CV, cover letter and application form tips from learndirect

CV tips and hints

• What is the purpose of a CV?

A CV gives employers an

overview of your skills, education

and work history. Your CV will

help the recruiting manager to

decide whether to invite you to

an interview – it is your chance

to get your foot in the door!

• How long should it be?

No more than two pages.

• Remember, whatever advice you

get, a CV is a personal

document and how it is set out is

your choice.

Headings

The following headings should

be included:

• Contact details

• Personal profile

• Skills

• Work history

• Education/training

• Interests/hobbies

• References

What shouldn’t go on a CV?

Irrelevancies such as:

Age, sex, gender, marital status, sexuality, National Insurance number.

Unnecessary waffle!

Writing a description of your achievements is sometimes a difficult

thing to do. Always get someone to read through your work. Use

spellcheck (UK) and be prepared to make changes.

Formatting

Be careful when you select fonts and borders.

Most CVs are presented in the default setting in Microsoft Word and

in the same size font. Try to be different without looking

unprofessional.

Borders and page number footers can look effective but keep

Them simple.

Coloured text for headings is also a way of bringing attention to your

CV.

Personal profile

A simple but effective way of creating a personal profile is to think

about your skills and qualities and combine them into a paragraph of

no more than 5 lines.

Skills are things that you learn i.e. driving, computing, accounts.

Qualities are your personal attributes and characteristics i.e. patient,

determined, flexible.

Examples of skills

• Good telephone manner

• ICT skills

• Attention to detail

• Cash handling

• Customer service skills

• Organisational skills

• Able to meet targets

• Health and safety knowledge

• First aid

• Full UK driving licence

• Management experience

• Problem solving

• Motivating others

• Food and safety hygiene

• Meeting deadlines

• Communication

• Report writing

• Training others

• Negotiation

• Teacher qualified status

• 50 wpm typing speed

• Construction skills

• Product knowledge

• Managing own workload

• Trouble shooting

• Personal care

Examples of qualities

• Reliable

• Hardworking

• Flexible

• Professional approach

• Team player

• Well organised

• Adaptable

• Cheerful

• Personable

• Focussed

• Tenacious

• Conscientious

• Caring

• Supportive

• Practical

• Imaginative

• Trustworthy

• Calm

• Determined

• Enterprising

• Efficient

• Confident

• Friendly

• Enthusiastic

Personal profile

• My 3 skills are teaching, developing projects and computing.

• My 3 qualities are being an excellent communicator, being practical

and having a professional approach.

• My profile could then sound something like:

‘An excellent communicator who has teaching and computing

qualifications and experience of developing projects. Works well both

independently and as part of a team, with a practical and professional

approach.’

Skills and abilities

• This should be a bullet-point list which outlines

your key skills and achievements e.g.

- Good telephone manner

- Excellent attention to detail

- Full UK driving licence (clean)

- SIA licence

- Computer literate

- CSCS card

Work history

Include employment history and work experience here, starting with the most

recent first.

Structure this section to make it quick and easy for an employer to see the

organisations you worked for, your job title, the responsibilities you had and

the dates of employment. Please see the example below:

Learndirect

Skills Tutor

Delivering a structured programme of employability skills and

coaching, for young people aged 16-18 who are looking to start work

or apprenticeships. Management duties included. I also gained

experience of delivering Basic Skills to groups of adult learners in a

group or 1:1 basis.

March 2010 - Present

Education / training

Think about all the training that you’ve had or qualifications that

you’ve gained. If you achieved school qualifications more than 5 years

ago, then you don’t necessarily need to list them all. Again, work

backwards and include dates and who the awarding body was for

your course of study.

Education / training

For example:

October 2012 - Delivery of Effective Customer Service (Level 2)

July 2012 - (ERS) Apprenticeship in Employment Related Services (Level 3)

July 2012 - Functional ICT, Literacy, Numeracy (Level 2)

Oct 2011 - (CTTLS)Certificate to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (Level 4)

March 2011 - Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Diploma (Level 5-Distinction)

Jan 2011 - CLAIT Plus/Advanced Diploma in MS Office applications (Level 3)

Interests and hobbies

This section should be short and to the point. It gives you a

chance to show the personal side to you and the kinds of

things you like to do in your spare time.

Try to show a range of interests and be sure to include any

that might be relevant to the job you are applying for.

Any hobbies that are out of the ordinary can help your CV to

stand out from the crowd – but be sure you put down things

which you can talk about confidently if asked about them at

interview!

For example: ‘I enjoy learning and am currently working

towards a photography qualification and am also learning

Spanish. I like live music, the theatre, playing golf and am

passionate about good food.’

Some of these activities indicate a creative side, but you

could include activities that demonstrate team working skills

or leadership qualities i.e. Captain of your football team.

References

You can include 2 referees, including your

most recent or current employer. Make sure

your referees are happy for you to put them

down beforehand.

Many CVs will often just say:

References available on request.

