievements should back up your Personal Profile claims earlier -
they are the evidence that you can do what you say. Again they must be relevant
to the role you are seeking. See the examples of CV words and phrases below.
Career History
A tight compact neatly presented summary of your career history. Start with the
most recent or present job and end with the first. Show starting and finishing
years - not necessarily the months. Show company name, city address - not
necessarily the full address. Show your job title(s). Use a generally recognised job
title if the actual job title is misleading or unclear.
If you have little work experience you can combine Career history into one
section. See the separate notes about writing CVs where there is very little or no
actual career history. See also the examples of CV words and phrases below.
Personal Details
In most markets including the UK, modern employment discriminantion law has
reduced the need and expectation for many personal details relating to age,
ethnicity, marital status, etc, to be included in a CV. Aside from obviously
necessary contact details, the level of personal detail you must include is now
optional. This is a particular consideration if you are posting or allowing your CV to
appear on the web, where privacy can more easily be invaded, or identities
stolen. Therefore be cautious and sensible about how much personal detail you
show in a CV. See the notes about CV personal details. Potentially this section
enables sub-headings to provide details of full name, sex (if not obvious from your
name), address, phone, email, date of birth, marital status, number of children
and ages if applicable, driving licence (hopefully clean - if not state position),
education (school, college, university and dates), qualifications, and emphasise
clearly that references are available. Keep all this information very tight, compact
and concise. Being at a more advanced stage of your career is another reason for
reducing the amount of personal details shown, as some will be implicit or not
relevant. On the other hand, there is an argument for giving as much detail as
possible for senior positions as an indication of confidence. As for some other
debatable aspects of what to include, it is your decision, and one probably best
made considering the precise circumstances of the CVs purpose and likely
exposure. The best position for your address and contact details is a matter of
debate. Many people suggest these should be at the top of the CV below the
heading, however this template structure recommends that they be shown lower
down the CV in the personal details section. See the notes on where to put CV
contact and address details. It's your decision - there are arguments both ways.
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Date the CV, and save as a file with some indication of what type of job it was
orientated for, as you should ideally develop a number of different versions of
your CV.
Education and Qualifications

Depending on the person and the job vacancy and the employer's expectations it
is often better to show education and qualifications in a separate section, rather
than within the Personal Details, as a way of giving them greater emphasis and
clarity. If so then this section can be placed after or before the Personal Details, or
given higher prominence if the situation warrants it. The level of detail and type
of detail in this section should change as your career progresses. For example
your school/college exams subjects and grades would be highly relevant when
you are seeking your first job, but after working for 5-10 years, especially if you've
achieved further training and qualifications, your school/college qualifications
warrant far less detail and prominence. As ever,,include and emphasise details
according to the jobs you are seeking, and what the employers will find most
relevant and useful.
cv sample writing example 1

Structure can be varied. These are examples. Refer to the appropriate notes on
this webpage to understand more about the reasons for using different
structures and positions for certain details within a CV. Particularly: personal
details - contact/address details - and whether to include CV or Curriculum Vitae
in the heading.
Bill Bloggs - Curriculum Vitae
Personal profile
Experienced and innovative general manager with sophisticated sales,

customer service and business administration skills.
High personal integrity, and able to relate to and create trust in all.
Highly articulate, confident and persuasive team-builder, able to motivate
and communicate to achieve exceptional business performance.
Dependable and reliable in supporting and enabling team effort to produce
genuine long-term sustainable development.
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Persistent and flexible approach to the mutually beneficial achievement of

business plans and personal goals of staff, suppliers and customers.
Honours degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Experience
Over 20 years proven expertise in industrial purchasing, manufacturing,

logistics, business development, marketing, sales and service.
Background in a wide range of industries, including construction, plant
hire, pharmaceutical, hygiene services and industrial process control.
Executive accountability for P&L, strategic planning, staffing, and sales
development etc., for a $60m international technology business, in a $3bn
UK plc.
International General Operations Manager since 2001.
Management of change within the demanding and pressurised business
environment.
Implementation of modern management practices, concerning personnel,
IT, reporting systems, and partnership customer-supplier relations, etc.
Achievements
As production control executive with XYZ Corporation introduced pc-based

systems to reduce lead-times from 7 months to 3 days, and inventory by
80% from $4.7m to $750k.
As materials manager with ABC Inc. introduced systems to reduce
lead-times from 3 months to 7 days, and inventory from $6m to $2.5m,
and 12% reduction in $12m procurement costs.
As operations manager with Newco Inc. a 10% reduction in £7m
procurement costs.
As general manager for Bigco Int. business achieved growth from $800k to
£5m, increased new customer growth from 20 to 600 per annum.
Career history
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1987-98 Early career development with Newco Inc., Bigco Int., Mainco plc.
1998-2001 ABC Inc. International Operations Manager.
2001-present XYZ Corp. General Manager.
Personal details
Bill J. Bloggs
17 Hill Lane
London
NW25 0DB
Tel: 0208 971 5900
Born: 09.10.63 (This is entirely optional given age discrimination laws.)
Educated: Sidmouth School 1975-82, and Hertstone College 1982-83,

