Applications Guide complete mockup

OXFORD BROOKES CAREERS

APPLICATIONS

GUIDE

YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO

CVs, COVERING LETTERS

AND APPLICATIONS

Contents

What is the purpose of this guide?

The Selection Process

Ways you may need to apply

How does the selection process work?

What are employers looking for?

How to gather evidence

Exercise: complete a skills audit

Analysing the Vacancy

How to analyse the vacancy

Worked example of a vacancy

CVs

Introduction - what is the purpose of a CV?

Where do I start?

Types of CVs and reasons for choosing them

How to write a good proﬁle

Example job description

Chronological CV example 1

Chronological CV example 2

Skills-based CV example 1

Skills-based CV example 2

Part-time CV example: care assistant

Part-time CV example: hospitality/restaurant work

Part-time CV example: oﬃce/administration work

Part-time CV example: retail/shop work

Part-time CV example: international student

CV360

CV checklist

CV FAQs

Covering Letters

Introducing your application

Covering letter example

Covering letter checklist

Covering letter FAQs

Application Forms

What is the purpose of an application form?

Applications - getting started

Writing your personal or supporting statement

Example 1 - personal statement

Example 2 - personal statement

Application form questions

References

Application form exercise

Application form checklist

Application form FAQs

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Contents

Speculative Applications

Introduction - what is the purpose of a speculative application?

Speculative applications checklist

Speculative applications FAQs

Example 1 - speculative covering letter

Example 2 - request for an information interview

Example 3 - request for an information interview

Applications For Further Study

Introduction to applications for further study

Applications for further study checklist

Applications for further study FAQs

LinkedIn and Applications

Glossary

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What is the purpose of this guide?

This guide is designed to help you understand how to write eﬀective applications.

The information and documents you submit as part of your application play a

crucial part in getting you through to the next stage of the process, so it is

important that they clearly demonstrate your relevant skills and experience and

allow you to show yourself in the best possible light.

The ﬁrst two sections of the guide take you through the application process and

how to identify your skills and understand what employers are looking for. There

are then separate sections for CVs, covering letters, application forms, personal

statements, and speculative applications.

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APPLICATIONS GUIDE

THE SELECTION

PROCESS

Ways you may need to apply

The Selection Process

When applying for a job, it is important that you follow any instructions provided so

that you are applying in the correct way. If you don’t, your application may not be

accepted.

What information do I need to send?

Many vacancies will ask you to apply with a CV and covering letter but this may

not always be the case. Some companies/organisations may have their own

application form for you to complete which may include some open-ended

questions on your competencies and why you want the job, as well as more factual

information about your qualiﬁcations and previous employment. Sometimes you

might be asked to provide a personal statement or a supporting statement

demonstrating your relevant skills and experience. If you are just asked for a CV

with nowhere to provide any additional information, it is a good idea to also include

a covering letter so that you have a chance to address why you want the job and to

demonstrate your motivations.

How should I send my application?

Again, pay attention to the instructions provided and make sure you follow these in

full. You may need to email your application to a speciﬁed email address with your

CV and other required documents included as attachments. Alternatively, some

companies/organisations will require you to complete and submit an online

application form, perhaps uploading your CV as an attachment. Always make sure

you email or submit your application well in advance of the deadline. This means

you have time to deal with any technological problems, and you also limit the

chances of your application being ineligible should the vacancy close early.

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How does the selection process work?

Usually a vacancy will attract many applications! Therefore, the aim of the selection

process is to, by a number of exercises, select and recruit the best candidate for

the role who will fulﬁl its key requirements, ﬁt well in the organisational structure

and share the company’s values. Normally, the employer advertises the position,

usually (but not always) providing a job description, listing skills and aptitudes

required for the role (selection criteria), outlining responsibilities and a summary of

relevant contractual information.

Typically, the selection process involves a number of steps and may include:

a) CV, cover letter and/or application form - to ﬁnd out if the candidate meets

the essential (and desirable) criteria, has the right motivation to join the

company/apply for the position.

b) Telephone or a video interview - to gauge candidate’s personality and

motivation, ﬁnd out how well the candidate has researched the company,

test verbal communication skills.

Video interviews have now become a common feature early on in the

selection process with generally two types, (i) a video interview, which is

conducted face to face, e.g. via Zoom or Skype, in real time or (ii) a

pre-recorded interview, where questions appear on a screen and candidates

must respond within a time constraint.

c) Online tests- for example to check if the candidate has the numerical, verbal

and logical capabilities required for the job and to gauge how he/she

performs under pressure on time-limited tasks; to assess the candidate’s

thought process.

d) Assessment centre - tasks given during an assessment centre are directly

related to the requirements of each role and you will be assessed on how

well you demonstrate your ability/potential for that role. This also allows

employers to see how well the candidate interacts with others in group

exercises and will he/she be a good ﬁt for the company.

e) Interview - to gather evidence that the candidate fulﬁlls the essential and

desirable criteria; assess candidates motivation, gauge personality and test

communication skills

Not all of the above steps will be used by every employer for every vacancy but a

selection of a few of them might be used (for example: CV and cover letter,

followed by an online test, followed by a panel interview).

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The Selection Process

What are employers looking for?

The World Economic Forum has identiﬁed the top 10 skills for the future as:

● Analytical thinking and innovation

● Active learning and learning strategies

● Complex problem-solving

● Critical thinking and analysis

● Creativity, originality and initiative

● Leadership and social inﬂuence

● Technology use, monitoring and control

● Technology design and programming

● Resilience, stress tolerance and ﬂexibility

● Reasoning, problem-solving and ideation

In addition to this employers also want to see a positive mindset or a can do attitude,

motivation for the role and the organisation by demonstrating that you have undertaken

industry research and digital capability. It is worthwhile developing proﬁciency in the

Microsoft packages particularly Excel.

Employers are looking for candidates who can provide evidence for and demonstrate a

range of skills gained through education, employment, voluntary work or extra-curricular

interests. Apart from the job-speciﬁc skills when, for example, a knowledge of a particular

software or a laboratory technique is required, employers are interested in applicants with

so-called “transferable or “soft” skills. Those typically, but not exclusively, consist of

communication skills, time management, teamwork, problem solving, decision-making and

self-management. For a more comprehensive list please see our Hot Tips leaﬂet, ‘SKILLS

& ATTRIBUTES – what are employers looking for?’

