Explore what makes a winning CV

Quidda A. Landingin
BSTM-2C

Introduction
You might have written a CV when you applied for previous jobs or internships or you may never have written a CV
before. Either way, the Curriculum Vitae (CV, meaning ‘course of life’ in Latin) is likely to be your first opportunity to
tell potential employers why you’re the right person for the job. So, it’s worth spending the time and energy to make
it as impactful as possible for every application.

This activity helps you recognise what to include in a CV and how to stand out from the crowd. You can type your
answers into the boxes.

Worksheet one: What makes a CV stand out?

Imagine that a CV is like a TV advert – only, instead of selling a product, a CV is selling a person, or candidate, to an
employer. TV adverts have just a few seconds to grab our attention and persuade us, and, similarly for CVs, employers
may take just moments to skim over a CV and make a decision about whether they want to interview someone.

How would you make a CV stand out, but without using gimmicks?

Personal improvement should be highlighted on your CV. Show how you have developed and changed
in your positions, as well as your accomplishments. This will demonstrate to the recruiter that you have
acquired a wide scope from your previous work and that you are dedicated to learning and developing
your skillset.

What might put employers off a CV at first glance?

Remember that a Human Resources Manager scans your CV in 7 seconds. This implies you only have a
limited amount of time to attract and hold their attention. Avoid including irrelevant details in your CV,
such as marital status, religion, or age, as they will bore the recruiter before they get to the important
areas. Irrelevant information also lengthens your CV, which may cause the hiring manager to skip over
it. Make it brief.

Now it’s time to play the boss and see what you would
do as an employer. Take a look at this interactive tool:
barclayslifeskills.com/playtheboss

Once you click ‘start’, you’ll have 10 seconds to decide

whether the CVs are good enough to be picked for
a job. Select the thumbs up or thumbs down button
depending on what you think.

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Worksheet one cont.

Reflect and note answers to following questions once you’ve finished the game:

What did you find most challenging about reviewing the CVs?

The portion in which I must include my work experiences because, as a student who has not yet
graduated, it is difficult for me to think of what would be relevant or what to include in that section. If
attending seminars or obtaining on-the-job training would be beneficial.

What did you learn about the way an employer might review your own CV?

Staying relevant will help you improve your CV. Remove any extraneous personal information unless it
has been expressly requested. Read over the job's required abilities and competencies and highlight
only what is relevant to the position. In addition, your CV should not be a dumping ground for
everything you have ever done. Above all, keep it brief and to the point.

What three things will you consider when writing or fine-tuning your CV?

Make it captivating.
1.

Keep it brief and precise.

2.

Put the releveant information or skills that fits the job opening.
3.

For more advice on what to include, read the article ‘5 tips for writing a great application’.

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Worksheet two: What goes into a great CV?

First, write down everything you think a CV should contain:

The first item on your curriculum vitae (CV) should be your name. Your profile is the next component of your CV. Your personal profile should provide a concise overview of
who you are, including your profession, what you can add to the role, and your current career objectives. If you have a variety of talents and qualifications that make you
an excellent fit for the position, you should include a Core Competencies section to highlight them. Your career history is another important aspect to present in your CV.
This section contains information about your current and previous jobs. You must provide the name of your degree or qualification, the name of your institution of study
or awarding body, the grade you received, and the dates you studied or earned the qualification. You could also think about including honors and certifications on your
CV. The awards could be tied to academia, industry, work, or volunteerism.

Compare your answers with Sample CV 1 on the next page and note down answers to the following questions:

Why are all these different elements of a CV so important to include?

Each section of a CV is important and can influence your chances of being considered for an interview.
Leaving out essential aspects of your CV can make it difficult for potential employers to understand
why you are a good fit for the position you have applied for.

Which do you think are the most important?

Experience at Work. Arguably the most critical part of the entire employment application. According to
a Jobvite survey, relevant work experience is the most vital item recruiters look for on a CV.

This CV has been put in a chronological order (arranging information according to the time they occurred).

What are the benefits of ordering the information this way? Think about what you learnt in the earlier activity
about what makes an employer more likely to read a CV.
This ordering system is best for resumes because it indicates the most recent employment opportunity
on behalf of the job seeker. For the employer, this provides easier comprehension opportunities.

Can you think of any other ways a CV might be ordered? Think about some of the observations you made about
the most important pieces of information to include on a CV. Are there any other ways you could prioritise the
different elements? Look at Sample CV 2 – this is a skills-based or functional order CV order (arranging information
according to the most important in regards to skills, experience and qualifications).

On the next page, look at both the chronological and skills-based/functional sample CVs side by side. Compare the
way information is presented on each CV.
• How do they present the same information in different ways?
• What does each one highlight?
• What are the pros and cons of each?

Use the boxes on the next two pages to write or type notes on each for comparison.

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Sample CV 1: chronological order

Mary Smith
24 Maple Road, Cardiff, Wales CF10 XXX
Telephone: 0207 536 253
Mobile: 077-283522
Email: mary.smith@address.co.uk
Personal profile
I am a very positive, proactive and enthusiastic person who works well both on my own and as part of a team. I am
confident and motivated to aim high, I have a strong desire to develop a career in customer service.