Southtame College 1984, and University of Wales 1983-1987. (Again dates are
not obligatory due to age discrimination laws.)
References are available on request.
Feb 2010
N.B. This example CV is fictional, and so the year dates might not be entirely
consistent with the content. Ensure that your dates in your CV are all consistent
with the content, and any gaps are explained as positively as possible.
You can try different CV variations on the theme - provided you stick to the main
principles develop a structure to suit your own situation and what the reader is
looking for. A lot will depend on the type and level of position you are applying
for; generally the more senior, the more focus will be on serious evidence of
achievement in corporate life, and less on personal profile and personal details. A
CV doesn't need to be long or detailed - it needs to show evidence that you offer
relevant and impressive skills and experience.
Here is another example CV:
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cv sample writing example 2

John Smith - Curriculum Vitae
Experience
Executive accountability for corporate performance and profit.

Strategic management in a variety of major B2B corporations.
Management of extensive marketing services and sales organizations.
Overseas business operations and management - Far East, Europe, USA.
New business development, start-up and trouble-shooting.
Specialisms
B2B Sales and Marketing.

Sales organization development.
Export and international trade development.
Online and Internet business development.
Career history
2005-present - Great Co plc - sales and marketing director

2002-05 - XYZ Inc - sales director
1997-2002 - Good Co plc - operations manager, director
1993-97 - ABC plc - sales manager
Responsibilities and achievements
Great Co plc
Sales and Marketing Director of £800m industrial services market leader,
comprising 300,000 customers, 12 regional service centres, large call-centre,
and 500 sales and marketing staff. Increased sales by 125% and gross margins
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by 10% 2005-2008. Increased market share from 12% in 2005 to current 27%.
Successful establishment of overseas distribution in Eastern Europe and USA in
2006 and 2008, creating extra £75m business. Developed and launched new
E-Trade online business, representing 50,000 customers and £55m revenues
producing 14% net profit by 2008. Queen's Award for Exports 2007.
XYZ Inc
Sales Director of architectural and construction products market leader,
comprising 120 sales staff, 15,000 customers, 4,000 products and £220m sales,
generating 12% net profit. Increased sales by 75% during tenure. Automated all
sales ordering and delivery processes producing 20% cost savings after 2 year
investment recovery. Opened new overseas markets in Middle East and China
(joint venture), 2004 and 2005, producing £45m new business at 13% net profit
annually.
Good Co plc
Operations Manager and later director, of market leading micro-electronics
controls systems supplier, comprising three home and seven overseas European
service centres, 130 technical and service staff, 1,200 customers, including over
300 government and defence departments and installations. Rationalised parts
and processes 1998-2000 improving trading margins by 10%. Introduced new
recruitment and training procedures reducing staff turnover from 35% to 20%.
Implemented new integrated systems for supply, installation and servicing
activities, saving 25% costs pa. Negotiated successful contracts for several royal
palaces and ministerial offices, home and overseas.
Education and Qualifications

Abbey Road Comprehensive, London - 1982-89
University of East Anglia - 1989-93 - BSc in Economics
Open University - 2000-02 - MBA
John Smith
15 Long Road
London
SE37 4BF
Tel 0207 0039 0090
Email john@johnsmithsemail.net
References are available on request.
Feb 2010
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N.B. This example CV is fictional, and so the year dates might not be entirely
consistent with the content. Ensure that your dates in your CV are all consistent
with the content, and any gaps are explained as positively as possible. The
inclusion of dates which would give clear indication of age are not obligatory in
CVs, due to age discrimination laws. Increasingly, similar principles apply to other
aspects of potential discrimination. Refer to the explanations elsewhere on this
page about personal details in CVs.
cv cover letters samples

CV cover letters must be very professional and perfectly presented. Use a smart
good quality letterheaded paper, and ensure that the name and address details
and date are correct and personal for the recipient of the CV. Do not use scruffy
photocopies - ideally do not use photo-copies at all - CV cover letters should look
individual and special for the job concerned.
Look at what the job advert is seeking. Ensure that the key skills, attributes and
experience are reflected in the cover letter as well as your CV. Draw the reader's
attention to the fact that your profile fits their requirements. Make the cover
letter look like a special and direct response to the job advert and personal profile
that is sought.
These principles broadly apply and adapt perfectly well for expressing interest in
or applying for internal vacancies within your existing employment organization.
Keep CV cover letters brief and concise. The reader will make assumptions about
you from what you write and how you write it and the quality of your cover letter
presentation.
As with any communications, ensure you include key words and phrases which
reflect what the reader is seeking.
sample cv cover letter

