What is a CV?

 A CV is the most flexible and convenient way to

make applications. It conveys your personal details
in the way that presents you in the best possible light.
A CV is a marketing document in which you are
marketing something: yourself! You need to "sell" your
skills, abilities, qualifications and experience to
employers. It can be used to make multiple
applications to employers in a specific career area. For
this reason, many large graduate recruiters will not
accept CVs and instead use their own application
form.
What is a CV?
 A CV is the opposite of an application form. An
application form is designed to bring out the essential
information and personal qualities that the employer
requires and does not allow you to gloss over your
weaker points as a CV does. In addition, the time
needed to fill out these forms is seen as a reflection of
your commitment to the career. As a general rule, do
not turn your CV into a de-facto application form
– emphasize your strengths and gloss over your
weaknesses.
What is a CV and when should it be
used?
 There is no "one best way" to construct a CV; it is your
document and can be structured as you wish within the
basic framework described in this presentation.
 A CV should be used:
 When an employer asks for applications to be received in
this format
 When an employer simply states "apply to ..." without
specifying the format
 When making speculative applications (when writing to
an employer who has not advertised a vacancy but who you
hope my have one)
What makes a good CV?
 Often HR people read CVs outside working hours.
They may have a pile of 50 CVs from which to select
five interviewees. It's evening and they would rather be
relaxing with friends over drinks. If your CV is hard
work to read: unclear, badly laid out and containing
irrelevant information, they will just move on to the
next CV.
 Treat the selector like a child eating a meal. Chop your
CV up into easily digestible morsels (bullets, short
paragraphs and note form) and give it a clear logical
layout.
What makes a good CV?
There is no single "correct" way to write and present a CV
but the following general rules apply:
 It is targeted on the specific job or career area for which
you are applying and brings out the relevant skills you have
to offer
 It is carefully and clearly laid out: logically ordered, easy
to read and not cramped
 It is informative but concise
 It is accurate in content, spelling and grammar. If you
mention attention to detail as a skill, make sure your
spelling and grammar is perfect!
How long should a CV be?
 There are no absolute rules but, in general, a new
graduate's CV should cover no more than two sides
of A4 paper.
 If you can summarize your career history comfortably
on a single side, this is fine and has advantages when
you are making speculative applications and need to
put yourself across concisely. However, you should not
leave out important items, or crowd your text too
closely together in order to fit it onto that single side.
Academic and technical CVs may be much longer:
up to 4 or 5 sides.
Tips on presentation
 Your CV should be carefully and clearly laid out - not too
cramped but not with large empty spaces either. Use bold
and italic typefaces for headings and important
information
 Never back a CV - each page should be on a separate
sheet of paper. It's a good idea to put your name in the
footer area so that it appears on each sheet.
 Be concise - a CV is an appetizer and should not give the
reader indigestion. Don't feel that you have to list every
exam you have ever taken, or every activity you have ever
been involved in - consider which are the most relevant
and/or impressive.
Tips on presentation
 Be positive - put yourself over confidently and highlight
your strong points. For example, if listing exam scores, put
your highest grade first
 Be honest - although a CV does allow you to omit details
(such as exam resits) which you would prefer the employer
not to know about, you should never give inaccurate or
misleading information.
 The sweet spot of a CV is the area selectors tend to pay
most attention to: this is typically around the upper middle
of the first page, so make sure that this area contains
essential information.
 If you are posting your CV, don't fold it - put it in a full-
size A4 envelope so that it doesn't arrive creased.
Presentation: Choose a sensible
email address!
Here are some (slightly changed) graduate email addresses:
 death_metal_kitty@hotmilk.com
 demented_bovine@gnumail.com
 so_kiss_me@hotmilk.com
 platypus_mcdandruff@gnumail.com
 busty-beth@gnumail.com
 flockynockyhillipilification@gnumail.com
 virgin_on_the_ridiculous@hotmilk.com
 yourmywifenowgraham@gnumail.com
 original_madcow_jane@gnumail.com
 circle-of-despair@gnumail.com
 rage_against_the_trolley_fish@mail.com
 sexylikewoaaaah@hotmilk.com
Research by forum3 (recruitment and
volunteering for the not-for-profit sector)
suggested:
 Graduates sent out 25 letters per interview gained.
 The average graduate will send out about 70 CVs when
looking for their first graduate job. Of these, the average
number of responses will be 7 including 3 to 4 polite rejections
and the remainder inviting the graduate to interview or further
contact.
 There was a direct link between the number of CVs sent out
and the number of interviews gained: the more CVs you send
out the more interviews you will get.
 Applicants who included a covering letter with their CV