Hello I have

an interview

next week…

CV template

CV examples

CV examples

Covering and

speculative letters

What is the purpose of a

covering/speculative letter?

A cover letter is used to accompany a CV or

completed application form. It gives you a chance to

highlight what’s in your CV and to provide a few

examples that demonstrate your ability to do the job.

A speculative letter is what you would use to

accompany your CV when no specific job has been

advertised, but you feel that you would be interested

in working for a company and would like to find out if

there might be any jobs available in the future.

Cover letters and speculative letters should be no

more than one page long.

Formatting your letter Make sure that you use a program that an employer can open

up properly. Try to use Microsoft Word (not Wordpad). If an

employer can’t open the attachment, they’ll discard your

document

Quite simply, make sure that the font you select for your letter

is legible and looks professional

Make sure the font is the same one that you used for your CV,

to show consistency

Check for spelling and grammatical errors using the spellcheck

tool (UK).

Adverts The advert that you see will tell you exactly how to apply. The example

here tells you what to send and where to.

Remember when writing a letter,

you must include your name,

address and contact telephone

number in the top right hand

corner of the page.

You should also include the date,

the job role and any relevant

reference numbers – sometimes

a company might be recruiting

for more than one vacancy at a

time, so it is important to make it

easy to tell which role you are

applying for.

The first paragraph

The opening paragraph states the reason for you writing, where you

saw the position advertised and on which date. If you are writing

speculatively, it will be slightly different, as below.

The second paragraph

The second paragraph outlines why you are looking for this sort of

position and what makes you the most suitable candidate. Include some

of the information on your CV and keep the information relevant.

The final paragraph

This is a nice simple summing up and reminds the prospective employer

to look at your CV and hopefully invite you for an interview! Don’t forget

to sign your letter.

Feedback

• If you haven’t received any responses within a week, pick up the

phone and give the employer a gentle reminder to see how your

application is going.

• Make sure you keep an accurate record of who you applied to and

the expected date you should hear a response by. Keep a copy of

your application by either printing it out or storing it on your

computer.

Applications

Many employers will ask you to complete a job application form. As this is often

your first contact with the employer, it is vital that it should give a good impression.

Below are some tips to help you get it right:

When your application form arrives:

- Ideally, photocopy the original form or copy out the questions onto a piece of

scrap paper.

- Put the original form back into the envelope in order to keep it clean and put it

somewhere safe.

Completing the application form:

- Give yourself plenty of ‘quality’ time to fill in the form but check the closing

date and ensure it arrives on time.

- Read the photocopied form carefully and follow the instructions ‘to the letter’

e.g. ‘complete the form’

- in BLOCK CAPITALS

- in black ink

- put family name first

- tick the box

- delete as appropriate

Applications

Ensure that you understand all the questions – if you don’t, ask

someone to help you.

Practice writing out your answers on the photocopied form. When

you are totally happy with what you have written, only then transfer it

onto the original. This may take several attempts but it is vital that

you get it right.

Complete all the questions as fully as you can. If a question does not

apply to you, say so. Try not to leave blank spaces as this gives the

opportunity for question marks to arise in the reader’s mind.

If there is not enough space for you to answer questions fully, you

may use a separate piece of paper. Ensure that your presentation is

equally as good on this sheet as it is on the original form and that it is

firmly attached using a staple.

How to improve presentation

If the application form is not lined, either draw some, using a pencil and

a ruler, or use a lined backing sheet underneath as a guide. (Don’t

forget to rub out any pencil lines before sending the form).

Use a ruler to underline headings or separate sections.

If you make a mistake, use ‘Tippex’ to mask it, making sure it has dried

out thoroughly before writing over it. Alternatively, use a ruler to cross

the mistake through once.

Use a good quality pen rather than a cheap ball-point which may blot.

If your handwriting is not particularly good, take extra time and use

capitals throughout.

Check your spellings carefully- this is best done before transferring

your work onto the original form. Use a dictionary or ask someone you

know who is a good speller to check it for you.

What if I have a criminal record?

Do I have to tell an employer about my criminal record?

You have to declare all criminal convictions, or any still pending, unless

they are ‘spent’. A criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from

getting into your career.

Certain jobs and courses such as teaching, health and social work are

‘excepted’ from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (ROA) and

require that you disclose all convictions, even those that are spent.

If you want to work with children or vulnerable adults then you will have

to declare any conviction. To work in teaching, health or social work

you will have a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

A criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from getting into your

chosen career, but if you have concerns about this speak to a careers

adviser.

When you have finished

Check through the completed form one last time to make sure

everything is correct.

You may like to photocopy the completed form to use as a reference

tool in the interview or to help you fill in future applications.

Use a large envelope (don’t be tempted to cram it in to a small one)

and address it as instructed, quoting the reference number if required.

Online applications

When completing online applications, if you save them into a ‘Jobs

Applied For’ folder, you can usually copy and paste information from

application to application.

Fill in an online application form as carefully and accurately as you would

any other application – remember that first impressions count!

For further information:

www.learndirect.com

0800 101 901