On many occasions employers list essential and desirable skills in the job advert or the job

description. However, sometimes there is no list of criteria the candidate needs to fulﬁl but

instead the employer provides a list of tasks that the candidate will do on the job. In such

situations, you have to deduce for yourself what skills they are looking for.

For example, if the advert says:

“You will be working to strict deadlines, liaising with colleagues from diﬀerent

departments and daily interacting with clients”

you can assume that the employer is looking for someone with good time management

and prioritising skills who is capable to work as a part of a team and has great

communication skills to interact with both other colleagues and clients.

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The Selection Process

How to gather evidence

Job applications which stand out have evidence of how you are using skills that are

required in the job. You may not even realise it, but you may well have been using some of

the skills already!

Employers typically identify skills or competencies that they want to see from applicants.

To make an impact on them, it will help to look at a wide range of experiences and what

you did there, what diﬀerence it made, and what you learnt or might do diﬀerently because

of your experience.

● Do look at any work experience you have done. This could be just for a few days,

a more structured short term internship (a few weeks to three months), or a longer

term work placement (6 - 12 months).

● Undertake a ‘no-negativity’ brainstorm - consider any ways in which you may have

practised some skills (however imperfectly!).

● Write everything down - you can evaluate your ideas a bit later!

● Remember that even if you haven’t used a particular skill, you may have observed

others using these skills and learnt something new or had the chance to talk about

that with them.

● Other experiences such as part-time work, volunteering, roles in student societies

or sports clubs, or acting as a course rep or student ambassador.

○ Part-time work may not seem like graduate level experience, but think

through ways in which you have shown skills such as time management,

eﬀective communication and problem solving.

○ Acting as a course / programme representative or as a student ambassador

may have given you valuable experience of using skills such as listening to

others, providing a service or consulting people on their experience and

needs.

○ Have you taken on any responsibilities, for example in sports clubs or other

student societies? What did you do? Note down any actions you have

taken to do these tasks: what steps did you take to ensure an event was

properly organised, a budget was managed or it was successfully

marketed?

○ Even though voluntary work is for free, you may have been using some

skills that will impress an employer!

○ Don’t dismiss any experience you may have gained from taking on

responsibilities in your community, social or faith groups - do you run

Guides or a choir? Have you organised a big community event? Itemise

everything that is involved in making this happen. Or have you had

experience of promoting someone’s business or managing their

bookkeeping?

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The Selection Process

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The Selection Process

● It can help to produce a mind map or spider diagram to visualise times you used a

particular skill and any details that you can recall. For example, with any of the

above experiences, ask yourself questions like:

● In what ways did I take initiative?

● What types of problems did I resolve?

● What types of clients have I gained experience of? What needs or concerns

did they have, and how did I support them?

● What have I learnt there? What knowledge or commercial awareness have I

gained during your experience? (Insights can come from trying things out

that you aren’t yet expert at, and from valuable conversations with others

that you worked alongside!)

● Our Hot Tips leaﬂet ‘SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES – what are employers looking for?’

gives further suggestions.

Exercise: complete a skills audit

Completing a skills audit is a good way to identify what experience you have gained that

could be evidence of using a competency the employer requires. Rate yourself (1 - poor,

to 5 - excellent) and note what you’ve done. Facing up to the gaps should lead to action -

ﬁnd out what you can do next to improve and develop a skill if you don’t have much

experience. If you get stuck with this, contact us - we can help you ﬁnd ways forward!

Here is a taste of our skills audit (the full version can be accessed here).

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Your Skills / Attributes

Your rating

(1-5)

State current evidence for

and/or Identify potential

opportunities for development

Self-management and Resilience

● Well organised, good time

management

● Taking responsibility

● Dealing with challenges or

setbacks

● Adaptability and Flexibility

● Developing through feedback

and reﬂection

Teamwork and Collaboration

● Respecting others

● Co-operating to achieve goals

● Negotiating / persuading

Decision-making and Problem

solving

● Analysing facts and situations

● Using logical and methodical

processes

● Applying creative thinking to

develop appropriate solutions

Communication and interpersonal

skills

● Oral literacy, including

presentations, listening and

questioning

● Relationship management

● Collaboration

● Receptiveness to feedback

The Selection Process

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Your Skills / Attributes

Your rating

(1-5)

State current evidence for

and/or Identify potential

opportunities for development

Application of Information

Technology

● Word processing, ﬁle

management and search

engines

● Using Excel, and pivot tables

to analyse data

● Engaging with social media

particularly Linkedin

Our Hot Tips leaﬂet ‘Skills and Attributes Audit’ provides a more detailed audit worksheet

to help you work through an audit of where you have used your skills, to help you

self-assess your experience and consider further action you may need to take to address

any gaps.

The Selection Process

APPLICATIONS GUIDE

ANALYSING THE

VACANCY

How to analyse the vacancy

Explanation of job description and person speciﬁcation

An advertisement for a job will usually state the job title, the name of the company

or organisation, the salary, and maybe a brief outline of the role. However it is

important to look beyond just these headline points in order to ﬁnd out as much

information about the role, and your suitability for it, as possible. Most advertised

roles will provide you with further information in the form of a job description and

person speciﬁcation. These may be within the job listing itself, or you may need to

download them as separate documents or link through to the

company/organisation website to access them.

Job description

A job description is a summary of the duties and responsibilities that the role

encompasses. It should give you an idea of what the postholder would be doing,

and what the day-to-day work might be like. Some job descriptions assign

percentages to individual tasks/responsibilities to show roughly how much of the

overall working time they would require. This can help you to understand the

balance between daily tasks and less regular tasks.

Person speciﬁcation

The person speciﬁcation is a list of criteria that the employer would like applicants

to fulﬁl. It might include qualiﬁcations, experience, skills, or abilities. The person

speciﬁcation is an extremely valuable tool when you are writing a job application as

it tells you exactly what the employer is looking for. You can then tailor your CV,

covering letter or application form to demonstrate how you meet the stated criteria.