were 10% more likely to get a reply.
 60% of CVs are mailed to the wrong person: usually the
managing director. Applicants who addressed their application
to the correct named person were 15% more likely to get a letter
of acknowledgement and 5% more likely to get an interview
Research by forum3 (recruitment and
volunteering for the not-for-profit sector)
suggested:
 Applicants sending CVs and letters without spelling mistakes are
61% more likely to get a reply and 26% more likely to get an
interview. "In the age of the spell checker, there is no excuse for
spelling mistakes". The most common mistakes to not show up in a
spell check were: fro instead of for, grate instead of great, liased instead
of liaised and stationary instead of stationery.
 Set your spell checker to UK English or US English, and be
consistent through the entire document: do not mix “centre” and
“color”. Should you be applying to an employer in a Spanish-speaking
country, use settings on the spell checker which are applicable.
 Other turn-offs include:
 misspelling the name of the company or the addressee,
 not having a reply address on the CV
 trying to be amusing.
 Using lower case i for the personal pronoun: "i have excellent attention
to detail"
A few words about fonts…
 Unnecessary use of complex words or hard to read
fonts gives a bad impression: people who use simple,
clear language are rated as more intelligent.
 “serif” fonts, like Times New Roman and Georgia, are
OK for paper CVs, but not recommendable for online
applications.
 “sans serif” fonts, like Verdana, Arial, and Lucida sans,
are a safe bet either way, because they were designed
recently with readability in mind – whereas serif fonts
are more ornate, and much older (Times Roman is
2000 years old)
…and font sizes
 Font size is important: too-large comes across as crude and
wasteful, whereas too-small WILL give the reader a
headache
 As a general rule, keep your main body font size between 10
and 12 points, trending downward for the sans fonts like
Arial, and upward for the serif fonts like Times New
Roman; the former tend to be larger than the latter at the
same font size.
 When in doubt, go smaller: some research on this
suggested that smaller point size CVs (within reason)
were perceived as more intellectual!
 Remember to use a font size 2-4 points larger than the
main body of the text for headings and subheadings
A word about spelling and
grammar
 A recent graduate’s CV, as mentioned above, should be
between 1 and 2 pages long: it is impossible to understate
how bad spelling and grammar mistakes, even only one or
two, can look on such a short document.
 The UK’s Recruitment and Employment Commission says
that about half of all CVs received by recruitment
consultants contain spelling or grammatical errors.
Candidates aged between 21 and 25 are most likely to make
these mistakes and graduates in this age group are twice
as likely to make mistakes as those who did not go on
to university.
Exaggerated
for comic
effect…
but still effective in
communicating
how badly spelling
mistakes reflect on
a prospective
employee
3 simple steps to avoid mistakes
Everybody (or most everybody) likes to think they are
good at writing without making mistakes. The auto
spell check tool word processors always have make us
overconfident. Here are a few tips on how to avoid
spelling and grammar mistakes
 Run the spell checker
 Print out the CV and read it on paper: mistakes that go
by unnoticed on screen sometimes pop out on paper
 Have a friend or colleague read it: another person’s
point of view will almost certainly catch anything you
missed
Targeting your CV
 If your CV is to be sent to an individual employer which has
requested applications in this format, you should research the
organization and the position carefully.
 If your CV is to be used for speculative applications, it is still
important to target it - at the very least, on the general career
area in which you want to work. Use the Careers Information
Room or general careers websites such as www.prospects.ac.uk to
get an idea of what the work involves and what skills and
personal qualities are needed to do it successfully. This will
enable you to tailor the CV to the work and to bring out your
own relevant experience.
 Even if you are using the same CV for a number of employers,
you should personalize the covering letter - e.g. by putting in
a paragraph on why you want to work for that organization.
Emailed CVs and Web CVs
 Put your covering letter as the body of your email.
It's probably wise to format it as plain text as then it
can be read by any email reader.
 Emails are not as easy to read as letters. Stick to
simple text with short paragraphs and plenty of
spacing. Break messages into points and make each
one a new paragraph with a full line gap between
paragraphs. DON'T "SHOUT": WRITE IN lower case!
 Your CV should then sent as an attachment. Offer
to send a printed CV if required.
Attachment formats
 You cannot go wrong with PDF (portable document format) is perhaps
becoming the most widely used format now . There are PDF-readers for all
platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux). This also guarantees that the CV will
look the same, no matter what reader is used to view the document. Modern
versions of Microsoft Word contain a PDF export function or you can download
a free pdf converter such as Cute pdf: you install it and then "print" the
document to a folder on your PC.
