School of Arts Amy Wiggins, Careers and Employability Service
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Transcript School of Arts Amy Wiggins, Careers and Employability Service
Amy Wiggins, Careers and Employability Service
School of Arts
What we will be covering:
• CVs
• Covering letters
• Application forms
• Interviews
Curriculum Vitae (Latin: the course of one’s life)
An outline of a person’s educational and professional
history
What is the purpose of a CV?
•
•
To inform the employer about
your education, work
experience, skills and interests
To ‘sell’ these qualities and to
persuade the employer to invite
you to interview
When an employer asks for a CV
When an employer states ‘apply to…’
without specifying the format
When making speculative applications
•
•
It is not ‘one size fits all’, you
need to tailor your CV to each
position you apply for.
Research the company. Do they have a mission
statement or core values? What will they be looking
for in you? Check the job description/person
specification.
Personal details
Education from GCSE level –institutions,
qualifications & dates (most recent first)
Relevant work experience
Work history
Other information (including your website if you
have one)
References
Name (as a heading rather than ‘CV’)
Address
Telephone number
Email address
Make sure this is a professional email address, not
‘[email protected]’
Start with the most recent
Don’t forget your current study
Mention relevant modules
You might like to mention top marks
You don’t have to put your grades on if you
weren’t happy with them
Include the years of study
Primary school not needed
Education and Qualifications
2011 – Present
University of Kent
BA (Hons) Photography (Predicted 2:1)
Modules include: Creative photography, technical
equipment and business skills for photographers.
Highlights include:
• Winner of the College Photography Award
• Portfolio grade of 75%
2009 – 2011
Maidstone Grammar School
A-levels: Media Studies (A), Art (B),
Information Technology (C)
2005 – 2009
Wrotham School
GCSEs: 8 GCSEs grade A-C including English and
Mathematics
Dates, name of company, position, location.
Don’t just list your duties – sell your skills and
provide evidence. Which skills are relevant to
the position/company you are applying to?
April 2010 – June 2011
Sales Assistant
Museum of Kent Life, Maidstone
• Delivered excellent customer service as demonstrated by my mystery shop result of
91% and by receiving ‘Sales Assistant of the Month’ award three times.
• Achieved a sales result of 5% above my target illustrating my advanced selling skills,
as well as my determination to succeed.
created instructed analysed produced
negotiated designed calculated maintained
administered controlled reviewed
consolidated delivered founded increased
studied invented supplied detected
programmed recommended distributed
developed solved prepared installed
selected arranged formulated solved started
Choose interests and activities which can demonstrate
skills relevant to the job such as:
• Team work
• Organising
• Commitment
• Your intellectual abilities
• Your personality
• Your artistic ability
Ideally, one academic and previous/current
employer.
Ask permission from your referee and let them
know what position(s) you’ve applied for.
Use relevant references if possible.
You can say ‘references available on request’
rather than including contact details if you
wish.
The first visual impression of your CV is
important
For standard CVs, use plain white A4 paper
Do not double side
Keep your CV to two sides of paper
Check your spelling
Use bullet points and bold font but in
moderation
Formatting – make sure it’s consistent
Size 10-12 font (depending on font style)
Clear font e.g. Arial, Calibri
2:1, not Two One or 2,1
Use short, concise sentences
Be creative in design BUT ensure all relevant CV
information is included
See http://www.careers-creativeliving.co.uk/cv_gallery
See http://www.mikeclegg.co.uk/
See the creative CV guide for ideas & suggestions
Include a weblink to your portfolio/website
First Paragraph
•State the job you’re applying for
•Where you found out about it
•When you're available to start work (and end if it's a
placement)
Never send a CV on its own
1 side of A4 – similar to a UCAS
Second Paragraph
•Why you're interested in that type of work
•Why the company attracts you
Third Paragraph
•Summarise your strengths and how they might be an
advantage to the organisation.
•Relate your skills to the competencies required in the
job.
Final 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.
Yours faithfully (Sir/Madam) or sincerely (used name)
personal statement
Examples of possible formats:
Paragraph 1: Introduction
Paragraph 2: Why job/industry?
Paragraph 3: Why company?
Paragraph 4: Why you?
Paragraph 5: Conclusion
Yours sincerely/faithfully
RTFQ!
Read the question
Re-read and highlight the main points
Write your answer
Check you have covered each point
Please let us know why a career at
Deloitte appeals to you compared with
other career options? (max 100 words
in bullet point format).
For questions where you are asked to ‘explain a time when…’, it is useful to
use the STAR approach:
Situation – set the scene
Task - what needed to be done/achieved?
Action - this should take up about 80% of the answer, what action
did YOU take?
Result - this is the ‘proof’ that you succeeded, try and give evidence
such as statistics if possible
Always put your answers in Word first, as not all application
forms will spell check (and you can save your answers)
Use the word limit as a guide to how much you should write
Keep in mind the qualities the employer are looking for
Prepare for obvious questions (see our Top
Ten)
RESEARCH the company and role
Know your CV/application form
Consider your body language (even if it is a
telephone interview, smile, they can hear it!)
Interview questions may be:
▪ Hypothetical (what would you do if…)
▪ Competency based (describe a situation where you…)
▪ ‘Traditional’ interview questions (tell me about yourself)
In your answers, keep in mind the skills the employer will
be looking for. Be honest. Don’t forget to smile!
▪ Prepare questions for ‘do you have any questions?’
Get into pairs
5 minutes
Decide who is
the interviewer
and who is the
candidate
You have 5
minutes
End
Communication Masterclass Video – (First 3 minutes)
www.kent.ac.uk/ces
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/workin/creative
-careers.htm
www.prospects.ac.uk
[email protected]