A person speciﬁcation is often split into two sections - essential criteria and

desirable criteria.

● Essential criteria are the primary criteria the employer will be basing their

shortlisting decisions on. To be considered for an interview applicants will

need to clearly demonstrate that they meet all of the essential criteria.

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Analysing the Vacancy

● Desirable criteria are experience, skills, or attributes which would be highly

advantageous in the role, but which are not necessarily essential. To have

the best possible chance of success with your application you should be

able to show that you meet both the essential criteria, and any desirable

criteria. However employers may be happy to pursue applicants who do not

meet some or all of the desirable criteria, as these criteria are not required to

be able to do the job.

Even if you do not fully meet all of the essential criteria it may still be worth putting

in an application as long as you can suﬃciently demonstrate your suitability for the

role. Sometimes employers create ambitious person speciﬁcations, but are happy

to accept candidates with diﬀerent experiences/attributes, especially if only a small

number of applications have been received. In the main, though, shortlisting

applications is an objective process based on the person speciﬁcation. Therefore

it is important not to rely on employers inferring or assuming how you match their

criteria, but to outline it for them clearly and speciﬁcally.

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Analysing the Vacancy

Worked example of a vacancy

When applying for an opportunity, it is important to consider the method employers

use to shortlist candidates for the next part of the recruitment process. They will be

searching your application for evidence of how well you meet the speciﬁed criteria

for the role.

This criteria can usually be found in the person speciﬁcation with details of the

essential and desirable criteria required for the particular role.

It is important that you carefully analyse the job description and the person

speciﬁcation and provide clear examples of evidence to demonstrate how you fulﬁl

each of those criteria. It may be the case however, that there is no person

speciﬁcation and in this instance, it is important to carefully scrutinise the available

information in order to identify what are the key criteria.

Here is an example of a vacancy which does not have a clearly deﬁned person

speciﬁcation but the criteria are evident and are highlighted.

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Analysing the Vacancy

Example vacancy

● Designing and draughting of vehicle components and the jigs and tooling required

to manufacture them

● Following best practice as deﬁned by the department for all activities

● The preparation of reports or other technical documentation as may be required

● Gaining experience in specialist areas of fault diagnosis, stress analysis, cad

design, laminate design, cad draughting

● Developing problem solving and communication skills through working closely

with designers, managers, mechanics and technical specialists throughout the

organisation

The successful applicant will demonstrate

● A good understanding of a 3D CAD system

● An understanding of Mechanical principles

● A good hands-on approach

● Knowledge of MS Oﬃce software

In addition to the necessary Technical skills, there are also a number of additional

skills that are no less important.

In order to submit an eﬀective application, it is essential that you provide examples

of evidence of the following.

● Written presentation skills (preparation of reports)

● Problem solving (fault diagnosis, stress analysis)

● Working collaboratively with others (working closely with colleagues)

● Communication (written- preparation of reports, verbal- communication with

colleagues)

● Team work (collaborating with colleagues in a variety of disciplines)

In addition, consider what other skills are required from the vacancy.

● Attention to detail (following best practice)

● Practical skills (hands on approach)

● Flexible and adaptable and Interpersonal skills (working throughout the

organisation)

Once applications have been received, the employer draws up a table to identify

which candidates have clearly demonstrated examples of evidence of the key

criteria. The candidates who have met most if not all of the criteria are shortlisted

for the next stage of the recruitment process.

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Analysing the Vacancy

Exercise

Try it for yourself! Find a vacancy that appeals to you and highlight the key skills

and attributes they are looking for. Then, using the skills audit above, reﬂect on

what evidence you can provide that demonstrates that particular skill.

APPLICATIONS GUIDE

CVs

What is the purpose of a CV?

Your CV, along with any other application documents, is a tool to allow you to get

through to the next stage of the application process. It is a structured account of

your qualiﬁcations, skills, and experience, speciﬁc to the job you are applying for.

Your CV should clearly demonstrate that your competencies and motivations make

you an ideal candidate for the role.

The information in your CV should always be:

● Tailored

● Relevant

● Speciﬁc

● Evidence-based

● Methodical

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CVs

Where do I start?

Research the job: ﬁnd out as much as you can about the role and the

company/organisation. Refer to the job description but pay particular attention to

the person speciﬁcation or selection criteria - this will tell you what skills and

experience the employer is looking for, which should directly inform the focus of

your CV.

Reﬂect on your skills and experience: think about what is the most relevant

information to include in your CV - what evidence and examples can you provide of

things you have done which demonstrate the required skills and experience?

Look at examples of CVs: use this guide and other recommended resources to

research sample CVs and give yourself an idea of the sort of document you are

aiming for.

Plan: work out what CV format will work best and what sections to include. You

can then start to populate this structure with your information and examples.

Don’t put it oﬀ too long!: It can be daunting starting to write a CV from scratch

but once you’ve got a plan it’s often best just to get started with writing out a ﬁrst

draft. You might ﬁnd it easier to reﬁne and perfect your CV once you’ve got

something to work with and you can see how it’s starting to look on the page.

Remember that your CV is never a ﬁnished product and will evolve for each

application.

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CVs

Types of CVs and reasons for choosing

them

There are a wealth of diﬀerent potential ways to structure your CV and exactly what

format you use will be determined by how you can best showcase your relevant

skills and experience. Some typical types of CV are as follows:

● Chronological CV: A chronological CV is structured around a

reverse-chronological outline of your work experience/employment. In this

CV format you discuss your skills primarily in the context of your work

experience. It can work well if you have a reasonable amount of fairly

relevant work experience.

● Skills-based CV: The main focus of a skills-based CV is an expanded skills

section which allows you to draw on examples of your skills from a wide

range of contexts. This could include academic studies, volunteering, and

interests, as well as work experience and employment. This CV format can

work well if you have limited or no work experience, or if your work

experience is in a very diﬀerent area to what you are now applying for.

● Part-time job CV: If you are applying for a part-time job to earn some

money whilst you study, as opposed to a job related to your career, then

often a shorter CV format is appropriate. You will still need to provide

evidence of your skills and experience, but only those that are relevant to

the job you are applying for. For example you probably don’t need to go

into detail about academic modules or subject-speciﬁc skills.

