Graduate Cv
Essential Career Tips
Writing a Graduate CV and Covering Letter
Student and Graduate Careers
Introduction This booklet is written for students and graduates to help you to prepare and update your CV and to write an effective covering letter. In addition to this booklet members of the Student and Graduate Careers team will deliver workshops during your course, in Level 2 as part of Work Based Learning preparation and in Level 3 through subject departments. Watch out for poster and IBIS postings advertising the workshops you are welcome to drop a draft CV or covering letter into Student and Graduate Careers, or email it to careers@chester.ac.uk or war.student.support@chester.ac.uk, and we will give you feedback. The Purpose of a CV As you probably know, CV is short for “curriculum vitae”, which translates as “stream of life”. It has become the most popular way for prospective employees to present relevant information to employers, and is designed to get you an interview. It is therefore a crucial first step - get it wrong and your application will go no further. A CV is a dynamic document which changes and develops as your experience grows, and it’s never too soon to start. It’s much easier to amend an existing, well prepared CV than to start from scratch, particularly when you’re under pressure because you’ve just seen that dream job advertised! Not all job applications require a CV, but keeping yours up to date means that you have to hand most of the factual information you are likely to need when completing an application form or on-line application. Remember, each time you use the CV you will need to target the contents to meet the requirements of the job. Preparing your CV A CV is a factual summary of the key features about you which are relevant to a future employer. But it is more than a dry list of qualifications and previous employers – it is a way to sell yourself.
1
Presenting your CV There are various styles for constructing a CV and we
Writing a Graduate CV and Covering Letter
Student and Graduate Careers
Introduction This booklet is written for students and graduates to help you to prepare and update your CV and to write an effective covering letter. In addition to this booklet members of the Student and Graduate Careers team will deliver workshops during your course, in Level 2 as part of Work Based Learning preparation and in Level 3 through subject departments. Watch out for poster and IBIS postings advertising the workshops you are welcome to drop a draft CV or covering letter into Student and Graduate Careers, or email it to careers@chester.ac.uk or war.student.support@chester.ac.uk, and we will give you feedback. The Purpose of a CV As you probably know, CV is short for “curriculum vitae”, which translates as “stream of life”. It has become the most popular way for prospective employees to present relevant information to employers, and is designed to get you an interview. It is therefore a crucial first step - get it wrong and your application will go no further. A CV is a dynamic document which changes and develops as your experience grows, and it’s never too soon to start. It’s much easier to amend an existing, well prepared CV than to start from scratch, particularly when you’re under pressure because you’ve just seen that dream job advertised! Not all job applications require a CV, but keeping yours up to date means that you have to hand most of the factual information you are likely to need when completing an application form or on-line application. Remember, each time you use the CV you will need to target the contents to meet the requirements of the job. Preparing your CV A CV is a factual summary of the key features about you which are relevant to a future employer. But it is more than a dry list of qualifications and previous employers – it is a way to sell yourself.
1
Presenting your CV There are various styles for constructing a CV and we