September 3, 2024, by jhillary1

There’s more to writing a CV

By May Me Thant, food science and nutrition student

I never really imagined that I would come out of my first year getting the hang of writing a CV and developing it. It did not happen overnight but it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Careers and Employability Service. So let me take you along the journey of how I transformed my CV. 

Before

I was aware that a CV forms an important part of the application process but I had only written it a couple of times before university and wasn’t exactly sure what is considered ‘a good CV’. Before, I just followed what I learned from a workshop at school and online, which can be quite overwhelming at times with all the information out there. 

I wasn’t sure about the format and, of course, the profile at the beginning. My CV used to have two columns and I wasn’t really sure about what I was doing. Writing the profile seemed daunting especially because it is the first piece of information about you on your CV. But you’re not alone if you find this part challenging – I still struggle with it sometimes though it does get easier with practice. 

The tipping point

I knew that I wanted to do a summer internship at the end of my first year so when I found an internship vacancy that I was interested in and saw I needed a CV and a cover letter, I booked a one-on-one appointment with a careers adviser.

We discussed the application and she told me how I could go about it and then suggested taking a look at the resources on the Careers and Employability Service’s website. The online resources are self-explanatory and it was really simple to follow the guidelines and the format in the CV examples. Afterwards, I had my CV reviewed and received very helpful feedback on it to help me improve it.  

I was actually invited to an in-person interview and assessment day for this role, and although my application wasn’t successful, I learned a lot from the whole process. 

After

Now equipped with knowledge from my previous application, I updated my CV, tailored it to other applications for summer internships and had them reviewed by the Careers team each time.

It might seem like a time-consuming process but looking back now, developing my CV has actually also helped with other aspects of the application like cover letters and application forms. That’s because CV writing helps develop commercial awareness and researching employers which are key in any application.

Now I feel much more confident in my applications knowing that my CV will make a good first impression and I am ready to apply if any role of interest comes up. 

Here are some tips for CV writing that I’ve learned along the way: 

• Believe in yourself and your abilities. 

• Simple is the best. Keep your CV concise and to two pages. 

• Update and tailor your CV for every application. 

• You don’t have to do this alone. Do ask for support and feedback from the Careers and Employability Service or your School’s Placements Team, and get your CV reviewed. 

• Make sure you are happy with it before you submit it. 

• Enjoy the process.

If you are currently in the process of writing your CV, you can find support on our CV pages

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