5 Steps to a great CV and

cover letter

Inside this guide

In 5 steps to a great CV and cover letter you will find help and information on how to turn
your CV and covering letter into a persuasive marketing tool which aims to grab an
employers attention in 30 seconds!
The guide is arranged in 5 steps which not only covers the process of putting together your
CV but also the cover letter which is an integral part of applying for a job using a CV.
It is important to note that there are no templates included in this guide as we feel that it is
important to tailor your CV to the job you are applying for and more importantly to make it
original so that you can stand out.
There is a check list at the end so you can make sure you have included all the essential
ingredients and a list of additional resources if you need extra help.

Contents
Contents
Step 1 Know your audience

Page 3

Step 2 Know yourself

Page 4

Step 3 Make it relevant

Page 5

Step 4 Have a good visual style

Page 8

Step 5 Write a cover letter

Page 9

CV checklist

Page 10

Additional resources and advice

Page 11

Step 1- Know your audience

This is essential. For most jobs the employer will provide a job description and person
specification indicating the skills, experiences and qualifications that they require. Every job
description is unique to that job. Employers want to feel as though your CV has been written
for them and only them and is clearly tailored to their specific job description.
No job description available? Theres still no excuse for not tailoring your CV to the role. You
can use job profiles provided on websites such prospects.ac.uk and Targetjobs. Find details
about the common competencies and qualifications needed for the type of job to which you
are applying.
Example person specification from the Prospects website
Broadcast Journalist
Potential candidates will need to show evidence of some or all of the following:
an interest in news, current affairs and a good general knowledge;
excellent written communication;
good oral communication, with an authoritative voice, confidence in front of a camera and an 'on air'
presence;
an understanding of appropriate technical equipment and relevant editing software;
ability to work under pressure, both within teams and individually;
outstanding analytical skills and ability to absorb, extract and present information in a clear and
understandable way;
an interest in people/building rapport, able to handle interactions with sensitivity, empathy and
diplomacy;
an eye for a story, with an ability to generate original ideas and the confidence to pitch to senior
editors;
resourcefulness and creative problem-solving skills.

Its not just about the role you will need to demonstrate you understand the company and its
industry sector. Use our leaflet on How to research employers to find reputable and valid
sources of company information. Use LinkedIn to network with people in the industry and use
their expertise to help you understand the culture, values and what employers in your area of
interest are looking for in candidates.
Knowing your audience and understanding the role in their context helps you tailor your CV
making you stand out from the crowd.
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Step 2- Know yourself

Identify, Evidence, Apply

Think about examples which demonstrate that you have the skills, qualities and
experiences for the job.
Choose examples which persuade the employer that you have the potential to add
value to their organisation.
Examples could come from any aspect of your life. Use the >>Progress>> tool on
Canvas to audit your skills and identify those which match the role.

Required key competencies My evidence

Application to demonstrate
impact and achievements

Initiative

Student group at societies

fair

Organisation

Charity music event

Resilience to cope under

pressure

Casual bar job at sports

venue

Interpersonal skills, patience,

discretion

Healthcare assistant

Eye for detail

Set design for University

theatre group

Strong written English

Degree coursework

Negotiated with local takeaway and

obtained vouchers. Gave away
vouchers on stand which attracted
more people; increased membership
by 20%
Used on-line project management tool
to make it easier to collaborate with
team, bands, agents, venue manager
resulting in faster communication
Long queues at match intervals;
maintained high standard of service
despite time pressure
Built good rapport with
confused/distressed patients;
exercised tact when carrying out
duties which reduced their discomfort
Thorough research into WW2 set;
advice via forums on British Army
paint colour which added authenticity
to student production
Excellent result for dissertation;
feedback from tutor indicated my
argument was very persuasive
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Step 3 Make it relevant

Clear, concise content together with an effective structure will help you to make an
impression. There are many templates and layouts available and a CV could be one page or
several pages long depending on your situation. Some styles are designed to place the
spotlight on your relevant experience others focus on your academic attainments. Whatever
format you choose it is likely to include some or all, of the following sections:
Name and contact details
Example
JOE BLOGS
81 Harold Grove, Bimingham B29 7ZZ. Tel: 0121 2866667 email: j.bloggs@bham.ac.uk

Make your
name the
one they
remember
with bold
capitals
size 18

Your address, telephone number, e mail, can run across the page to save space. Include your LinkedIn
Profile
profile
if you have one. You dont need to include your date of birth, gender marital status or
nationality as these are protected characteristics in UK Equality Law.

