Showcase your skills.
A CV summarises your education, skills and experience. A tailored cover letter can help explain your interest in a role and highlight why your skills and experience are relevant.
Cover letters
Where requested, your cover letter should:
- Explain why you’re applying and what interests you about the role.
- Highlight relevant skills, experience and achievements.
- Show that you’ve researched the organisation.
- Confirm your availability where appropriate.
- Thank the employer for considering your application.
Keep it concise: ideally one side of A4. Tailor each letter to the role, address it to a named contact where possible, and check your spelling, grammar and formatting.
Creating your CV
Your CV provides an overview of your education, qualifications, skills, experience and achievements. It should be kept up to date and adapted to highlight the most relevant information for each role.
You could include:
- Contact details – name, email and telephone number. Your date of birth is generally not required.
- Profile – a short introduction highlighting your relevant skills and career interests.
- Education and qualifications – include relevant qualifications and results where appropriate.
- Skills – focus on those relevant to the role, including digital or language skills.
- Experience – include paid work, placements and volunteering.
- Additional information – interests or activities can be included where they demonstrate relevant skills.
- References – provide these if requested, or state that they are available on request.
Choosing your CV format
Chronological: focuses on education and experience, starting with your most recent.
Skills-based: focuses on your skills and transferable experience and can be useful when changing career direction or where experience is varied.
CV tips
- Tailor your CV to each role.
- Aim for no more than two sides of A4, unless your sector requires otherwise.
- Use clear headings and an easy-to-read layout.
- Check spelling and grammar.
- Be accurate and honest about your experience.
- Give examples of how you have used your skills and, where possible, the results.
Need More Help?
The Careers Service can provide advice and feedback on your CV and applications.
Visit StudentHub and click on ‘Career Tools’ for CV & cover letter resources.
