Your CV and covering letter is your chance to showcase yourself to a  prospective employer. You need to sell yourself, your skills and experience, andshowing them you're the right person for the job.

 

How you write your CV and covering letter is up to you, but there are some basic rules to follow if you want to create the best impression. And don't be worried if this is your first CV - with our help you'll soon have a professional CV and covering letter that are ready to be sent out and get you interviews.

 

There are a number of different types of CV’s:

 

Chronological

 

A chronological CV focuses on presenting your experience on an employer-by-employer basis, with the entries in date order. Chronological CVs should also contain a brief personal statement at the front which sets out the key skills and strengths of the candidate. This is the most common type of CV.

 

Functional CV

 

A functional CV places the emphasis on your skills, talents and expertise rather than your  employment history.

This type of CV is useful to use when you are applying for a job outside your work experience. You can highlight your transferable skills. It is a good CV style to use if you have had a variety of jobs in the past.

 

The Combined CV

 

A combined CV follows both the chronological and functional format, which makes the CV slightly longer than normal. However, it does offer the best of both types of CV and is becoming a more popular structure to use.

 

It is the perfect format if you have a strong career progression with many achievements. This will allow you to sell your strengths as well as your experience.

Examples of CV are available for you to download from our new resource section

 

As part of our Job Club, every Friday at 1pm, we can offer you help and advice to get your CV ready for employers.

 

We provide specific advice and help to Ex-Offenders, including Help with Disclosure Letters.