Applying for jobs

CV's

BSAD Creative CV Competiton - closing date Friday 18th June

There is no definitive agreement on how to set out a Curriculum Vitae (CV) however it should be:

• targeted to the employer's needs - identify the skills required and demonstrate that you have them!
• concise and easy to read
• well presented and word processed
• persuasive and positive - consider the language you use to describe both yourself and your skills

Dynamic Descriptions

Creative	Effective	Self motivated
Versatile	Resourceful	Responsible
Efficient	Enthusiastic	Managed
Negotiated	Presented	Evaluate
Supervised	Established	Marketed
Active	implemented

Although you may wish to tailor your CV to the type of organisation and position applied for, it should contain brief factual information summarising:

Personal Data

Full name, address, tel number, *email address, *website (*if appropriate), nationality. You do not need to include your date of birth.

Personal Summary

You can include a statement (profile) about yourself at the top of the CV summarising your degree, career intentions and possible reference to skills experience directly related to the job you are applying for.

Education

A good speculative/marketing CV will prioritise this, with most recent qualifications first. Emphasise subjects or modules with direct relevance to the job application.

Work Experience

You can include any voluntary, part time and placement experience here as well as previous employment. Again you should consider prioritising and emphasising the most relevant information first.

Skills

Include skills, attributes, IT and keyboard skills (knowledge of software packages) languages, other key skills such as communication, teamwork, organisation, problem solving. It is a good idea to include evidence and examples of these skills rather than just listing them.

Positions of Responsibility

Indicate your levels of achievement, positions of responsibility and involvement. Do not list interests, rather describe and illustrate them.

Additional Information

This section is optional; it may include information such as full clean driving licence.

Referees

You would normally include two. One should be an academic person who can comment on your education; the other should preferably be an employer or placement host.

CV examples and checklist to download

(You will need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file. Click here to download a free copy from the Adobe site).

General CV

Creative CV

Creative Writing CV

Graphic Design CV

Music CV

CV Checklist

 

Books

The following books are available from the Careers Service and are for reference only:

• Creative CV Guide (The Surrey Institute of Art and Design)
• Brilliant CV (Jim Bright, Joanne Earl)
• CV to Shortlist (Tony Vickers)
• Making Applications (AGCAS booklet)
• The Perfect CVTom Jackson and Ellen Jackson)
• Preparing your own CV (Rebecca Corfield)
• The Times Readymade CV's (Lynn Williams)