● Academic CV: If you are applying for further study you will need a CV which

focuses mainly on your academic skills and experience. You might want to

go into more detail about modules you have studied, or projects or

dissertations you have worked on, and how these are relevant to the course

you are now applying for.

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CVs

How to write a good proﬁle

Example 1 - what’s wrong with this?

Example 2 - what’s right with this?

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CVs

I am a self-motivated, enthusiastic,

hard-working and very determined

individual with excellent communication

and team-working skills who thrives in a

challenging environment. Looking for a

position that will allow me to further my

career and build on my existing skills.

A final year Business and Marketing

student with one year’s experience of

business-to-business marketing, on track

for a 2:1. Excellent communication and

customer service skills from developing

relationships with clients at ‘Bank

Busters’ to ensure repeat business. In

addition, six months retail experience.

Now looking for an entry-level marketing

position with an innovative retail

company.

● Vague

● Could be written for any job and by

any candidate

● Long list of adjectives with no

evidence

● Meaningless - no real insights

provided

● The candidate clearly states their

current situation and sells their

relevant experience with evidence

● They write about their skills in the

context of their experience

● Key points are highlighted without

resorting to generic statements

● The candidate specifically refers to

the type of role they are interested in

Example job description

This job description and person speciﬁcation relates to the example CV on page

25.

Company: Oxford Universal Publishers Department: Marketing

Title of Post: Marketing Assistant Post Number: W07/076

Overall purpose of post: To assist with the development and implementation of

the OUP’s marketing strategy in order to raise the proﬁle of the company. Support

the delivery of a range of marketing activities including communications,

production of digital and printed marketing materials, events organisation and

promotional activity.

Skills and experience required for post: Experience in a marketing related post

with excellent creative, organisational, communication, teamwork and IT skills.

Main duties:

1. Contribute to the development and implementation of OUP’s Marketing &

Communication Strategy

2. Contribute to the creation, maintenance and production of imaginative

marketing materials within the Company’s branding guidelines

3. Assist with the development and maintenance of OUP’s website within

company branding guidelines

4. Contribute to social media accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn) to maximise the

positive exposure of OUP.

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CVs

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CVs

Speciﬁcation Essential Desirable

Education

Relevant

Experience

Relevant Skills

/ Aptitudes

● Undergraduate degree or relevant

experience.

● Proven design, marketing and

promotion work.

● Competent user of Microsoft

Oﬃce, design software.

● Digital and online development to

include designing and updating

websites and setting up and

managing social media accounts,

Facebook, LinkedIn etc.

● Writing / designing for the web

and social media.

● Experience of administrative

systems and processes in

particular recording and managing

contact databases.

● Conﬁdent and professional

manner to establish rapport with

clients & colleagues.

● Good standard of spoken English,

speaks clearly and conﬁdently,

able to present to and network

with internal and external

stakeholders.

● Demonstrable written

communication skills in English

for example, writing and editing

marketing copy.

● Strong attention to detail when

writing copy and carrying out

administrative tasks.

● Ability to work ﬂexibly and

co-operatively in a team and

across the wider company.

● Ability to act on own initiative and

demonstrate problem solving

skills.

Person Speciﬁcation

● Knowledge of Adobe

In-Design Software

Knowledge of CMS

● Experience of a CRM

system

Chronological CV example 1

Jane Schiller

Ground Floor Flat, Kinn Road, Oxford, OX2 6HU

Email: [email protected] Tel: 07778 955555 www.linkedin/in/janeschiller

Final year English and Creative Writing undergraduate with marketing experience in a

publishing company. Experience of developing digital platforms such as company

websites and social media to increase outreach. Previous work has included designing

and creating print material using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop. Seeking the position of

Marketing Assistant at Oxford Universal Publishers.

______________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION

Oxford Brookes University 2018 – 2021

BA (Hons) English Literature and Creative Writing (2:1 predicted)

Relevant modules:

• Critical theory in action • Culture and criticism

• Stylistics • Texts in performance

Dissertation: Analysis of impact from persuasive writing methods used within 2010

General Election British political manifestos. Completing this dissertation has developed

my ability to compare a wide range of sources, views and writing techniques.

Ampleforth College, York 2011 – 2018

A Levels: English (B), German (C), Music (A)

AS Level: History (C) GCSEs: 8 grades A* - C

______________________________________________________________________

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

Cross Culture Encounter Publishing Ltd, Aylesbury January 2020 - present

UK Marketing Assistant

Working part-time for a small modern fiction and travel writing publishing start-up

alongside studies.

Skills / achievements:

• Creativity: creating and designing digital and print posters and Instagram posts within

company branding guidelines using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop to advertise author

signings and forthcoming publications.

• Making an impact: Regularly interacted with potential audiences on Twitter, Instagram

and Facebook - this led to a 25-40% increased following of four authors I was promoting

during their product launch campaigns.

• Written communication: composing letters and writing copy for e-shots to clients.

This includes discussing content with my manager to ensure the appropriate tone and

language is used in our communications and that it is targeted to customers’ areas of

interest.

• Administration: visiting prospective venues in the UK, liaising with event coordinators

and representatives, and analysing survey results.

• IT skills: creating and updating the marketing internet page, providing administrative

support to the sales and marketing teams, and ensuring effective responses to email

enquiries.

• Attention to detail: managing lead data and the contact database. This includes

updating contact information and making sure we have an accurate record of company

addresses to promote our events and invoicing information we require.

• Organisation: sourcing advertisement opportunities through local and national

communications such as newspapers, online advertisements and radio. Creating a

spreadsheet to compare competitor prices and identify likely target audiences for further

outreach.

CVs

Try to include a

LinkedIn proﬁle link,

so recruiters can ﬁnd

out more about your

experience. This

could include

'recommendations'

from previous

employers

Can you highlight

your skills by

referring to a ﬁnal

year project /

dissertation?

Bullets in this CV

template are based

on a skill, then how it

has been evidenced.

Try to be speciﬁc -

e.g. what have you

created? Who for?

What was the

impact? What did

you change or

improve as a result?

Writing a proﬁle is

optional but can

highlight relevant

skills and experience

you’ve gained.