Education and qualifications

2014–2019 Northvale Park Secondary GCSEs: Maths C
English B
Science C
Design & Technology D
Geography C
Employment and work experience
2019–2020 Customer Assistant, Tesco Express
• Collected, replenished, organised and managed stock, and dealt with a range of customers
• Worked under pressure and learned to stay positive and adapt in a diverse environment
• Strengthened my communication, numeracy, listening and customer service skills
2017–2019 Mentor, Poplar Youth Club
• Led a group of young people aged 9–13, working to promote an interest in learning
• Helped them improve their self-confidence and academic achievement, and assessed their work to
help them set targets

Other skills and achievements

• Leadership: a successful captain for the school football team, with a proven track record
• Employee of the month on three occasions during 2018
• Class President during 2018–19
• Level 3 certificate in ‘Introduction to Mentoring Skills’ (2017)
• Team working: reliable, honest and capable, helping teams complete learning tasks and projects properly and on time
• Short story published in ‘Write Now! Expressions of Youth’ (YOUNG WRITERS 2016)

Interests
• I enjoy team and individual sports including football, cricket and badminton
• At present I play league football for Newark FC. This involves me training once a week (Thursday)
• Keen on technology, in my spare time I like to research this industry to keep myself up to date

Referees
Available on request.

How is this information presented?

The aforementioned information is presented chronologically. She uses the chronological order format
of a Curriculum Vitae that presents the information on her resume from most recent or newest to the
oldest.

What are the advantages of presenting the information this way, and what does it allow you to highlight?
This is the most common and widely utilized sort of curriculum since it organizes and highlights the professional career. It
is intended to illustrate progress in a certain field and to show the sequence that has been followed throughout the
professional and educational trajectory. It emphasizes the stability and upward growth of the career, as well as the
promotion, increase in tasks, or increase in the professional scale.

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Sample CV 2: Skills based/functional order

Alex Brown
72 Red Lane, Limehouse, London E14 XXX
Telephone: 0207 536 253
Mobile: 077-283522
Email: alex.brown@address.co.uk

Personal profile
I am a very positive, proactive and enthusiastic person who works well both on my own and as part of a team. I am
responsible, thorough, respectful, confident and motivated to do my best. I have a strong desire to develop a career in
customer service.

Skills and personal qualities

Customer care Served and helped customers of diverse ages and backgrounds.
Level 3 certificate in ‘Introduction to Mentoring Skills’ (2017).
Communication Worked with young people aged 9–13 to promote an interest in learning and helped them
improve their self-confidence and academic achievement.
Short story published in ‘Write Now! Expressions of Youth’ (YOUNG WRITERS 2015).
Numeracy Handled cash and credit transactions.
Helped young people with numeracy tasks.
Proactivity Employee of the month on three occasions in 2018.
Received certificate for work experience (Trident), in recognition of my high standard of work (2016).
Organisation Collected, replenished, organised and managed stock.
Stayed positive while working under pressure in a busy retail environment.
Helped teams complete learning tasks and projects properly and on time at school and college.
Leadership Successful captain for the school football team.
Class President at school (2017–2018).

Education and qualifications

2014–2019 Langdon Park Secondary GCSEs: Maths 4
English 5
Science 4
Design & Technology 5
Geography 3

Employment and work experience

2019–2020 Customer Assistant, Tesco Express
2017–2019 Mentor, Poplar Youth Club

Interests
• I enjoy team and individual sports including football, cricket and badminton
• At present I play league football for Newark FC. This involves me training once a week (Thursday)
• Keen on technology, in my spare time I proactively research this industry to keep myself up to date

Referees
Available on request.

How is this information presented?

While writing a Curriculum Vitae he used the second format, which is the skill-based or functional
order. He emphasized his skills and qualifications before mentioning his educational background and
employment or work experience at the end.

What are the advantages of presenting the information this way, and what does it allow you to highlight?
This style of curriculum emphasizes skills and is useful if one has had a variety of experiences in areas
that demonstrate critical competencies. As a result, unlike a chronological CV, does not highlight the
length of time spent with the company, but rather the variety of roles accomplished.

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Worksheet three: Write your own personal statement

Using everything you’ve learnt from these activities, write your own personal profile or statement below. You can use
the sample CVs for inspiration.

Your personal profile should highlight your best skills and personal qualities and can be included at the top of your
CV. Think about whether you have skills that might transfer to the world of work. Are you good at staying positive
when under pressure at school? Do you excel at leadership, or thrive when working in a team? Do you enjoy
presenting to a group, or being creative? Are you able to adapt your communication and leadership skills when
taking part in virtual activities e.g. working on a team project remotely, or supporting friends via online mentoring?
Do you like solving problems?

Remember to think of how an employer would react. Read it back to yourself when you are finished. What might an
employer think of it? Will it grab someone’s attention and give them the right impression?

For more details and examples on how to create a

great CV, explore the CV Tips interactive tool.

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