 You can also use MS Word (.doc) format, however .doc format is not
guaranteed to be compatible among different versions of Microsoft Word, so a
CV might look garbled when opened with an outdated or newer version of
Word. Also .doc files may not easily open on computers using Linux and Apple
platforms. .doc-files may also contain sensitive information such as previous
versions of a document perhaps leading to embarrassment. MS Word
documents can contain macro viruses, so some employers may not open these.
Send the CV in .doc (Word 2003) format, rather than .docx (Word 2007)
format, as not everyone has upgraded to Word 2007, or downloaded the free
file converter.
 If in doubt send your CV in several formats. Email it back to yourself first
to check it, as line lengths may be changed by your email reader.
How NOT to do email CVs
 One graduate had emailed out over 80 CVs without
getting a single reply and was puzzled as to why. It
turned out he had sent identical CVs and letters to all
the companies in one mass email. Recruiters opening
the email could see the names of the 80 companies he
had applied to in the "To: " box of the email!
 The moral of the story is: use the “Bcc:” option, it is
your friend and will not tell anyone that you are mass-
emailing your CV.
Web CVs and Electronically
Scanned CVs
 Web CVs use HTML format. You can include the web address
in an email or letter to an employer. They have the advantage
that you can easily use graphics, color, hyperlinks and even
sound, animation and video. The basic rules still apply however -
make it look professional. They can be very effective if you are
going for multimedia, web design or computer games jobs
where they can demonstrate your technical skills along with your
portfolio.
 Electronically scanned CVs have been used by Nortel, Ford
and others. Resumix is one package used for this: it has artificial
intelligence which reads the text and extracts important
information such as work, education, skills. For more
information on this see our page on on-line applications
Personal Security
 The credit companies recommended that CVs posted
on-line should not contain your date of birth,
place of birth, marital status, address and phone
number as they can allow fraudsters to carry out
identity theft and perhaps open bank accounts or
apply for credit cards in your name.
 When emailing your CV to a potential employer
it's probably wise to leave out your date of birth,
place of birth and marital status if you have any
doubts about the seriousness of the organization you
are applying to.
CV contents
 A CV should be accompanied by a covering letter, and
include the following information:
 Personal details
 Personal profile
 Education and qualifications
 Work experience
 Interests and achievements
 Skills
 References
Order and emphasis
 The order and the emphasis will depend on what you
are applying for and what you have to offer. For
example, the typical media CV lists the candidate's
relevant work experience first.
 If you are applying for more than one type of work, you
should have a different CV tailored to each career
area, highlighting different aspects of your skills and
experience.
The Covering Letter
 The covering letter is vital to your CV. This is why it is
the first page and not an addition. "Please find enclosed my
CV" won't get you very far.
 Your covering letter demonstrates your writing style
better than your CV (which is usually more brief and
factual).
 The covering letter puts flesh on the bare bones of the
CV. It points out to the employer the information showing
that you have the qualities the job calls for, and makes a
statement about yourself and your suitability for the job. It
should give the personal touch that your CV will
intrinsically lack.
The Covering Letter
 If emailed put your covering letter in the body of the
email. If you attach it with nothing in the email body it
may be misidentified as spam.
 Don't make the employer work to read your letter!
Keep it clear, concise and to the point.
 Try not to go over one side of A4: if it does, you are
writing an essay instead!
 Use your own words not formal long-winded clichés.
 Action verbs can help to make it sound better.
 Spell-check and then double-check your spelling and
grammar. Spell checkers won't pick up form instead of
from or sex instead of six!
The Covering Letter
 Answer the question "Why should I see you?"
 Make the person who reads it feel special: that it is addressed
to them personally and not one of fifty identical letters you are
sending out without thought or care,
 You might include your understanding of the
work/knowledge of the company, and how you fit the criteria
required. "I have a real interest in working as a ...." will not do:
you must say why you decided to pursue this career, what first
brought it to your attention, why you as a History student should
be interested in a career in finance.
 Relate your skills to the job. Show the employer that you have
obtained the communicating, teamworking, problem solving
and leadership or other skills that are appropriate for the job.
 Say when you're available to start work (and end, if it's a
placement): be as flexible as possible.
Structure for a Covering Letter
First Paragraph
 State the job you’re applying for.
 Where you found out about it (advert in La Nación
newspaper etc. - organizations like to know which of their
advertising sources are being successful)
 When you're available to start work (and end if it's a
placement)