Can you identify any

particularly relevant

module choices?

A brief summary of

where you are

working can add

value.

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

Amateur Orchestra September 2018 - September 2019

Concert Manager

Skills / achievements:

• Advertising: creating and distributing posters, sending targeted emails, and creating

programmes for each concert on a weekly basis.

• Networking: liaising with musicians about set length and finding out biographies for

programmes.

• Initiative: arriving early to set up chairs and equipment and ensuring each

performance does not overrun. Notifying staff in advance about pending concerts.

• Oral communication: presenting musicians to the audience and notifying the

audience of upcoming events.

Tesco Oxford May 2017 - October 2017

Food Service Assistant

Skills / achievements:

• Problem-solving: dealing with special customer requests in often a short period of

time involved calling both head office and other stores in the area to source stock on a

limited time scale.

• Teamwork: training new starters as well as leading a subsection team on Sundays in

the absence of my line manager.

• Responsibility: setting up and closing down sections; working alone on sections when

required and taking stock counts.

______________________________________________________________________

I.T. Skills

• Very competent with computers and databases including CRM systems.

• Particularly familiar with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, InDesign and Photoshop.

• Experienced in managing company social media accounts including: Facebook and

Instagram

Languages

• English native.

• Fluent in German, written and spoken.

______________________________________________________________________

Interests and Achievements

• Writing: write reviews on local concerts and festivals for Oxford’s ‘Daily Info’

(www.dailyinfo.co.uk/reviews).

• Music: play drums in local bands and record music at home.

• Sport: member of the university basketball team; school captain of the girls’ hockey

teams.

• Charity events: raised £2000 for a Ugandan village by walking 550km from Uganda into

Kenya with a group of 100 volunteers.

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

CVs

Try to describe

how you have used

transferable skills

from general

employment / work

experience.

Including short

bullets is ideal to

highlight

achievements.

Facts can be

compelling!

Chronological CV example 2

Tom Brown

2 Church Close, Oxford OX2 1TP

Email: [email protected] Tel: 07823 588888 www.linkedin.com/in/tombrown

Final year Environmental Science student passionate about conservation and the

environment. Extensive voluntary experience working for wildlife trusts in various

capacities, including marketing, website editing and writing press-releases. Looking for a

position in a wildlife trust to further develop skills in marketing and communications from

July onwards.

______________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION

Oxford Brookes University 2018 – 2021

BSc (Hons) Environmental Science, (2:1 predicted)

Relevant modules:

• Biodiversity Law • Communities, Conservation, Conflict & Change

• Sustainable Resource Use • Survey and Monitoring for Biodiversity

Research Project: Field research on biodiversity in Malaysia has given me knowledge of

biological field techniques such as wildlife tracking using GPS telemetry, wildlife collating

and wildlife health monitoring.

Newbury College 2016 – 2018

A levels: Environmental Science (A), Biology (C), Chemistry (D)

Newbury School 2011 – 2016

GCSEs: 8 A-Cs

______________________________________________________________________

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

Oxford Wildlife Trust, Conservation Volunteer (weekend/voluntary) 2018 – 2020

Weekend volunteer working in small teams to clear rhododendron bushes, coppicing and

preparing environments for the Heath Fritillary butterfly.

Oxford Environmental Centre, Marketing Intern (Summer Intern) June – July 2019

• Managing telephone, email and written enquiries at the centre.

• Supporting the Marketing Team to promote the centre in Oxfordshire through direct

email and developing website.

• Conducting visitor tours around the insect house.

• Providing demonstrations of energy saving techniques to visitors.

Frontier, Conservation Volunteer, Ecuador August 2019

• One month spent in Ecuador Wildlife Sanctuary working with injured mammals and

organising environmental education activities for visiting schools.

• Achievements included writing regular press releases for the Marketing Team.

______________________________________________________________________

OTHER EXPERIENCE

Oxford Brookes University, Academic Support Worker 2019 – Present

• Taking lecture notes and editing materials for disabled students where I learnt to write

quickly and clearly, whilst paying attention to detail.

ABC Cinemas, Front-of-House Staff 2019 – Present

• Dealing with the general public through ticket and snack sales, bar work and ushering

has developed my communication skills.

CVs

Tom has

summarised his

studies,

experience to date

and immediate

career goals.

Tom has

summarised his

project experience,

which is very

relevant to the

employer's work.

Creating a

'Relevant

Experience

section' allows

Tom to highlight

the experience that

will matter most to

the employer and

to ensure it is on

the ﬁrst page of his

CV.

Tom has opted to

ensure that most

of his short bullet

points emphasise

that he is

action-focused, by

beginning the

bullet point with a

verb

Topshop, Sales Person 2017 – 2018

• Maintaining the shop floor, stock and providing a good level of customer service

during busy periods.

• Additional responsibilities included opening and closing-up shop, banking, sending

orders and using initiative for customer requests and orders.

__________________________________________________________________

PRACTICAL CONSERVATION SKILLS

• A full clean driving licence with 4-wheel drive experience.

• NPTC Agricultural Tractor Operation Certificate.

• Undertook a small mammal identification course at Oxford Wildlife Trust.

• Chainsaw Certificate.

• First Aid Certificate.

• PADI Diving Certificate.

__________________________________________________________________

COMPUTER SKILLS

• Very proficient with PC and Mac along with all the standard software such as

Microsoft Office.

• Advanced Adobe Photoshop skills.

__________________________________________________________________

INTERESTS

I like to draw, paint and do other forms of arts and crafts as well as read and

socialise. An avid reader of Nature and New Scientist, I have submitted articles on

conservation in Ecuador, expected to be published this year.

__________________________________________________________________

REFEREES

Dr Andrea Goodman Ms. A Manager

School of Life Sciences ABC Cinema

Oxford Brookes University Oxford OX4 2YP

Headington Tel: 01865 222222

Oxford OX3 0BP Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01865 555555

Email: [email protected]

CVs

Tom has allocated

less space to

describing roles in

the 'Other

Experience'

section - but has

noted ways in

which he has taken

responsibility and

acted

professionally.

Here, Tom

highlights various

certiﬁcates that

prove he has

developed relevant

skills to a required

standard.

