CV Writing

A CV will become an important document when you leave school and enter the world of work. Short for Curriculum Vitae, your CV is a record of who you are, your educational qualifications, where you have worked, what your skills are and a little bit about you as a person. If you are applying for a job, it is normal to send a copy of your CV with you letter of application or your application form.

Although you do not yet have any work experience, as such, you can compile a basic CV now. It is a good exercise, which will help you in the future, as you can simply add to it as you gain work experience.

At this stage, your CV should include things you have done outside of school, such as taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme for example, volunteer work if you have done any, your participation in clubs or sports, anything that tells the prospective employer something about you and enables them to build a picture of you and whether you have the sort of character that they want as part of their company.

While it may seem harsh, most employers get far more applications for their jobs than they can possibly find time to interview for. In order to create a ‘short list’ of people they will interview they have to make decisions based on the information they have, which is why it is important to have a strong CV.