Second Paragraph
 Why you're interested in that type of work
 Why the company attracts you (if it's a small company
say you prefer to work for a small friendly organization!)
Structure for a Covering Letter
Third Paragraph
 Summarize your strengths and how they might be an
advantage to the organization.
 Relate your skills to the competencies required in the job.

Last Paragraph
 Mention any dates that you won't be available for interview
 Thank the employer and say you look forward to hearing from
them soon.

 If you start with a name (e.g. "Dear Mr Bloggs") you should end
with "Yours sincerely". If you start with "Dear Sir or Madam"
you should end with "Yours faithfully".
How to write a Covering Letter
Stick to he writing rules of George Orwell
 Never use a long word where a short one will do.
 If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
 Never use the passive voice (e.g. "Bones are liked by
dogs") where you can use the active voice ("Dogs like
bones").
 Never use jargon if you can think of an everyday
equivalent.
Personal details
Normally these would be your:
 name
 address
 date of birth (although with age discrimination laws
now in force this isn't essential)
 telephone number
 email
Personal profile
 A personal profile at the start of the CV can work for
jobs in competitive industries such as the media or
advertising, to help you to stand out from the crowd. If
used, it needs to be original and well written. Don’t
just use the usual hackneyed expressions: “I am an
excellent communicator who works well in a team……”
 “To say things like ‘I get on well with people’ is means
nothing unless it is backed up by an example” –
Selector for a retail bank
Education and qualifications
 Your degree subject and university, plus A levels and GCSEs
or equivalents.
 Mention grades unless poor (this is an opportunity for you
to gloss over your weaknesses and emphasize your
strengths: if you have bad grades, and a lot of experience
living/traveling/working in foreign countries, list said
experiences in the Interests and Achievements section and
put that section higher up on the page than the
qualifications section. The opposite, of course, applies
should you have good grades, and little experience
living/traveling/working in foreign countries)
Work experience
 Use action words such as developed, planned and organized.
 Even work in a shop, bar or restaurant will involve working in
a team, providing a quality service to customers, and dealing
tactfully with complaints. Don't mention the routine, non-
people tasks (cleaning the tables) unless you are applying for a
casual summer job in a restaurant or similar.
 Try to relate the skills to the job. A finance job will involve
numeracy, analytical and problem solving skills so focus on these
whereas for a marketing role you would place a bit more
emphasis on persuading and negotiating skills.
 "All of my work experiences have involved working within a team-
based culture. This involved planning, organization, co-
ordination and commitment e.g., in retail, this ensured daily sales
targets were met, a fair distribution of tasks and effective
communication amongst all staff members."
Interests and achievements
 Keep this section short and to the point. As you grow
older, your employment record will take precedence and
interests will typically diminish greatly in length and
importance.
 Bullets can be used to separate interests into different
types: sporting, creative etc.
 Don't use the old boring clichés here: "socializing with
friends".
 Don't put many passive, solitary hobbies (reading,
watching TV, stamp collecting) or you may be perceived as
lacking people skills. If you do put these, than say what you
read or watch: "I particularly enjoy Dickens, for the vivid
insights you get into life in Victorian times".
Writing about your interests
 Reading, cinema, stamp-collecting, embroidery - Suggests a
solitary individual who doesn't get on with other people. This
may not be true, but selectors will interpret the evidence they see
before them.
 Reading, cinema, travel, socializing with friends - A little better.
At least a suggestion that they can get on with other people.
 Cinema: member of the University Film-Making Society
Travel: travelled through Europe by train this summer in a group
of four people, visiting historic sites and practicing my French
and Italian
Reading: helped younger pupils with reading difficulties at
school.
 This could be the same individual as in the first example, but the
impression is completely the opposite: an outgoing proactive
individual who helps others.
Interests and achievements
 Show a range of interests to avoid coming across as narrow : if everything
centers around sport they may wonder if you could hold a conversation with a
client who wasn't interested in sport.
 Hobbies that are a little out of the ordinary can help you to stand out from
the crowd: skydiving or mountaineering can show a sense of wanting to stretch
yourself and an ability to rely on yourself in demanding situations
 Any interests relevant to the job are worth mentioning: current affairs if you
