Writing Your CV: Dos and Donts

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Writing Your CV Dos and Donts
Professor B.A. Wallace School of
Crystallography Birkbeck College
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Purposes
1. Job 2. University (Graduate Programme) 3.
Studentship/Bursary 4. Place on Meeting or
Course
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Items to Include
Date Name Contact Address
Telephone, Fax, Email   Education   Fellowships
and Honours   Professional Experience   Profession
al Affiliations (combine with Honours if that
list is short)   Presentations   Publications   Co
urses Taught   Qualifications or
Skills   Reference Names and Addresses (and
telephone, email and fax)
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Dos
1. Tailor it to the particular job/fellowship
you are applying for. You needn't use the same
one for every application. 2. Make the layout
appealing use different font sizes,
underlining, etc to emphasize a point (but not
too much) colour does not photocopy
well one/two page 3. Use a spelling
checker!   4. Ask your supervisor to look at
it.    5. Include all your relevant experiences,
including demonstrating/giving tutorials (you
may want to volunteer to do some to enhance your
CV).   6. Include all your publications/external
presentations (however minor). List your
(pending) thesis title and supervisor's
name.   7. Join relevant professional societies
(most have cheap student rates).   8. Include
your business address (Birkbeck) and, if you
wish, a permanent address. Also
phone/fax/email.
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Dos
9. If English is not your native language, ask
someone whose native language is English to read
it through for grammatical errors.   10. The
accompanying letter is just as important as the
CV - spend some time on it!   11. References
always ask your referees if you can use their
names BEFOREHAND. Make certain you ask someone
who knows your work, but is also of sufficient
standing to be respected (not one of your
mates).   12. If you are asked to supply
references, give your referees a description of
the job you are applying for (and if appropriate
an addressed, stamped envelope). As a courtesy,
give them as much time as possible (no less than
1 week). Check back with them one week after
your request to make sure they have sent it. 13.
Include any significant honours you receive.
Remember to participate in poster prize
competitions at meetings. They look good on
your CV (and they often have money associated
with them).   14. If you have changed your name
after you have a publication, underline your name
in each publication in the list.   15. Don't
mix chronological and reverse chronological order
- use one.   16. If you have more than 1 page,
make the last thing on the first page and the
first thing on the second page impressive things
(same for publications).  
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Donts
1. Don't use too small a type font.   2. Don't
tell them what they don't need to know that could
be to your disadvantage age marital
status hobbies "other
interests" current salary   3. Don't use jargon
or slang.   4. Don't say "references will be
supplied on request".  
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Useful Websites
http//www.engineers-international.com/careerslett
ers.html http//www.thebigchoice.com/Careers/Job_A
pplication/Applying_by_CV.html http//www.jobseeke
rsadvice.com/cv_advice/cv_advice_articles.htm http
//www.rpi.edu/web/writingcenter/wc_web/school/ind
ex.htm