Ensure you lay the letter out neatly on your own good quality letterheaded paper,
with your own address top right or centre-top. Avoid fancy fonts and upper case
(capital letters). Use a single font 10-12pt size, maybe bold or underlined for the
reference or heading if you use one.
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Full name and address details.
Date
Reference if required.
Dear (Mr/Mrs/Ms Surname)
(optional heading, bold or underlined - normally the job title and or

reference if they've asked you to quote one)
I enclose my CV in respect of the above vacancy/position (or state position

advertised and when it appeared). You will see that I have the required skills,
capabilities and experience for this position, notably (state two or three attributes
briefly).
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
(Sign)
(And below print your name - not hand-written)
cv cover letters for unadvertised positions or

opportunities
It is perfectly fine to send a speculative CV to potential employers, i.e., not in
response to any advert. In this case you should obtain the name of the senior
person responsible for staffing decisions in the area you wish to apply. (Call the
company to find out the correct name and address details of the relevant
person.) In these cases obviously you won't know precisely what skills they are
seeking, but you should be able to imagine the attributes that they might need.
Here are some examples - include two or three in your cover letter that best
match your own profile and their likely interest:
reliable and dependable

decisive and results-driven
creative problem-solver
team-player
technically competent/qualified (state discipline or area)
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commercially experienced and aware

task-orientated
excellent inter-personal and communications skills
sound planning and organizational capabilities
loyal and determined
See the examples of CV describing phrases below for more ideas.
speculative sample cv cover letter sample

Again, ensure you lay the letter out neatly on your own good quality letterheaded
paper, with your own address top right or centre-top. Avoid fancy fonts and
upper case (capital letters). Use a single font, maybe bold or underlined for the
reference or heading if you use one.
Full name and address details.
Date
Dear (Mr/Mrs/Ms Surname)
(optional heading, bold or underlined - in this example you would

normally refer to a job title, and include with the word 'opportunities' or
'openings', for example: 'commercial management opportunities')
I am interested in any openings in the above area and enclose my CV. You will
see that I have skills and capabilities that enable me to make a significant
contribution to an organization such as your own, notably (state two or three
attributes briefly).
I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely
(Sign)
(And below print your name - not hand-written)
As you can see, CV cover letters can be short and very concise. Cover letters
need to be short and very concise, otherwise people won't read them.
Writing a short concise, hard-hitting cover letter for CV also shows confidence
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and professionalism.
The bigger the job, the longer you can make your CV cover letters, but even
cover letters for board level positions have more impact if they are very short and
concise. Make your key points in a no-nonsense fashion and then finish.
Keep your CV and cover letter simple. Your CV and cover letter must be concise
and easy to read. Your CV and your cover letter must sell you, must be tailored to
what the reader is looking for.
cv writing examples and samples of

descriptions, phrases and words
Here are some samples and examples of descriptive phrases and words for
writing impressive and professional CVs.
And here is a free CV template in MSWord - single sheet format, UK A4 paper size
- into which you can insert your own details. Adapt it to suit your purposes.
Here is the CV Template in PDF format.
I can get my own CV onto a single sheet side of A4, so I reckon most of you
should be able to keep your CV to a side of A4 too. Believe me, interviewers and
recruiting employers will thank you for it. Plus it shows that you know how to
communicate a complex series of facts quickly, concisely, persuasively, and
effectively.
Ensure that when you use or adapt or combine any of these descriptions that you
are able to back up your claims under questioning at interview, and ideally to
provide examples or evidence if asked. This is an easy thing to prepare and get
right, and will give you a huge advantage over people who fail to approach their
CV and job-search in this way.
As a general guide, try to 'blow your own trumpet' in your CV. Don't be shy. Be
bold.
Use strong professional-looking phrases in describing your personality,

capabilities, experience and achievements.
One or two other people competing for the same job will be doing just this, so be
fair to yourself and ensure you do it too.
Cut and paste, mix and match, copy and use from the examples below what
works for you and makes you feel comfortable - and which provides a description
that gives you something to aim at and that you'll be proud to live up to.
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For each statement that you use, ask yourself the question that the interviewer
might ask:
"...You're CV says that you are [whatever description] - Can you give me
an example of this in your work experience?..."
and make sure you can think of a really good answer which provides evidence
and proof of your description.
Note that some phrases below are connected with dashes or semi-colons (;). Use
punctuation in a varied professional way to illustrate your ability with written
communications. Semi-colons are rarely used because most people don't have
the confidence of knowledge to use them. In fact a semi-colon is simply a longer
pause than a comma; a bit less less than a full-stop (a 'period' in the US).
Someone reading your CV who appreciates good written language skills will
notice the use of a semi-colon and infer from it something positive about the
writer. It's all part of the presentation. Every little edge helps.
Ensure your grammar and punctuation format is consistent. For example, in

