Curriculum Vitae
A CV is a summary of the key skills and experiences you have gained through education, employment and life. This includes activities such as work experience, a gap year, part-time work, a Saturday job, holiday work (even if it is with a family member) and voluntary work.
Many employers use CVs to help them make a quick decision about who to invite for interview. If they can’t easily see that you have the skills and experience they are looking for, your CV will probably end up on the ‘No’ pile.
If you have been asked to supply a CV in reply to a job/course advert you must make sure it focuses on what the advert says. Study the advert closely and build your CV to show you’ve got what they want.
A CV can also be used to contact employers who aren’t currently advertising - this is called a ‘speculative’ contact. If your CV makes the right impact they might put it ‘on file’ for when a suitable vacancy does come up.
Your CV should change over time to reflect any new qualifications and skills you gain.
You would normally send a covering letter with your CV – see Covering and speculative letters for more advice.
CV Styles
There is no one perfect style of CV. Use your local Connexions centre, public library or the internet to see a whole range of alternatives. Choose the one you feel happiest with – and get some opinions. The CV Builder on this site includes two styles you can experiment with.