Creating an effective CV

1
Creating an effective CV

• Presented by
• Linda Moysey
• University of the West of England

2
Overview

• Starting points
• Different types of CV
• Presenting your PhD in a CV
• Useful resources

3
Starting points

• Purpose of the CV- to get you an interview
• Tailored to the job
• Preparation and research into employer
  requirements
• Provide concrete evidence of your skills

4
What are employers looking for?

• Intellectual and analytical ability
• Problem solving
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing
• Time management
• IT skills
• Organisational skills
• Teamwork and leadership
• Ability to work unsupervised
• Statistical analysis
• Interviewing skills design conduct
• Able to design questionnaires
• Teaching

5
Employers need your best evidence

• Problem solving
• Communication skills
• Teamwork

• Analysed, evaluated and assessed relevant data
  and information
• Reports, journal articles, defended research
  outcomes, articulated ideas
• Given received feedback, contributed to success
  of a team

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Tips for preparing CVs

• Use a format that meets your needs customise
• Always start with the most recent/relevant
  information
• Emphasise the most relevant details
• Use action words
• Highlight skills, responsibilities, and
  achievements
• Restrict to 2 pages (3 for academic CVs)

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Types of CV

• Conventional chronological
• Academic
• Skills based
• Non UK

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Conventional CV headings

• Personal details
• name , address, telephone no.
• Education
• - Dates, name of institution, qualifications,
  thesis title, core degree subjects /or
  projects/dissertation
• Work experience (including voluntary)
• - highlight responsibilities, skills,
  achievements
• Interests can add personality hidden talent!
• Referees normally 1 academic, 1 work

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Academic CVs

• Personal details
• Education highlight
• title of PhD
• name of supervisor
• details of funding
• aims and achievements
• - description of research (research abstract)

10
Academic CVs

• Relevant experience - research related and
  teaching
• Other experience and specific skills
• Interests
• Referees 1 supervisor, 1 other academic
• 3rd page appendix details of research,
  abstract, publications, posters, conferences

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Presenting your PhD in a CV

• Ask yourself who is my audience?
• Consider
• Aims of research
• What you have done to achieve them?
• Techniques used
• Skills developed
• Results of the research
• Relevance to the position

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CV rating criteria

• First impressions
• Structure/layout
• Evidence of skills
• Language used
• Clarity of information
• Use of fonts, underlining, bold
• Personality conveyed
• Length and balance of space

13
Common pitfalls with CVs

• Too much/too little information
• Not tailored to a particular job
• Insufficient concrete evidence of skills
• No personality or enthusiasm
• Poor spelling grammar
• Badly presented

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Useful resources

• www.grad.ac.uk go to Just for Postgrads
• Your own university careers website
• Tutors and academic colleagues