Profile
Example

A commercially aware and IT literate science graduate with highly developed problem-solving,
interpersonal and communication skills now looking for a careers opportunity in management
consultancy.

Make it short, snappy and

concise - 4-5 lines.
Use lively, positive,
powerful language
Tailor it to the role applied
for, make it relevant.

A career objective, personal statement or

personal profile though not an essential
element of a CV can make an effective
introduction to you and your document. It
offers your reader a taster that catches
their attention and makes them want to know
more.

Structure it in three sections:

Who you are

I am a University of Birmingham finalist studying BSc Accounting and Finance
What you can offer .
5

Mention a couple of your qualities, skills and any experience you may have that suit the
employers needs.
Where you want to be I am keen to contribute and develop in a
Work Experience

A generic work experience heading is fine but if you have specific experience that is relevant
to the role you are applying for, draw attention to it with a clear header e.g.Events planning
experience. Whether its long term paid employment or a holiday insight experience,
voluntary work or student society activity, from last month or last year, front load it!

Use a bullet point format. Its easy for your reader to scan and you can clearly
illustrate different pieces of evidence.

Use the following structure:

Verb, Action, Responsibility, Task, Skill, Result

Start with an active verb e.g. Organised, Arranged, Created, Implemented and then
move into the responsibility or task, the action you took and the skill you utilised or
developed. Finish with a result, this doesnt have to be quantifiable e.g. increased
sales by 10% - it could be about the impact your contribution had on a project or team
or something you personally achieved.

Example
Responsible for planning and organising a charity music event with 5 bands on the bill, I negotiated
with the venue, created marketing materials and ensured we kept within budget. The event was very
successful and attended by over 300 people.

Education
Always use reverse chronological order, leading with your most recent and most impressive
attainment.
Add details that are relevant to the role:
Modules of specific relevance
impressive marks which demonstrate a competency in something mentioned in the job
description
A relevant dissertation topic.
The amount of detail you include will vary, depending on whether you are applying for a
competitive graduate scheme, postgraduate study or a part time job.
Example

University of Birmingham

BA English(predicted 2:1)

Sept 2012-2015
6

Include modules studied relevant to the role or statement outlining skills developed

Additional skills
Skills such as communication and team work can be effectively evidenced within your work
experience section. Additional skills is a good place to group other, useful skills of interest to
an employer, for example:

IT: Confident user of MS Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook and familiar with
Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop.
Languages: Language skills are desirable and increasingly sought after by employers so
make sure you emphasise your ability, state your level of fluency rather than listing
qualifications, i.e. French - fluent spoken, Italian - conversational
Driving: Clean UK Driving Licence.
Achievements

Use those that demonstrate the competencies required in the job description .
Example

Elected Vice- President of The University of Birmingham Rhythm and Blues Society.
Awarded the Student Volunteer of the Year prize in recognition of my role planning and
organising a charity fun run that attracted 160 participants and raised 748.
Attained Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award.

Interests
This can be a useful way to convey subliminal messages about your skills and competencies.
(E.g. Regular Sunday league football shows commitment, dedication, stamina and teamwork).
They also give the employer insight and allow them to appreciate your personality and
passions.
Example
Active member of the University of Birmingham Women in Finance Society. I participate in
networking events, promote the Society through social media and staff our information stand at
Open Days.

References
At this stage in the recruitment process - Details available on request - is sufficient. Do
make sure you have permission from your referees and that they are aware of your
applications.