bullet points, either use full-stops or don't use them. Decide on a format and
apply it consistently. Same with capital letters at the start of bullet points - either
use them or don't - avoid mixing the grammar format. These days grammatical
tolerance is quite flexible - no-one will criticise you for using or failing to use full
stops or capital letters in bullet points - the important thing is to be consistent.
Same applies with headings, bold type, and underlines: decide on a format and
use it consistently. This helps keep your presentation style simple, clear, tidy and
professional.
Mix and match words and phrases to project yourself, and also to reflect what
your believe the job requires and what the employer and interviewer are
particularly seeking.
cv words and phrases examples - personal

profile, capabilities, etc
results-driven, logical and methodical approach to achieving tasks and
objectives
determined and decisive; uses initiative to develop effective solutions to
problems
reliable and dependable - high personal standards and attention to detail
methodical and rigorous approach to achieving tasks and objectives
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entrepreneurial and pro-active - strong drive and keen business mind

identifies and develops opportunities; innovates and makes things happen
good strategic appreciation and vision; able to build and implement
sophisticated plans
determined and decisive; uses initiative to meet and resolve challenges
strives for quality and applies process and discipline towards optimising
performance
extremely reliable and dependable - analytical and questioning, strives for
quality
methodical approach to planning and organising - good time-manager
excellent interpersonal skills - good communicator, leadership, high integrity
strong planning, organising and monitoring abilities - an efficient
time-manager
self-driven and self-reliant - sets aims and targets and leads by example
good interpersonal skills - works well with others, motivates and encourages
high integrity, diligent and conscientious - reliable and dependable
self-aware - always seeking to learn and grow
seeks new responsibilities irrespective of reward and recognition
emotionally mature and confident - a calming influence
detailed and precise; fastidious and thorough
decisive and results-driven; creative problem-solver
good starter - enthusiastic in finding openings and opportunities
creative and entrepreneurial networker - effective project coordinator
reliable and dependable in meeting objectives - hard-working
emotionally mature; calming and positive temperament; tolerant and
understanding
seeks and finds solutions to challenges - exceptionally positive attitude
great team-worker - adaptable and flexible
well-organised; good planner; good time-manager
seeks new responsibilities and uses initiative; self-sufficient
solid approach to achieving tasks and objectives; determined and decisive
excellent interpersonal skills - good communicator, high integrity
energetic and physically very fit; quick to respond to opportunities and
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problems
active and dynamic approach to work and getting things done
financially astute - conversant with accounting systems and principles
tactical, strategic and proactive - anticipates and takes initiative
systematic and logical - develops and uses effective processes
good listener - caring and compassionate
critical thinker - strong analytical skills; accurate and probing
good researcher - creative and methodical - probing and resourceful
facilitative project manager; develops and enables group buy-in
persistent and tenacious sales developer; comfortable with demanding targets
resilient and and thorough - detached and unemotional
completer-finisher; checks and follows up - immaculate record-keeper
team-player - loyal and determined
technically competent/qualified [state discipline or area, to whatever standard
or level]
task-oriented - commercially experienced and aware
excellent inter-personal and communications skills
sound planning and organizational capabilities
results oriented - focused on productive and high-yield activities
tolerant and understanding - especially good with young children/elderly
people/needy people/disadvantaged people, etc
emotionally mature - calming and positive temperament - compassionate and
caring
sensitive and patient interpersonal and communication skills
high integrity and honesty; ethical and socially aware
energetic and positive outlook, which often inspires others
calm, reliable and dependable in meeting objectives - logical and numerate
seeks and finds good outcomes to challenges
adaptable and flexible; well-organised planner and scheduler
seeks new responsibilities and uses initiative; self-sufficient
Obviously this list is not exhaustive. Hopefully the examples provide some ideas
around which you can develop your own descriptions.
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Select words and phrases, and develop statements that emphasise your
strengths and capabilities and that reflect the requirements of the job,
interviewer and employer.
Use punctuation and conjunctions (words that join words or word-strings, 'and'
being the most obvious example) to form elegant statements that look
well-balanced and are easy to read.
Select, adapt and compose your statements with care. Get help and feedback
(from positive people) to help you produce statements that really work well for
you.
experience - examples and samples of

descriptions, phrases and words
When describing your experience and achievements, select examples that are
relevant to the the job vacancy, and relevant to the manner in which the
employer requires the job be performed.
Not all experience statements (or any of them, in the case of young
people at the start of their careers) need to be work-based. Look for
non-work experience in other parts of your life that provides evidence of
what the employer is seeking.
Construct your experience phrases so that they will demonstrate experience and
capabilities that are relevant to employer's job requirements. Create a list of 5-7
key activities which closely match the employer's needs for the job, and for which
you can demonstrate competence.
Decide what activities are relevant to you and the role, and then create phrases
which add context and scale to whichever of these basic activities you choose
to feature.
For example, if we take the activity 'planning', here's a phrase which attaches
some context and scale, in this case for a telesales manager:
"Planning and budgeting annual sales department activities for 10 telesales

people."
Or for Managing, training and developing:
"Management, training and development of a consumer telesales team - 15 staff,

