Your covering letter is a key part of your job application. It is an important document to a prospective employer. It is surprising that jobseekers often pay scant attention to it. Many candidates fail even to write one and only submit their CV or application form. Craft a strong covering letter and your application could…>
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Top Ten PhD Interview Questions and Answers
Your PhD interview date is fast approaching. This article provides carefully chosen tips to help you prepare, and ten PhD interview questions you should be ready to answer. What to do before the interview. It is important to treat the PhD interview like a job interview. Dress smartly and bring two printed copies of your…>
Match Your Skills to the Person Specification
Completing job application forms can be a long and boring process, especially if you are applying for several jobs at once. However, it is vital that you use the application form and covering letter to show that you are the ideal person for the job. One way to do this is to match your skills…>
CV Templates – Classic CV and Skills CV
What is a CV? CV is short for Curriculum Vitae, which is a written demonstration of a person’s work history and experience. It is commonly used to indicate whether or not they are a match for the job for which they are applying. When applying for a new job, you will usually need to submit…>
Academic CV Template
An academic CV is based on the Chronological CV format. However, the two-page limit need not apply to academic applications due to the addition of supporting information relating to details of your PhD and other related research. An academic CV can, therefore, be many pages in length, depending on your experience in the workplace –…>
Writing a Personal Profile for your CV
What is a ‘Personal Profile’? A Personal Profile (or ‘Career Profile’) is an introductory paragraph at the beginning of your CV containing a short summary of your background and career plans. The Profile is the written equivalent of an ‘elevator pitch’ designed to capture the employer’s interest quickly so that they will read your CV…>
Employability: What Are Employers Looking For?
What is employability? There’s a lot of talk about employability in the recruitment community as competition for jobs in all sectors intensifies. But what does it mean? The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES)[1] gives the simplest and most accessible definition of employability in terms of skills: ‘the skills almost everyone needs to do…>
CV Writing: Which Words Will Open Doors on a CV?
This article focuses on CV writing and the use of language in a CV and how best to ensure you select those words which will open doors, rather than have them slammed shut after the first line. CVs should rarely be more than two sides long; for some occupations and circumstances, one side is the…>
Your CV: Additional Information and References
This article will explore the important additional information that you will need to make your CV even more attractive to employers – and address some of the common pitfalls to avoid. Additional Information: Should you include details about your hobbies or clubs you belong to? It is a controversial area and opinion is divided over…>
10 things NOT to do on your CV
Your CV is a marketing tool that needs to stand out. This document will be the first impression the recruiter or employer has of you. Large corporations, as well as smaller organisations, are using an applicant tracking system (ATS) to screen candidates’ CVs. To get through to the next stage of the recruitment process, your…>