wish to be a journalist; a fantasy share portfolio such as Bullbearings if you
want to work in finance.
 Any evidence of leadership is important to mention: captain or coach of a
sports team, course representative, chair of a student society, scout leader: "As
captain of the school cricket team, I had to set a positive example, motivate and
coach players and think on my feet when making bowling and field position
changes, often in tense situations"
 Anything showing evidence of employability skills such as teamworking,
organizing, planning, persuading, negotiating etc.
Skills
The usual ones to mention are
 languages (good conversational French, basic Spanish),
 computing (e.g. "good working knowledge of MS Access
and Excel, plus basic web page design skills“)
 driving ("full current clean driving license"): although not
necessarily relevant here in Argentina or for the kind of
positions that a translator or interpreter would apply for,
having a clean driving history can say a lot about how
responsible you are
 If you are a mature candidate or have lots of relevant skills
to offer, a skills-based CV may work for you
References
Normally two references are sufficient for a recent
graduate:
 one academic (perhaps your tutor or a project
supervisor)
 one from an employer (perhaps your last part-time or
summer job)
 Should you have many very good references, feel free
to list them, if they don’t take space away from more
important sections like Achievements, Qualifications,
and Experience: HR people rarely have time to check
up on more than two references
Different Types of CV
 Chronological - outlining your career history in date order, normally
beginning with the most recent items (reverse chronological) . This is
the "conventional" approach and the easiest to prepare. It is
detailed, comprehensive and biographical and usually works well for
"traditional" students with a good all-round mixture of education and
work experience. Mature students, however, may not benefit from this
approach, which does emphasize your age, any career breaks and work
experience which has little surface relevance to the posts you are
applying for now.
 Skills-based: highly-focused CVs which relate your skills and abilities
to a specific job or career area by highlighting these skills and your
major achievements. The factual, chronological details of your
education and work history are subordinate. These work well for
mature graduates and for anybody whose degree subject and work
experience is not directly relevant to their application. Skills-based CVs
should be closely targeted to a specific job.
Sample Cover Letters and CVs
The Good Covering Letter
 Rosalind Franklin
8 Russell Street
Cranford
Lancashire
MN22 8YY
rf333@hotmilk.com
7th February 2009
 Mrs Matty Jenkyns
Personnel Manager
Manchester General Hospital
Hollbrook Avenue
Manchester
MN1 5BJ
 Dear Mrs Jenkyns, (Tries to find the name of the appropriate person to write to if possible)
 I am looking for a placement within a hospital environment from June to September of this year. I am
writing to you as I understand that Manchester General Hospital may have appropriate vacancies
available. I have a strong interest in laboratory procedures and clinical diagnostics which I
understand are predominantly carried out at this hospital. As I live only 5 miles from your site, travel
and accommodation would not be a problem for me. (States the job she's applying for, states
when she's available to start and end the placement)
The Good Covering Letter
 I first became interested in the hospital environment after a school visit to your site. I was taken on a
tour around the laboratories where the differing techniques used in testing clinical samples for
patients were demonstrated. Since then, discussion with my careers adviser has confirmed my
decision to aim for a career in this field. (Says why she's interested in the type of work)
 Through my degree course, I have been able to develop my interest in biochemistry, whilst improving
my laboratory skills along with my numeracy skills. I have gained some experience in HPLC and have
good computing skills, having used several scientific databases. I achieved 68% in my first year
examinations and am hoping to achieve a high 2:1 for my course work this year. While at University, I
have also been able to utilize my skills in working with people through a variety of vacation jobs. My
work at a busy insurance office was valuable in teaching me the importance of ascertaining
customers’ needs and providing clear and accurate information. (Summarizes her strengths and
how they might be an advantage to the organization, and Relates her skills to the job)
 I would be most grateful if you could consider me for any suitable positions. I will be available for
interview at any time and am at my home address in Cranford from late May onwards. At all other
times I can be contacted at my college address. Please find enclosed my CV where you will find
further information. (Mentions dates she would be available for interview, thanks the
employer and mentions an enclosed CV)