3,000 customers, £3m revenues."
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Or, for example, if the role requires initiative and determination, and you have no
work experience:
"Conception and implementation of major fund-raising initiative for (whatever

cause) rasing (value) in (timescale)."
If you have no direct business or work-related experience for a particular area,

then look for non-work experience in other parts of your life that provides
evidence of what the employer is seeking. If you think about it you will find some.
Employers will be looking for experience-type evidence in some of these areas,

depending on what the job requires. Think about what the employer needs in the
job. The job advert often provides good indicators if it is well worded.
Structure your experience statements in the sequence that you think reflects the
priority in which the employer requires or sees them.
Experience-type examples:
planning
monitoring and recording and reporting
communicating
working effectively in a team
implementing and completing
resolving and solving problems and challenges
working under pressure and meeting demanding deadlines
dealing with customers - internal and external
dealing with suppliers and partners and associates
supervising others and activities
checking and policing
researching and exploring
analysing and investigating
coordinating activities and work
listening, understanding, empathising, helping and solving
scheduling
creating
designing and developing
controlling quality and testing
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carrying out processes and procedures

using systems and tools
operating equipment and tools reliably and safely
operating and implementing procedures
initiating and instigating
developing and coaching and mentoring others
teaching and training others
decision-making
negotiating and mediating
interpreting and translating [situations, needs, demands, etc - not just words
and language]
managing activities
directing activities
determining direction, policy and strategy
Scale indicators for CV descriptions which could be attached to the above

activities would be for example:
number of staff
geographical territory
number of accounts
annual turnover or revenue
annual cost budgets
plant or asset value
size of location or site
number of departments
number of locations
international coverage
number of distributors or customers
value of business
number of products
number or scale of developments
timings and work or project duration
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throughput or output
speed of operation or turn-around
travel or coverage
cycle time or 'churn' or turnover (replacement) rate or percentage
Context indicators which could be attached to the experience activities

descriptions could be for example:
industry sector or segment or niche (eg, 'Automotive, consumer servicing and

repairs')
business-to-business (B2B) or consumer (some people recognise this as B2C)
type of organisation - private company, public company, institutional, not-for-
profit, etc
other organisational descriptions
organisational culture, structure, management style (be positive - not blaming
or critical)
area or region
type department or division
precise work or job function
product or services descriptions
expertise and quality standards and levels
market position and share
competitive position
trends - increasing, reducing, declining, mature, developing, etc
distribution model
maturity of business or sector
other factors, pressures, growth, etc
Examples of non-work experiences that can be used as a basis of relevant and

impressive experience, instead of work-related experiences:
voluntary work
fund-raising
grants and funding applications
committee membership of societies and clubs
organising things - at school, college, university, local community
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campaigning for a cause

collecting things
making things
running a part-time business
teaching and helping people
caring for people
creating things - art, writing, photography, sculpture, etc
languages
sports and fitness
games and competitions
organising events and outings
entertaining and performing
computers and telecoms
music and singing
theatre and dance
local politics and trade union activities/responsibilities
becoming expert and accumulating knowledge in anything
reading
travel
thinking and philosophising
meditating and religious pursuits
overcoming personal difficulties (see disabilities and difficulties below) - turn
these to a positive advantage and statement of determination, experience and
emotional maturity
cv examples of achievements
A CV looks very impressive if it includes a few quantified and relevant
achievements - evidence about you and your capabilities that relate to what the
interviewer is seeking, and what the job role requires.
Not all achievements (or any of them, in the case of young people at the
start of their careers) need to be work-based. Refer to the list of non-work
42 of 50 08/16/2010 02:56 PM
experiences above for ideas about non-work achievements too.
Describing your relevant and impressive achievements on your CV is therefore a

