CV Writing – The Key to Reaching Career Goals

CV Assessment

Part of the Bio Enterprise module at Bangor University involves creating a CV & cover letter and selecting an appropriate job advertisement that could be applied for given your degree area and previous experience.

Students were provided with lectures and online tools in order to aid in their CV and cover letter writing.

During the lecture various aspects of CV writing were discussed along with important factors that should be included;

• Personal Information
• Education (in reverse chronological order)
• Previous Experience
• Skills and Interests
• References.

In addition to personal details it is advised that a short personal profile is included. Though this is not essential, I personally find it invaluable when it comes to giving an employer an idea of who you are early on in the CV.

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Overview

Shaping your CV: Tailor CV’s and cover letters to specific jobs. Highlight key skills and traits the employer is looking for within the job description.

All of the resources provided to myself and my fellow students in order to complete this assessment, stressed the importance of tailoring each CV and cover letter to a specific job.

Many students were unaware of the need for more than one CV when applying for jobs. I use various general templates for jobs within different fields which I edit to fit specific job descriptions.

I believe the advertisement segment was a key aspect of this assessment. Having to locate a current vacancy that could realistically be applied for, was something that many students had not previously done. Once a suitable job was found the ‘desirable traits’ and ‘candidate requirement’ sections of the advertisement provided the information needed to shape a CV.

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Personal Thoughts

Having been in some form of employment for the past ten years, I already had a good understanding of CV and cover letter structure. Due to this I did not find the assessment particularly useful in regards to aiding with my future career goals.

The lecture did provide me with some new information allowing me to further refine my CV and the advertisement task resulted in me finding a job that I have applied for.

Stay relevant; Continuously update your CV and adjust it to individual jobs. Check that you could realistically meet the qualifying criteria before applying.

Rather than the content, it was the response to the module that I found most beneficial. As someone who hopes to obtain a career that involves inspiring and educating others, I was surprised by the number of students who had never written a CV prior to this assessment.

The majority of the students in their third year of university are between 20-21 years old. I found it unsettling that some students at this age and stage in their academic lives had not previously been exposed to CV writing and the importance of work experience.

I feel that this form of assessment should be introduced earlier. I wrote my first CV at seventeen, throughout my personal education I had various assessments in which I was required to construct a CV, this allowed me to hone my writing. Learning this skill six months before you potentially have to use it does not allow for this learning curve.

In the knowledge that not all educational facilities provide students with the information required to write a good CV at earlier stages in their education, this module was invaluable and greatly beneficial.

Written by Rebecca Snell