 Yours sincerely
Rosalind Franklin
The Bad Covering Letter
 Dear Sir or Madman (Doesn't give the name of the person he's applying to. It's not essential to do this, but may suggest
a slight lack of initiative. Hasn't proof read the letter)

 I am about to complete my English and American Literature degree at the University of Kent, with a prospective result of a 2:1.
 As a literature student, I have a strong love of books of all types and see work in a bookshop as a career area which would be a
good starting point for a career in publishing which is my eventual career aim. (Admits that bookselling is not what he
really wants to do.
 Repeats the word career three times in one sentence)

 I have good experience of retail, having worked as a shelf stacker for Sainsburies. I have studied modules in Shakespeare, War
Poets, Dickens and Creative Writing all of which I feel give me valuable knowledge. My interests include reading, playing
computer games and stamp collecting and I am currently reading Robbie Williams' thought-provoking autobiography. (Hardly
relevant experience! No mention of any experience working in a team or serving customers. Comes across as a passive
loner)

 I am writing speculatively in the hope that you may consider me for any full-time vacancies that may arise in your store. I'm
interested especialy in the retail side of a bookstore: interacting with customers and seeing where the modern tastes for
literature lay. (Spelling mistake: hasn't used a spell checker and not really forgivable for someone who has studied a
literature degree)

 I would be available to work from the beginning of June of this year. I have previous retail experience and believe that this,
combined with my knowledge of and interest in books could be rewarding both to your store and to myself. (A lot of
repetition here. States again about his love of books and his previous retail experience)
 Yours faithfully

Frank Harrison
The Ugly Covering Letter
 Deer Sir or Madam

I have wanted to join .................. (space for him to insert the company
name) ........ to work as a ........
 (another space for him to insert the job title) ........ from an early age as
you are a big prestigious employer
 that lots of people want to work for and you offer high salaries. I also
would like to work in another
 country and you are a global company.

Hoping to hear from you shorty.

