A GUIDE TO WRITING

A STRONG CV

WHAT IS A CV?

WHY DO

EMPLOYERS LOOK

AT CVs?

HOW LONG DOES

AN EMPLOYER

LOOK AT A CV?

WHAT DO YOU SEE ON A CV?

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ABOUT YOU

EXPERIENCE

TRAINING

• Who you are
• What you’re looking for
• How you like to work

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WHAT DO YOU SEE ON A CV

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THIS SECTION SHOWS:

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• A header listing your key skills
• Your values
• What you’re looking for

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• Add a little personality but keep it professional.

YOU COULD INCLUDE:

DEVELOPING A LEARNING MINDSET

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ABOUT YOU

• This section shows your experience
• Where you’ve worked
• Volunteered

WHAT DO YOU SEE ON A CV

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THIS SECTION SHOWS:

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• Previous jobs (inc dates, position/s held, an overview of duties
• Voluntary roles
• Self-directed creative projects, like making films or running �a gig.

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YOU COULD INCLUDE:

DEVELOPING A LEARNING MINDSET

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EXPERIENCE

• Your qualifications, like GCSEs, or any other training you’ve done.

WHAT DO YOU SEE ON A CV

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THIS SECTION SHOWS:

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• Academic qualifications*
• Other training qualifications like Mental Health First Aider or Fire Marshall

*Only include your two most recent levels of qualification unless there is something directly relevant to the role (you will know if this is required by looking at the person specification). 

YOU COULD INCLUDE:

DEVELOPING A LEARNING MINDSET

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TRAINING & EDUCATION

THE BASICS �OF A STRONG CV

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PRESENTATION

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STRUCTURE

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LANGUAGE

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PRESENTATION

GOOD PRACTICE

BAD PRACTICE

PRESENTATION

• Use a traditional font, like Times New Roman, Calibiri
• Use font size 10 – 11
• Keep spacing the same throughout
• Keep the font the same throughout
• Keep titles, headings, subheadings consistent
• Perfect spelling, proper use of punctuation and full stops, �correct capitalisations. A parent could proofread, or you �can use websites like Grammarly!
• Use enough gaps to make sure everything is readable. �Print out your CV and take two steps back - does your �CV look neat?

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• Use Comic Sans
• Have it too small or too big
• Do not include your address and date

DEVELOPING A LEARNING MINDSET

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LANGUAGE

Why is the language we use on our CV important?

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GOOD PRACTICE

BAD PRACTICE

LANGUAGE

• Write in the 3rd person e.g �‘Radical artist looking for opportunities to develop creative �practice in the cultural sector’
• Use powerful verbs

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• Use ‘I’, ‘Me’, ‘My’,
• Undersell your experience

DEVELOPING A LEARNING MINDSET

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IN PAIRS, TAKE IT IN TURNS TO DESCRIBE WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR AND HOW YOU LIKE TO WORK USING POWERFUL VERBS.

STRUCTURE

Why is structure and layout on our CV important?

GOOD PRACTICE

BAD PRACTICE

STRUCTURE

• 2 pages 
• Work Experience, Other Experience, Education, �Additional Skills, Achievements and Interests

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• No half pages
• Let sections spread across pages
• Put the names of references on your CV

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DEVELOPING A LEARNING MINDSET

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HOW TO TAILOR �YOUR CV

TO A JOB VACANCY

HOW TO TAILOR �A CV TO A JOB VACANCY

DEVELOPING A LEARNING MINDSET

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All job applications will list the skills

They are looking for.

When you are tailoring your CV for any job application, you can use the job/person specification as your guide.

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Go to https://recruitment.mif.co.uk/jobs to research live job roles.

WHAT SKILLS IN THIS CV COULD BE REFRAMED TO MEET A PERSON SPECIFICATION ON THE MIF RECRUITMENT PAGE?

DEVELOPING A LEARNING MINDSET

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INSERT CV HERE

HELP! HOW DO YOU

GET A JOB IF �YOU’VE NEVER EVEN �HAD A JOB?

ACTIVITY

1/2

In pairs, think of examples from school life or home life which show the following skills.

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Team work

Communication

Organisation

ACTIVITY

2/2

On your table, research three ways you could build new skills. This could be at home, in school or in your community. Use a sheet of paper to mind map.

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Discuss what skills these experiences might help you to develop.

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