Skills-based CV example 1

Frank Smith

23 Oxford Road, Oxford, OX4 1SA

Email: [email protected] Mobile: 07735 511111 linkedin/in/franksmith

EDUCATION

Oxford Brookes University, BEng (Hons) Motorsport Engineering 2019 – 2022

2:1 Predicted

Key modules:

• Stress Analysis 1 • Engineering dynamics 1

• Engineering Thermo-fluids • Materials Engineering

• Engineering Mathematics • Mechanical Engineering Design

Otago Polytechnic, Certificate in Automotive Technology (Electrical) 2018 – 2019

Units include:

• Wiring repairs and electrical circuit testing • Basic tuning on 4 stroke engines

Otago Polytechnic, Diploma of Mechanical Engineering 2017 – 2018

Modules include:

• Engineering Drawing 82% • Strength of Materials 70%

• Computational Mathematics 70% • Mathematics 65%

______________________________________________________________________

SKILLS

Mathematics

• Gained a good understanding of Advance Matrix Algebra, MATLAB, Mathcad,

application of Finite Differences and Laplace Transform, throughout my second year.

Applied this knowledge to solve varied engineering problems.

Analysis

• Developed a good understanding of front pull rod suspension as part of design group

project. Carried out FEA (Finite Element Analysis) in SolidWorks to analyse the stresses

that act on the suspension components such as wishbones, pull rods and uprights under

heavy braking, cornering and full bump.

• Learnt and developed analytical skills in Stress Analysis. Defined the characterisation

of Stress Profiles, Yielding and Buckling, under different load conditions.

Mechanics

• Race Go Karts competitively, which has helped me to improve my understanding of

how karts behave with different kinds of set up. This experience included toe in and toe

out, caster and camber adjustments, changing front and rear widths, using different tyre

pressures.

Team player

• Participating in Formula Student, I learnt how to work in groups through listening to

what others had to contribute, as well as how to build trust and bond with new people.

Working under pressure

• Undertook various tasks while at Chubb that often required extra work at short notice. I

ensured that important jobs were prioritised and completed to deadlines.

______________________________________________________________________

AUTOMOTIVE EXPERIENCE

Formula Student Member (Electrical & Electronic Groups) Nov 2019 – Present

Oxford Brookes University Team, Oxford

• Made and installed the wiring looms and sensors for both class 1 and 1A cars.

• Contributed to design and making of dashboards, fuse boxes and brake lights for class

1 and 1A cars.

CVs

Use a professional

sounding email

address

Include relevant

modules

Use bullet points

to make your

experience easy to

read and start

each point with

relevant action

words eg gained,

developed etc.

Don’t just tell them

what you did in the

role but explain

how you did the

role. Detail when

and how you have

used the skill the

employer wants.

Don’t overlook the

“soft skills” - these

are just as

important!

Support Technician Aug 2017 – June 2018

Delphi Heavy Duty Diesel Systems, New Zealand

•Built and tested diesel injectors and pumps – proved to be a useful and demanding

experience as I had to learn how to operate the test rigs and build pumps and injectors

with the group. After one month I was able to proceed on my own.

• Measured diesel injector and pump parts with Talysurf and CMM machines.

•Prepared build sheets for both diesel injectors and pumps.

Automotive Technician Apr 2016 – July 2017

Kendall Cars Ltd, New Zealand

• Mechanical and Electrical servicing and repairs – clutch and gear box replacements,

electrical fault finding, tyre and brake pad replacements, serviced vans, cars and Lutons.

Automotive Apprentice Feb 2013 – Jan 2014 CBS AUTOS, New Zealand

• Developed skills in mechanical and electrical servicing and repairs – CV joint

replacements, brake pad and disc fittings, wheel alignment, overhauled starters and

alternators.

• Assisted with engine tuning, using scanning tool. Traced electrical faults, undertook

M.O.T.s

______________________________________________________________________

OTHER EMPLOYMENT

Fire Protection Engineering Draughtsman Mar 2015 – Jan 2016

• Chubb Systems & Services, New Zealand

• Contributed to the design of small to large installations of sprinkler systems.

•Preparation of sprinkler system drawings, schematic diagrams, block plans, reports and

maintenance manuals.

______________________________________________________________________

I.T SKILLS

• Competent user of Microsoft Office packages, AutoCAD, SolidWorks, Crocodile clip,

TinyCAD, MATLAB, Working Model and Mathcad.

______________________________________________________________________

INTERESTS

Motorsports: Go Karting – member of Formula Brookes Sports: Boxing and Gym workout

______________________________________________________________________

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Member of The Institution of Mechanical Engineers – IMechE Student,

Full UK driving licence.

______________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

CVs

Employers value all

experience, but

make sure you

identify the key

skills acquired that

are relevant to the

role to which you

are applying

Mention any

practical skills,

particularly

relevant to the role

Skills-based CV example 2

Linda Evans

10 Oxford Road,Headington,Oxford OX12 1PT

[email protected] Tel: 07234150000 www.linkedin.com/in/lindaevans

A second year Biotechnology undergraduate with excellent laboratory skills in areas

such as spectrophotometry, chromatography and centrifugation developed during my

degree. Able to communicate effectively to varied audiences through experience giving

numerous presentations. Looking for a one year placement in a commercial laboratory

from July to develop my skills.

______________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION

Oxford Brookes University, BSc (Hons) Biotechnology 2019 – Present

Second year modules include:

• Laboratory Techniques for the Biosciences • Genes and Genomes

• Mammalian Biochemistry • Microbiology and Immunology

High School, London 2012 – 2019

A Levels: Physics, Biology, Chemistry

GCSEs: 10 A-C grades including Maths and English

______________________________________________________________________

KEY SKILLS

Laboratory

• Modules such as Laboratory Techniques for the Biosciences have greatly improved my

ability, knowledge, confidence and understanding of practical techniques, such as

spectrophotometry, chromatography and centrifugation.

Communication

• PowerPoint presentations at university have improved my oral and written

communication skills, helping me to project my voice and speak clearly when addressing

large audiences.

• Working as a waitress and developing a rapport with customers has significantly

improved my interpersonal skills. I was voted ‘Waitress of the month’ for excellent

customer service.

