Preparation is key! The purpose of your CV is to give concrete evidence that you have the requirements the recipient is looking for. As well as information from the employer, you can do your own research into the requirements of different jobs.

You should demonstrate each requirement through examples from all areas of your life, e.g.

• Part-time jobs
• Voluntary work
• Internships & work experience
• Extra-curricular activities
• Academic Study
• Family commitments

These examples will allow you to formulate effective bullet points of evidence, targeted towards the requirements. This is the most important aspect of your CV.

Always accompany your CV with a Covering Letter (unless explicitly told not to).

• Be concise - 2 pages maximum. Make sure your CV is free from spelling or grammatical mistakes.
• Make it easy to read – don’t use big blocks of text.
• Express yourself in a professional and positive way.
• Save it as a PDF to make a professional first impression – and to ensure it looks as you intended!

• Once you’ve drafted your CV, have someone you trust look over it. Bear in mind that everyone has their own opinion on CVs and yours is the most important!
• You can also get feedback from the Careers Service.
  To check spelling and grammar use our proof reading service – small fee applies.

Your Covering letter is almost as important as your CV, and you should send one unless you’re explicitly told not to. Preparation is key, and it’s much easier to tackle your Covering Letter after you’ve written your CV. That’s because it’s good to pick out one or two key selling points from your CV and highlight these in your letter. Think of your CV and letter combined as a three page advert for you.

One page maximum – if sending hard copy, use the same paper as your CV.

You could include your qualification and where you saw their vacancy (if not a speculative application). Employers like to know if their marketing strategy has been successful.

Employers hate letters that look as if you’ve just sent the same thing to hundreds of others! Make it obvious that you really want to work for them. Write one or two paragraphs which:

• Mention the employer by name.
• Demonstrate you have researched the company and their description of the role.
• Show how the opportunity fits into your career plans.

Pick out one or two of the most convincing bits of evidence from your CV and expand on them. Write one or two paragraphs which:

• Give the context of the experiences.
• Use action verbs to make it clear what you did.
• Show the specific positive results of your efforts.
• Show that you are able to reflect accurately and positively on your performance.

In a short paragraph:

• Leave the employer in no doubt that you believe you’re capable of performing well in the role.
• Make it look as if you expect to hear from them, rather than just hope you might!
• After all, if you don’t look as if you believe in yourself, they’re not going to believe in you either!

Here’s an example: Eve Fraser Cover Letter (pdf)

Once you’ve drafted your letter, have someone you trust look over it. Remember that everyone has their own opinion and yours is the most important! You can also get feedback from the Careers Service.

• To check spelling and grammar use our proof reading service – small fee applies.
• Graduate Prospects – guide to writing a Covering letter

Preparation is key! Always bear in mind the purpose of your application: to demonstrate clearly that you have the skills and qualities required for the job. How can you be sure what these are? Before you tackle the form print it out, or go through all the questions. Look at the organisation’s web site and find out about the requirements of the role. Use Careers sites such as Prospects to find out about the entry requirements of the type of job. Identify what the key skills and qualities are for the employer and the job.

Look over your past experiences and look for evidence of these skills and qualities. A useful way to structure your thinking is to use the STAR acronym:

Situation Task Action Result - STAR

• Describe a particular SITUATION/SCENARIO.
• What was the TASK or TARGET? Explain what you had to do (Include information such as any barriers overcame, issues encountered etc.)?
• What was the ACTION you took? Use positive action verbs, such as I organized; I negotiated; I developed; I presented; I persuaded; I encouraged.
• What was the RESULT? Give a positive outcome.

Try to write down every "STAR Story" you can think of for each requirement as concisely as you can. Prioritise them according to how relevant and persuasive they are. Don’t worry about where your evidence is from. Experiences from paid or unpaid work; degree course activities; spare time activities and family commitments are all valued by employers. The point about transferrable skills is that they’re transferrable!

Here’s an example:

I ran a local Scout group, consisting of 34 young people and a leadership team of six. I organised a weeklong camp in France by effective delegation and leadership of the team. I researched potential outdoor education centres and arranged accommodation, insurance and travel. We hosted information sessions for parents at which I encouraged my leadership team to present information. The camp was successful and we received excellent feedback from the Scouts and their parents.

You can then choose the most relevant evidence to answer particular questions in the form.

Some forms ask for a personal statement, or a question such as "Use the space below to outline your suitability for the post". These can be daunting, but don’t worry, all you need to do is decide on a structure and use as much of your evidence from the "Getting Started" section as you can.

Your statement needs to give your reasons for applying:

• Show that you know about the values and ethos of the organisation and how they match your own.
• Show that you’re sure about the key skills and qualities required and how these are matched by your specific "STAR Stories", interests and motivations.
• Conclude your statement or answer by emphasising that you have the skills and qualities required, and that you are sure you are suited to the job.

• Check sure you have answered every part of every question.
• Check your spell checker is set for English (UK), rather than USA – unless you’re applying to a job in the USA!
• Don’t trust the spell checker, check yourself too!
• Make sure you have not exceeded the word limit.
• Try to find someone else to look over your answers – why not book an appointment with a Careers Adviser?
• Most forms are on-line these days – make sure you understand how the particular system works before you begin.
• If you can, write your answers on your usual word processor and then paste them into the form.
• Try to compete the form well before the closing date, so that you’re not rushed. A technical glitch close to the deadline can be a disaster!
• To check spelling and grammar use our proof reading service – small fee applies.

• Graduate Prospects – guide to applications
• Target Jobs – great graduate application advice
• Advice on producing persuasive evidence, University of Kent Careers Service