great opportunity for you:
to show that you understand what the job requires - in terms of activities,
behaviour and style (by the key aspects of your achievements that you
include in your CV)
to show that you understand the relative importance and priority of
the requirements of the role (by the achievements you list and the
sequence in which you list them)
to provide evidence that you fit the job and person specification - that
you've done the things they need to be done, or similar things, in the past
(achievements are evidence the interviewer needs to see)
to provide evidence that you have the personal characteristics that the
role requires (achievements with suitable scale and context and wording
imply personal characteristics)
Employers recruiting for any type job want to find people who are a 'safe bet';
people who have a proven and impressive track record and/or with evidence of
appropriate capabilities, style, attitude and potential. Employers don't like taking
risks. Interviewers and recruitment decision-makers want to get the best person
for the vacancy, but they also want to protect their personal reputation by
avoiding making recruitment mistakes, which means minimising risk.
Therefore the more evidence you can provide that you will be a reliable
and safe choice, and a very low-risk appointment, the better.
Showing impressive, well-worded achievements, that indicate you have the sort
of capabilities, experience and personality to match the employer's needs, greatly
increases your chances of being short-listed and progressing through the
interview process.
It is also important to attach scale and context to your achievements

statements. Refer to the sale and context criteria lists above.
Achievements need to include size, scale and value factors so that the interviewer
can assess them properly. Scales enables measurement and assessment. Woolly,
vague statements without scale are nowhere near as impressive as statements
with clear hard facts and figures.
Context helps explain the claim, and helps position the statement as being
relevant to the job vacancy, and the characteristics that the interviewer and
employer are seeking. Context simply means the situation.
As ever, you must ensure you can back-up and be prepared to provide
43 of 50 08/16/2010 02:56 PM
evidence in support of your achievements statements and descriptions.
Think about achievements you've attained in the past and identify the ones
which match or relate to the requirements of the new job. A relevant
achievement does not have to be in the same industry or even from a work
situation. A relevant achievement is evidence of relevant capability, style,
personality, attitude, knowledge or potential.
Then having identified some achievements that might serve your purpose, think
about how to word them so that they put the main points across using as few
words as possible. Choose the 3-5 best, most relevant and most impressive.
Put yourself in the interviewer's shoes.
Ask yourself, "If I were recruiting someone for this vacancy, what sort of
achievements would I want to see in CV of the successful applicant?"
Remember, not all achievements in a CV (or any of them, in the case of

young people at the start of their careers) need to be work-based.
Obviously if you have examples of some impressive work achievements that fit
well with the new employer's requirements then use them, however you might
have some impressive achievements outside of work which relate strongly to
what the employer is seeking. Think about it. Ask friends for some feedback if you
find it difficult to think about yourself in this way. Everyone's got some impressive
things about their own background which can be worded to form impressive
achievements in their CV.
Employers are seeking evidence of behavioural and attitudinal characteristics, not

just work skills, responsibilities and projects.
Bringing up a young family and looking after the home is an achievement.
Overcoming a disability or personal difficulty is an achievement, and many

employers would regard this as hugely valuable and meaningful experience.
For certain types of job vacancies these particular achievements, suitably

worded, would strike a powerful chord with the interviewer.
These days, 'life skills', emotional intelligence and maturity, tolerance, wisdom,
triumph through adversity, and other good character indicators, are much
sought-after attributes. In some cases more sought-after than job-skills and
specific work experience. If you possess any of these attributes, then incorporate
them as experiences or achievements into your CV. For many of the best
employers these characteristics are more significant than qualifications. Everyone
can get qualifications - but not everyone is a proper grown-up rounded person.
('Grown-up' here means emotionally mature and well balanced - nothing to do
with age.) Qualifications are absolutely no indication of personal integrity or
44 of 50 08/16/2010 02:56 PM
character or 'grown-upness'. Employers need above all, proper grown-up rounded

people - people of character.
Your achievements of course convey your character, as well as your capabilities.
Non-work achievements relate to all sorts of working attributes for example

organising, communicating, project-management, coordinating, managing
people, entrepreneurialism, determination, patience, planning, selling and
marketing, purchasing and production, creating things, developing and building
things, technical competence and expertise, research and knowledge-
management.
Thinking about achievements in this way is usually necessary for young people
starting their careers, when they obviously do not have much of a work track-
record. Looking for relevant non-work achievements is also relevant for people
seeking to change careers.
Hobbies and voluntary work are often a rich source of achievements. See the list
of non-work experiences for ideas.
Many people, especially those yet to find work which really excites them or
enables them to use their own personal capability and potential, are likely to have
put significant energy and enthusiasm into a non-work activity or passion.
It might be as secretary or treasurer for the local sports club, a school governor, a
campaigner for a cause or charity. You might run a website for the local
community group, or for a society or club.
In fact, most people's work achievements pale into insignificance