Organisation

• Managed my time at university to meet multiple deadlines whilst working as a part-time

waitress and also maintaining many sports hobbies.

• Frequently make lists, use an electronic diary and prioritise tasks. This helps to keep

track of ordered procedures, which can be applied to laboratory work.

Teamwork

• A range of university projects such as paired lab work and group poster presentations

have helped me develop teamwork skills, obtaining excellent marks in all projects.

• The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme allowed me to undertake an expedition with a

team of four where we successfully achieved a cross-country expedition over a three day

period.

Problem-solving

• Dealing with problems in a calm and professional manner during busy nights while I

was a PR Assistant for Students in London. This involved being creative with resources

including changing promotions last minute in the face of shortages on certain products.

• Confident in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint which I use on a regular

basis throughout my degree programme.

CVs

Clearly state your

stage of study and

what you have to

oﬀer. Highlight

what you are

looking for

Relevant and most

recent modules

Provide evidence

of how you can

demonstrate key

skills relevant to

the role

Don’t overlook the

importance of

relevant

transferable skills

from part time jobs

or other activities

WORK EXPERIENCE

Top Restaurant, Waitress 2017 – 2019

• Employed for outside catering events where tasks included taking orders, using the till

and setting up events. Voted waitress of the month by customers.

Bradley Solicitors, work experience placement 2018

• General office work and creating databases for case files which greatly improved my

organisational and IT skills. Liaising with solicitors and the IT department over the design

of databases and communicating ideas in team meetings.

• In 2014 I was employed for two weeks covering for an Office Junior, consisting of filing,

sorting the post and general office work. I learnt how to work under pressure in order to

prepare correspondence for next day delivery.

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme Mentor 2018 – Present

Supporting young people to achieve several goals including an expedition and service to

the community.

Students in London, PR Assistant September 2016

• Promoting student nights out in London and creating guest lists. Role involved

developing relationships with new people and excellent organisation skills in order to

compile guest lists.

______________________________________________________________________

OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS

• Member of university diving, gymnastics and dance teams. In addition, I was selected

to be swimming captain and gymnastic captain on several occasions. Interests

• Many of my interests revolve around sport including swimming, boxercise, gymnastics

and dance.

• To help raise money for charities such as cancer research I have participated in

sponsored swimathons and sponsored walks, and also helped the local Rotary Club to

raise £250 for charities by selling raffle tickets.

• Music is another interest of mine and I have attended several music venues in Oxford.

______________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

CVs

Part-time CV example: care assistant

Caitlin Hear

54 James Street, Oxford, OX4 5FH

[email protected]

07738 433333

A second year Adult Nursing student at Oxford Brookes University with experience as a volunteer with Age UK.

Looking for a part-time job in care work to further my skills working with vulnerable adults.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION

Oxford Brookes University, BSc (Hons) Adult Nursing 2018 – 2021

Mary Filler College, Nottingham 2016 – 2018

A Levels: English (C), Psychology (B), Health and Social Care (B)

Foxhill Secondary School, Nottingham 2011 – 2016

GCSEs: 8 GCSEs grades A*-C including English, Maths and Science

___________________________________________________________________________________________

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Sensitive and compassionate work ethic: Volunteering at Age UK, combined with my natural disposition

towards care and support work, has developed my ability to empathise, show compassion in my work and be

approachable towards those I work with.

• Communication and Interpersonal skills: This includes dealing with challenging customer requests in an

attentive manner and discussing appropriate activities with my team to undertake with the elderly.

• Team work: I have undertaken cooperative and successful teamwork as part of my degree producing group

presentations and essays with up to 5 people. Whilst volunteering with Age UK I communicated with members of

my team of 9 to ensure clients received a consistent experience of the service.

• Organisational: Combining my work in retail and volunteering alongside my studies has developed my ability to

manage my workload, organise my time effectively and meet multiple deadlines.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

WORK EXPERIENCE

Volunteer, Age UK September 2017 – July 2019

Running activities with the elderly, arranging risk assessments and health and safety checks, general office work

and administration, as well as providing a friendly, approachable and professional front line service to the public.

Sales Assistant May 2016 – July 2017

Keeping the shop floor tidy and appropriately arranged, providing assistance and sale recommendations to

customers, providing quality customer service and working as part of a team to ensure that the shop floor duties

were covered.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

CVs

Part-time CV example:

hospitality/restaurant work

Eleanor Adams

8 Duster Avenue, Oxford, OX21 7TP

07412321768 / [email protected]

Music undergraduate with 3 years’ work experience in the hospitality industry. Previous experience working in busy

bar and restaurant environments has developed high standards of customer service and communication skills.

Currently seeking a part time position within the food and beverage industry to utilise and further develop my skills.

Available to work 16 hours per week.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

Turners Inn, Bar Staff 2018 – 2020

• Serving customers behind the bar, taking orders and advising on drinks.

• Restocking wines and spirits.

• Delivering orders of food and wine to customer tables.

• Responsible for cashing up at the end of shift.

• Advertising weekly karaoke nights, involved producing and handing out posters.

The Hutch Restaurant, Waitress 2016 – 2018

• Providing a warm welcome to customers entering the restaurant.

• Delivering excellent customer service when taking orders for food and drinks, also providing alternative

recommendations when required.

• Preparing and serving drinks at the bar.

• Handling cash and debit transactions.

• Promoting health and safety by keeping the restaurant clean and tidy.

• Coping under pressure and ensuring high level of customer service during peak times.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

OTHER SKILLS

IT: Proficient in the use of Microsoft office applications including Word, Excel and Access.

