CV & Cover Letter Checklist

• Full name
• Address
• Phone number(s)
• Email address

• If you have a clean driving license, mention this
• If you have your own vehicle, mention this
• If you are currently employed, mention this and state how much notice you’ll need to give before you leave

Make a short bullet-point list of your key skills and areas of expertise (e.g. problem solving, data analysis, customer service)

• List all previous roles in chronological order (starting with the most recent)
• State when you held each role (e.g. July 2012 - March 2013)
• Briefly describe each role, focusing on skills and experiences that are relevant to the job you’re now applying for
• Explain any gaps in your employment history (e.g. spent a year travelling)
• List universities, colleges and schools you attended (again, give dates for each one)
• List relevant qualifications and grades under the university/college/school where you gained them

• List a few of the hobbies and activities you enjoy outside of work
• If possible, try to include interests that are relevant to the job you're applying for (e.g. if it's a science-related role, you could talk about how much you enjoy reading science and technology magazines)

List relevant references if the job description specifically requests them. Otherwise, write 'references available on request'.

• Check your spelling and grammar
• Read back through what you've written - is it concise and easy to digest?
• Ask somebody else to check your CV for errors and unnecessary waffle

• Your name
• Your address
• Recipient's name (if known)
• Company name
• Company address
• Today's date
• 'Dear Mr/Ms [name]' or 'Dear Sir/Madam'

• State the role you are applying for and where you saw the vacancy advertised
• State some personal qualities that will appeal to the employer (e.g. 'I am a conscientious and motivated individual, and I bring a great deal of enthusiasm to the work I do.')
• Sum up the content of your CV and state why it qualifies you for the role (e.g. 'My CV is attached; as you can see, I have worked in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 5 years, and I believe that the skills and knowledge I have gained during this time make me a great candidate for this role.')

• Go into more detail about your most recent roles
• Describe relevant skills and experiences gained in these roles
• State any notable achievements (e.g. 'Under my leadership, the company's revenue / the department's productivity increased by 25%.')

• Explain why you think you'd be a good fit for this organisation
• Show off your knowledge of the organisation (e.g 'I was very impressed when I read about the company's dedication to providing a transparent, ethical service, and I feel that my own goals and values align perfectly with this aim.')
• State what you will bring to the role if hired (e.g. 'I hope to help the company achieve even greater success while bringing a proactive, optimistic attitude to this role.')

• Thank the employer for their time/consideration
• Closing statement (e.g. 'I look forward to hearing from you.')
• 'Your sincerely' (if you know their name) or 'Yours faithfully' (if not)
• Your signature (optional)
• Your name
• Your telephone number and/or email address

• Check your spelling and grammar
• Read back through what you've written - is it concise and easy to digest?
• Ask somebody else to check your CV for errors and unnecessary waffle

It’s easy to get so caught up in formatting that you forget to cover the basics! Ensure you’ve included your full name, correct contact details, and all relevant skills and past experiences.

While it’s important to stand out, making any kind of outlandish claims will quickly come back to bite you when you’re asked about them at interview! Don’t be afraid to brag, but always be honest.

While it’s important to stand out, making any kind of outlandish claims will quickly come back to bite you when you’re asked about them at interview! Don’t be afraid to brag, but always be honest.

Graduates are twice as likely to make spelling or grammatical errors on their CVs as non-graduates. While spelling mistakes may be small, they can also make all the difference in being asked to interview and not.

CVs should always be tailored for the position you’re applying for. Try to incorporate the wording of the job listing and ensure that your CV clearly displays why you’re a good fit for the position.

Employers often have hundreds of CVs to sift though, and are unlikely to be interested in reading beyond this length.

Getting a fresh pair of eyes to look over your CV can make all the difference. When you’ve been looking at one document for a long period of time, it can make it that much harder to notice pretty obvious mistakes, which is where a second (or even a third) opinion can be extra valuable.