enterprise and

employability

Marketing Yourself on Paper

First impressions are very important when applying for jobs. You are competing with other
candidates who have similar experience and qualifications so you need to make yourself stand
marketing yourself on paper

out from the crowd… you need to create a positive, memorable image of yourself. Your CV and
application letter will help to create this impression. In particular, the words and phrases you use
can help you to sell yourself and persuade the company to take you on.

This guidance note gives you hints on how to sell yourself and signposts you to some useful
references and sources of help.

First – always use ‘I’ when referring to your achievements, responsibilities etc. For example, ‘I
was responsible for…’ or ‘I co-ordinated ….’. This creates a positive image.

Second – use words and phrases which sell you, your skills, your potential and your
achievements. For example, when describing yourself use words which are upbeat:

Accurate Competitive Friendly Logical Persuasive

Alert Dependable Good Listener Mobile Positive
Assertive Driving Independent Modest Precise
Careful Eager Influential Motivated Reflective
Cautious Flexible Innovative Optimistic Self-starter
Communicative Firm Kind Perfectionist Sympathetic

When describing your previous work experience, use words which are positive, such as:

Activating Creating Generating Motivating Resolving

Advising Deciding Improving Negotiating Reviewing
Analysing Developing Initiating Organising Searching
Arranging Directing Investigating Persuading Selling
Balancing Encouraging Justifying Planning Solving
Changing Ensuring Leading Presenting Studying
Communicating Evaluating Listening Promoting Training
Contributing Forecasting Managing Representing Travelling

Finally, remember to sell your achievements… use some of the following words to create a
positive image of what you have achieved so far:

Acquired Delivered Indentified Negotiated Recommended

Administered Designed Implemented Networked Researched
Advised Developed Improved Observed Revised
Analysed Devised Increased Operated Solved
Arranged Directed Instructed Prepared Supervised
Completed Evaluated Invented Produced Supplied
Controlled Formulated Maintained Provided Tested
Created Generated Managed Received Trained
Need more information?
 enterprise and
employability

The LRC has a number of useful references. These include:

‘From CV to Shortlist’ by Tony Vickers

marketing yourself on paper

There are also many websites with handy hints on how best to sell yourself, such as:
www.prospects.ac.uk – This site provides information about applications, job hunting,
interviews and possible career paths.
www.alec.co.uk – This site provides information about CVs, interviews and application
letters. It also links to recruitment sites, employment agencies, national newspapers and
other useful sites (Ravensbourne does not endorse any CV production companies).
www.handsoncv.co.uk – Provides examples of CV styles, as well as information on
content.

Useful contacts in the Enterprise and Employability Unit

Karyn Ball
t: 020 8289 4965
e: k.ball@rave.ac.uk

Matt Ball
t: 020 8289 4965
e: m.ball@rave.ac.uk

Pauline Taylor
t: 020 8289 4957
e: p.taylor@rave.ac.uk