Step 4 Have a good visual style

This is very important, you only have a few seconds to make an impact, so make sure your
CV is an appealing document that invites your reader to explore the content. Your CV should
be a maximum of 2 sides of A4 (unless you would like to include your publications if these are
important for the post.) Remember employers may have hundreds of CVs to look through and
will often be looking for reasons to reject so it is important that key facts stand out and there
are no errors.

Step 5 Write a cover letter

Youll need to send a one-page covering letter or email with your CV. Its part of your
application and intended to demonstrate quickly your suitability for the post and make
recruiters want to look at your CV. Theres no standard format, but a successful covering
letter highlights your strengths, relevant skills and experience in a concise manner. Its the
place to write about your motivation, interest and enthusiasm for the post and the
organization.
The basics
Use no more than one side of A4.
Keep it formal and use the correct modes of address: Dear Sir /Madam signs off with
Yours faithfully and Dear Mrs Jones with Yours sincerely
Avoid jargon, clichs and unsupported claims.
Write positively and enthusiastically
Example cover letter
Your address
Name of employer
Address
Date
Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss Surname
If you are provided with a named contact then use this. If one is not provided and it is a small
company, we advise phoning and finding out who to write to. If youre applying to a large
company and the letter is part of the online application form, then dont worry about finding a
named person but instead write to a job title e.g. Dear recruitment manager. Never use this if
youre making a speculative approach; always make an effort to find out who to write to; LinkedIn
can be a very useful tool for this.
First paragraph
Briefly outline the job you are applying for and where you found the vacancy
Second paragraph
From your research into the employer, identify your key reasons why you want to work there and
what interests you about the job. Demonstrate your motivation for working there in that job and if
appropriate how this fits with your career goals.
Third paragraph
Having identified from your research the most important skills/competencies/experience required
by the employer, use evidence (from work experience, volunteering, extra-curricular activities,
academic projects) to demonstrate that you have applied these skills/competencies to achieve
results/make an impact.
Yours sincerely (if writing to a named person), Yours faithfully (if Dear recruitment manager)

CV Checklist

Do the 20 second test on your CV; could an employer scan through your
CV and immediately see what they are looking for? Remember:

The basics

Just 20
seconds to
impress

Two sides of A4
Correct spelling and grammar
Name at the top (not Curriculum Vitae)
Education in reverse chronological order
No unexplained long gaps in Education or Experience
GCSEs summarised not listed*
* [number] GCSEs [grade] to [grade] including English [grade] and Maths [grade]

Format and visual style

All text neatly aligned according to set margins/tabs
Bullet points used rather than paragraphs of text
Font size 11 or 12 and one style
One method of emphasis for headings (Bold, Italics or Underlining)
Clear rather than crowded

UK CV Norms
No photo
No protected characteristics i.e. date of birth, gender etc.

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Additional resources and advice

Advice

CV advice appointments are available most days during term.

See intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/careers for details of availability and how to book.

Interactive CV workshops run regularly throughout term time, find detail on Events
intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/careers

E guidance - If you are not able to come along to meet us, you can send a draft copy
of your CV and receive advice by e mail - see above for details.

Canvas

5 Steps to Success in Recruitment- offers information, advice, quizzes and videos on

CVs and every other aspect of the recruitment process. You can self- enroll 5 Steps to
Success in Recruitment https://canvas.bham.ac.uk/enroll/8MRAEA

Websites
www.prospects.ac.uk (under careers advice)

http://careers.guardian.co.uk

www.skill.org.uk (for students with disabilities)

www.vitae.ac.uk (for academic CVs)

Sector specific information:

http://targetjobs.co.uk,

www.insidecareers.co.uk,

www.wikijob.co.uk,

www.creative-choices.co.uk,

www.skillset.org,

www.careerplayer.com

Reference books available in the Careers Network library

Pitch Yourself - Bill Faust and Michael Faust
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