alongside the things they've achieved outside of work.
You are likely to be the same.
Think about the special impressive things you've done so far in your life
- and use them to create some powerful achievements statements for
your CV.
The reason most people don't do this is that most people are very modest and
self-effacing. They don't like to 'blow their own trumpet'. This is normally fine and
actually very admirable - until it comes to writing a CV.
If you are one of these people who prefers not to think about all the great things
you've done, you owe it to yourself to adopt a slightly more outgoing and
extravert mindset for half and hour or so, and think about your own
achievements that should be in your CV.
Think hard about all the good things you've done - things that you take for
granted - there will be many things that represent just the sort of achievements
45 of 50 08/16/2010 02:56 PM
and evidence that the employer is hoping to see in a good CV.
Don't wait to be asked - think about it, identify your achievements, shape them
into impressive statements with scale and context, and put them into your CV.
Everyone has a few very impressive achievements in their past - they just need
thinking about and then orienting into descriptions that fit the personal qualities
and capabilities that the interviewer and employer are seeking.
describing disabilities or other difficult issues in

a CV
As already suggested, emotional maturity, personal integrity, triumph over
adversity, and other indicators of good character, are powerful attributes and
much sought-after by good employers.
This is especially so if the person concerned is able to express and articulate the
effects and implications of their particular challenge, whatever it might be.
Self-awareness, personal interpretation and the philosophy to see personal

difficulties in terms of positive opportunities and special outcomes, are extremely
impressive indicators of an exceptional personality.
Ironically many people who have overcome personal difficulties do not make the
most of the opportunity to present their strongest attribute - that of having dealt
with and overcome their difficulty.
If you have a disability it can be tricky deciding how and if to explain it in your
CV.
Same applies for other disadvantages or apparently 'negative' aspects of personal

history, experience, or self.
If you are struggling with a difficult 'negative' issue in your CV, be bold and be
proud of it. Be proud of what it has enabled you to become.
Find ways of explaining and describing this aspect of yourself in terms of life
experience, personal strength, tolerance, resilience, wisdom, humanity, humility,
and the many other positive characteristics that typically derive from overcoming
adversity.
As with other aspects of CV writing, if you are more naturally inclined to focus on
your weaknesses rather than your strengths (many excellent and wonderful
people do) it might help you to seek some feedback and input from a good,
positive friend. We are not always the best person to see our own strengths -
46 of 50 08/16/2010 02:56 PM
sometimes it's important to invite an outside opinion.
However you approach this, rest assured that good employers will always be
impressed by special people who have not only overcome and dealt with personal
challenge and difficulty - of any sort, even if self-inflicted - but who are also able
to articulate what it means to them, and how the experience or difficulty has
resulted in personal growth, learning, and the development of special qualities,
whatever form they take.
Explaining these issues can be done perfectly well in the 'experience' and
'achievements' sections of a CV.
Moreover these statements will, if worded well, stand out very strongly, and be
more impressive than anything else on the CV.
Remember, because it's true, and good employers know this:
"What does not kill us makes us stronger." (Attributed to Friedrich

Nietzsche, German philosopher, 1844-1900, based on his words: "Out of life's
school of war: What does not destroy me, makes me stronger." from The Twilight
of the Idols, 1899.)
cvs and job applications for progressive

employers
As ever, the world is changing. It's changed significantly already for many
employers - especially large global corporations.
Progressive successful organizations mostly now recognize that the rules of

business and management are now very different to a generation ago.
Consumers around the world are now part of a vast connected global system, in
which the spiritual and ethical characteristics of a corporation are becoming more
crucial than anything else. Maintaining and growing corporate integrity is
fundamentally vital.
We are now in a truly internationally connected market-place, and one

where old conventional competitive strengths are increasingly seen (by opinion-
formers, employers and customers) as being very narrow and inadequate.
This is a new age of much greater consumer awareness - and especially of

philosophical considerations.
Today's modern managers and every new graduate intake will be challenged on
two levels which until recently have not really featured in a typical manager's
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skill-set:
how to understand and enable effective response to the systemic

characteristics of modern global and very fast-moving market-place - a now
vast and increasingly connected and inter-related global system (of nations,
cultures, technology, and 'swarming' effects), and
how to understand and enable effective response to the new philosophical
issues which increasingly influence consumer tastes and buying decisions
(things like sustainability, corporate integrity, diversity, spirituality, ethics, etc
- far beyond product, price, promotion, and traditional quality management,
etc).
The best new and aspiring managers - especially new graduates seeking to
become a senior manager or executive - must therefore demonstrate a new reach
and vision - an awareness and capability (or at least potential capability) distinctly
beyond the old standards of product and management quality and efficient
effective profitable operations.
Jobs in marketing and people-management, and to a degree all other

organizational functions, increasingly must respond to this, for which reason, the
most effective managers in the future will be people whose capabilities embrace
these complex systemic and philosophical considerations, way beyond
conventional job skills.
This is increasingly the guiding and differentiating perspective of recruiters and

