Making Applications

• CVs (see below)
• Application forms
• Covering letters
• Speculative applications
• Postgraduate study application forms and personal statements

CVs - general information

• Our CVs and covering letters booklet (PDF, 748 KB) includes further advice and information.


• There are many other books on CVs available at the Careers Service, as well as booklets and journals on CVs for specific job sectors to take away. You can search for what you need via the Careers Catalogue.


• For 1:1 help, bring along your CV and a Careers Adviser can go through it with you during an appointment.


• Examples of effective CVs:
  • one-page CV - with retail work experience (PDF, 255 KB)
  • one-page CV - with a year abroad (PDF, 240 KB)
  • two-page CV - chronological (PDF, 93 KB)
  • two-page CV - medicine student (PDF, 134 KB)

"You don't want to do it like that!"

All sorts of people are ready to offer advice on what your CV should look like. Their views often conflict, which can be frustrating.

What we can offer are basic guidelines which, having spoken to many employers, we know have worked for past Bristol students. If you want to follow another format that's fine - it's your CV and you must feel comfortable with it.

The advice here is relevant to UK employers - employers overseas may have different rules and expectations for a CV (or resume). Check out the 'Global CV and Resume Guide' (available in the Careers Service) for details of requirements for other countries.

Videos about CVs including What employers look for in a CV and Should you tailor your CV amongst other titles.

When should you use your CV?

• If you're asked. Some employers ask for a CV, others want an application form. Some will ask for both.


• For speculative contacts - i.e. when you are looking for a job or work experience which has not been advertised. If this is the case, you will also need to send a covering letter.

How long should it be?

Some employers will specifically ask for a 1 page CV. Otherwise, if it is a UK employer, the standard format is 2 sides.

What to include?

• Personal Details
• Name
• Address (home and term time)
• Phone Number
• E-mail Address (if you check it frequently)


It is not necessary to include:
• Date of Birth
• Nationality
• Gender
• Marital Status
• Health


• Do you Need a Profile?

This is difficult one to answer, as some employers like profiles and some don't. At worst, a profile is a waste of valuable space - after all, anyone can write 'I am hardworking and flexible' but where is the proof? It may have more impact to include these skills but to make sure they are against evidence, such as work experience or positions of responsibility. It is really the place of a covering letter to explain skills in a more conversational format, so when a covering letter is not possible (such as if you post your CV on a recruitment website) a short profile highlighting your key skills and acheivements would be effective.


• Education - reverse chronological order and with dates
• University and Degree subject, class expected or attained. Include some relevant information about your degree which reflects skills the employer is looking for.
• A levels (or equivalent) - with grades
• GCSEs - subjects not necessary, just grades
Don't include:
• Primary/prep school
• University and school addresses
• Minor qualifications unless they're relevant. You could include them under 'Skills'
• Examining boards


• Work Experience - reverse chronological order and with dates
• This can be paid or unpaid.
• If you have related experience or employment, you could highlight it by create a section "Relevant Experience".
• Unrelated Experience is still useful as long as you relate the skills you gained to what the employer is looking for


• Responsibilities and Achievements
• Committee memberships, organising social events, student representative, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, etc
• Don't just write the name of your job role - describe what was involved and the skills developed
• Think about what you're evidencing - what skills have you got?
• Try and keep them recent (approx last 3 years).


• Interests
• Don't just list them
• Explain your involvement. Time spent. Skills developed. Play in an orchestra? - that means time management, persistence, reliability, teamwork
• Emphasise achievements. Hill walking - walked the Pennine Way? Say so.
• Don't include minor interests from years ago


• Skills
• Driving licence, languages, computing skills, etc


• Referees
• Two are usually sufficient. Ideally one university and one employment.
• Always ask permission first.
• Give postcodes and telephone numbers.
• If you are short on space, putting "References available on request" is fine.

Layout & design

• Remember, the foremost responsibility of the way you design a CV is to provide easy access to important information - can your CV be scanned in a matter of seconds to find relevant information?
• Choose your font wisely: Serif fonts (such as Times New Roman or Courier) look more traditional but sans-serif fonts (Arial, Gill sans, Verdana for example) look more business-like.
• Use a font size of between 12 and 14, 10 is the absolute minimum.
• Refrain from using more than two fonts or more than two font sizes, consistency looks more professional.
• Use clear headings and sub-headings, picked out by bold text or underlines, and again use them consistently throughout.
• Bullet-point text to allow for clear access to information and avoid large blocks of text because they're hard to pick through. If you do use large blocks of text remember to left- or fully-justify text to the margins consistently throughout.
• You don't need to include a photo.
• You don't need to write the words 'curriculum vitae' at the top of the document - they'll know what it is and it's wasting space!

...and lastly

Nothing is more off-putting to an employer than mistakes in spelling and grammar. Check and check again!