Regards,
Frank
 (Nothing really needs to be said here)
A sample CV
 Dan Brown
 22 Temple Road, Folkestone, Kent CT17 3YU Date of Birth: 6th
February, 1988.
 Email: db@yahoo.co.uk Mobile: 0339005678 Tel: 0167534768
 PROFILE
 I am a motivated, adaptable and responsible graduate seeking an entry-
level position in public relations which will utilize the organizational
and communication skills developed during university.
 My reliability, communication skills, responsibility and friendly nature
are assets I would bring to the work. I have experience in project
management and strong organizational and administrative skills with
the ability to work independently and use my own initiative. I also have
the ability to priorities whilst under pressure meeting tight deadlines.
A sample CV
 EDUCATION
 2006-2009 THE UNIVERSITY OF KENT BA (Hons) English and Comparative Literary Studies.
Upper Second Class 2:1
 Modules included:
 Creative writing: individual writing project 68%.
 Travel Writing 66%

 Completed an independent dissertation on Dickens. With only a weekly tutorial to supervise my

dissertation I had to be extremely self-motivated. I set my own deadlines and targets, and became
confident in taking direction from my tutors while developing their advice, though my own initiative,
into new areas of study that would be useful in my work. I gained excellent experience in the research,
organization and presentation of a complex subject and attained first class marks.
 I was also called upon during the course to give seminar presentations as part of a team. This
required the careful structuring and organization of ideas into a PowerPoint presentation. My
forward planning was vital for progressive and well paced delivery and this enabled me to develop
excellent communication skills as well as developing a good working relationship within a team.

 1999-2006 Folkestone High School

 A-levels: English Literature: B, Classical Civilizations : B Theology: B
 GCSE’s: 8 including Maths, ICT, French and Business at grades A to C
A sample CV
 WORK EXPERIENCE
 September 2006-February 2009 Sales Adviser in the Cookware Department, BHS.
 Weekend Sales Assistant, where my responsibilities included customer service, stock control, cash
handling and opening store accounts. This work involved me in advising and assisting customers,
coping with problems and unexpected situations and taking responsibility for cashing the tills at the
end of the day.
 Summer 2006 Aviva Insurance, Folkestone, Kent
 Interacted with managers and liaised with team members. Typical duties included composition of
letters, organizing presentations and liaising with clients. I learnt how to create, manage and update
computer databases and files more efficiently. I also increased my problem solving skills and time
management when under pressure.

 Volunteer Work: I worked for the Folkestone Gazette where my role included telephoning members
of the public to chase up stories, writing up articles and interviewing people.
 Other jobs have also included: working in a pub, sometimes under pressure in a busy team and
dealing tactfully with occasionally difficult customers and assisting teachers at a primary school.
 All of my work experiences have involved working within a team-based culture. This involved
planning, organization, co-ordination and commitment e.g., in retail, this ensured daily sales targets
were met, a fair distribution of tasks and effective communication amongst all staff members.
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 SKILLS
 Planning and Organisation My biggest test of organization was completing my dissertation. It took me months of
in-depth research, compressing information and finally displaying it to a standard I was happy with. I was extremely
proud when it was graded a 1st.
 Whilst working as a retail supervisor level I was in charge of organizing a team of 10 employees on their daily tasks and
duties, and ensuring these were performed with quality.
 Persuading and Influencing Working on the Kent Fashion Show I liaised with many high street retailers and used
my persuasive skills to encourage them to release clothing lines to the show.
 During copious seminars throughout my three years at university I gained experience in discussing and debating
various topics and persuading others to make a transition to my way of thinking.

 Computing skills I completed the ECDL course and am now proficient in all aspects of Microsoft Windows and
Office including Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint. I attended an evening course in QuarkXpress using an Apple PC
and am able to type at 60wpm.
 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
 Full, clean driving license.
 Able to speak some French and currently teaching myself spoken Japanese.
 University of Kent Fashion Show. Established contacts with many high street retailers. Dealt closely with store
managers and arranged clothing collection lines available to the fashion show.
 I travelled independently through Australia, and Malaysia. I spent one year raising funds and organized the trip with
three friends. The experience taught me how to use my initiative and be a team-player, how to be self-sufficient, how to
handle a large budget and to cope with unexpected situations.
 CSLA Award Scheme. This involved planning and teaching children sporting exercises for a set number of hours each
week.
 A keen writer for the university magazine. As editor of the Student Union & Societies section I was responsible for
liaising with the Sabbatical Officers to establish what information needed to be relayed to the student body.