graduate programme decision-makers.
Successful job applications - notably for the prime jobs with the most progressive
successful employers - will increasingly be characterised by such appreciation.
see also
free CV template in MSWord - single sheet format, UK A4 paper size - into
which you can insert your own details - adapt it to suit your purposes
free CV Template in PDF format
direct job-hunting method and tool - adapt for your needs
interviews tips, questions and answers - for interviewers and interviewees
asking for a pay rise/raise, salary increase - letters samples, templates,
examples, tips, techniques and advice
love and spirituality at work
48 of 50 08/16/2010 02:56 PM
negotiation tips and techniques

references letters
resignations letters
stress management
assertiveness and building self-confidence
life balance
leadership qualities and tips - what good employers seek in new employees,
leaders and managers
motivation - self and others
introduction cover letters and sales introductory letters
writing effectively for business and good letters
exit interviews - for interviewees and interviewers
time management
life coaching
'Desiderata' - a verse for personal inspiration
'If' - the great Rudyard Kipling poem for personal inspiration
the four agreements - for personal inspiration
the rules of life - for personal inspiration
search businessballs website

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The use or adaptation of this material for your own personal purposes is free, and the copyright and
source do not need to be shown on your own CV or resume. The use of this material for teaching and
training is free provided copyright (see below) is acknowledged and reference or link is made to the
www.businessballs.com website. This material may not be sold, or published in any form.
Disclaimer: Reliance on information, material, advice, or other linked or recommended resources,
received from Alan Chapman, shall be at your sole risk, and Alan Chapman assumes no
responsibility for any errors, omissions, or damages arising. Users of this website are encouraged to
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any actions that could carry personal or organisational liabilities. Managing people and relationships
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© alan chapman 1995-2010
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CV tips, templates and examples for eﬀective curri... http://www.businessballs.com/curriculum.

home » writing/communicating » curriculum vitae writing tips and templates

curriculum vitae writing tips and

This page is full of CV writing tips, techniques, examples,

If you want a quick easy CV without the supporting advice

The US English version of these CV tips and format examples ('resumes'

index - writing the best possible cv

CV survey information and key points

basics of CV presentation and structure

Specific CV structure options: - extent of personal details - contact/address details

Writing CVs when you have very little or no work experience

Opportunities where a job role or vacancy is not fully defined

CVs style and presentation

CV file formats for electronic submission or circulation

CV template structure and examples

CV cover letters and examples

CVs and cover letters for unadvertised positions - a speculative proactive

Examples of effective CV self-describing words and phrases: - personal profile and

Describing and presenting relevant achievements in your CV

Explaining disabilities, difficulties, redundancies, etc., in CVs

Presenting highly desirable attributes to progressive employers - give yourself a

curriculum vitae writing tips - introduction

These CV and letter principles apply to all career moves.

These notes are therefore not restricted to text-based

How you perform at the interview or group selection is of

CV writing is a form of marketing or advertising,

Opportunities like the ones offered on the Businessballs Community will

Obviously lying in a CV is a risky strategy, especially about qualifications, and you

cv surveys and key points of interest

It seems that only 8% of interviewers believe that academic qualifications reliably

emphasising the availability of good reliable references on the CV

According to the research, these are the most common CV inaccuracies

employment dates (length of, dates from and to)

cv writing tips - basics of template

Here is a free CV template in MSWord - single sheet format, UK A4 paper size -

A 2004 UK survey by the Royal Mail postal service of HR departments in large

Incompletely or inaccurately addressed CVs and CV cover letters were

The level of personal detail to include in a CV

Where to show your contact and address details on a CV

Whether or not to included the words Curriculum Vitae or CV in the CV heading

personal details in your cv

Employment laws, particularly relating to equality and discrimination (age,

There is no law which compels or prevents the inclusion or withholding within

On which point, be careful about your assumptions - while prejudices obviously

Another view is that any employer who discriminates unreasonably against an

Moreover, modern ethical employers will tend to respond positively to openness,

So whether to include date of birth or age on a CV (or gender if it is not obvious

A guiding rule is possibly:

In terms of CVs provided or uploded to job websites, or to less secure and

As highlighted by the serious security breach at a major jobs website in January

Personal data on a CV uploaded or stored electronically is - to one degree or

(I am grateful to L Haughton, October 2007, for initially raising the issue of

contact and address details - top or foot of the

Positioning contact and address details lower on a CV, so as to give maximum

There is an argument however (and I am again grateful to L Haughton for raising

If you want a guiding rule, here's one:

name and 'cv' or 'curriculum vitae' - or just your

As with several other aspects of CV writing and presentation, this is open to

In recent years a fashionable view has emerged suggesting that it is somehow

As far as I understand the communication and management of text-based

Excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae is said by some to reduce the risk of irritating

Excluding CV or Curriculum Vitae from the heading arguably might improve -

A CV must achieve a balance between presentation, content, and increasingly