Languages: Fluent in Spanish and German, both written and spoken.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION

Oxford Brookes University 2018 – Present

BA (Hons) Music

Secondary School, Oxford 2011 – 2018

A Levels: English (B), Music (A), Philosophy (B)

GCSE: 7 grades A-C including English and Maths

___________________________________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

CVs

Part-time CV example:

oﬃce/administration work

Mike Lowden

2 Rosey Lane, Oxford, OX1 5TW

[email protected]

07778 599999

A third year Psychology undergraduate student at Oxford Brookes University with 2 years’ experience in

administration roles. Previous duties have included: managing room bookings, organising Google-calendars and

producing marketing material. Seeking to gain further work experience in an administrative setting.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION

2017 – 2020: BSc (Hons) Psychology, Oxford Brookes University

2015 – 2017: Louis Freen College, Southampton:

A Levels: English grade B, Psychology grade A, Maths grade C

2010 – 2015: Foxhill Secondary School, Nottingham:

6 GCSEs grade C – A* including English, Maths, Science and IT

___________________________________________________________________________________________

WORK EXPERIENCE

Receptionist, Florence Spa, Headington March 2017 – June 2019

• Customer service: Provided clients with information over the phone, by email and provided high quality

customer service to anyone arriving at the spa.

• Creativity: Created and arranged the distribution of promotional materials.

• Management of calendar and bookings: Organised bookings for clients and contributed to the arrangement of

staff rotas using an access database.

Administration Assistant, Louis Freen College Union January 2015 – January 2017

• Communication: Answered the telephone, generated meeting notes and agendas, and communicated within my

team on issues such as rotas.

• Organisation: Created and distributed minuted documents to a team of 27 people, worked towards strict

deadlines.

• IT: Involved in social media implementation, proficient with Microsoft office applications, created and maintained

spreadsheets regarding Union interactions with students.

• Attention to detail: Updated and maintained files of resources for students.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES

Linda Key, General Staff Manager, Florence Spa: [email protected] 01584 485748

Martin Gillis, Union President, Louis Freen College: [email protected] 01922 483755

CVs

Part-time CV example: retail/shop

work

Emily Simmons

456 Headington Hill, Oxford, OX3 0BP

07667 888887

[email protected]

A Business Management undergraduate with a year’s experience working in a customer facing role. Strong

organisational and time management skills developed through balancing work and study. Currently seeking a part

time position in a customer service role.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

H&M, Sales Advisor February 2018 – April 2019

• Provided excellent customer service, operating tills, handling cash and debit transactions; assisting and advising

customers on products, and providing alternatives when appropriate.

• Supported a team of 20 staff to help exceed sales targets by 3%, resulting in a Christmas bonus.

• Demonstrated initiative, working out which stock needed priority when replenishing from fitting and stock room.

• Managed my time and prioritised tasks such as serving customers, processing deliveries and creating

promotional displays.

Macmillan Cancer, Fundraising Volunteer August 2017 – December 2018

• Communicated with members of the public in order to generate donations of up to £100, awarded prize for

raising the most money, 2 months running.

• Lead a group of 6 volunteers and coordinated appropriate fundraising locations to raise maximum amount of

funds; awarded prize for best team of the month.

• Organised fancy dress events in order to boost team morale which raised over £300 for the charity.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

IT SKILLS

Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION

Oxford Brookes University 2018 – Present

BA (Hons) Business and Management

Secondary School, Oxford 2011 – 2018

A Levels: Business Studies (A), Information Technology (B), Maths (C)

GCSEs: 9 GCSEs from A-C

___________________________________________________________________________________________

INTERESTS

• Blogging: blog every fortnight on current trends in fashion and my latest fashion buys, currently followed by 230

readers from around the world

• Sport: Active member of the university basketball team

___________________________________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

CVs

Part-time CV example: international

student

Mǐn Xu

32 Iffley Road, Oxford, OX4 4AH

Tel: 07564 242222

Email: [email protected]

Second year International student at Oxford Brookes University. Previous experience working in a customer

service role undertaking group tours that developed my communication skills. Currently seeking a part time

position within retail, available to work 12 hours per week.

Permission to work: Current visa allows me to work X hours per week during semester time and X during vacation

___________________________________________________________________________________________

EDUCATION

Oxford Brookes University 2018 – Present

BA (Hons) Business and Marketing Management

• Improved level of verbal communication through assessed PowerPoint presentations achieving a 2:1 in the

majority of assignments, subsequently increasing my English language skills.

• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop, Internet Explorer and Visual Basics.

• Prioritised and managed my time in order to meet a number of university deadlines, I did this using to-do lists

and an electronic diary.

First High School Guangzhou, China 2016 – 2019

National University Entrance Examination 2nd Class

Equivalent to UK A-Level and GCSE B/C grades

___________________________________________________________________________________________

WORK EXPERIENCE

First High School Guangzhou, China 2019 – Present

• Assisted a team of 6 students, organising fortnightly events such as cooking classes. Took the lead role in

organising and planning the annual party for up to 120 guests.

• Managed a small team and was required to delegate tasks to fellow members, as well as keep to a fixed budget.

• Utilised my problem-solving skills when the venue we had booked was no longer available.

Tour Guide, Wildlife Park 2016 – 2019

• Working independently guiding groups of children aged between 8-11 years old, communicating instructions

clearly when visiting certain sites and explaining health and safety to the children.

• Maintained patience and composure when dealing with challenging groups of children.

• Managed my time to ensure I was not under or over running on the allocated tour time.

• Developed the ability to work well under pressure as the number of people visiting the park doubled during the

busy summer period.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

LANGUAGES

Good level of English - IELTS Level 7, Fluent in Mandarin

___________________________________________________________________________________________

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

CVs

CV360

CV360 is an online CV checker available to you through our Careers

Resources Portal.

Once you have used this Applications Guide to make a draft of your CV we recommend

using CV360 for an initial review of your CV. It will give you instant CV feedback and it is

quick and easy to use. It will perform over 50 checks including presentation, structure,

skills, and language. It is based on the checks performed by Applicant Tracking Systems

(ATS), which some large recruiters may use for an automated initial CV sift. CV360 will

provide feedback to help you improve your CV. This will make sure it is optimised for ATS

use, and that it follows many important CV recommendations.

CV360 will give your CV a score out of 100, but don’t be too concerned by the number. A

high score doesn’t mean your CV is perfect and a low score definitely doesn’t mean it’s

terrible. The feedback will give you points to work on so follow the advice, reupload your

CV, and watch as your score gets higher.

CV360 will get many of the basics right, but always use it alongside the comprehensive

advice and examples in this Guide. CV360 cannot give you personalised feedback so get

in touch with Careers ([email protected]) once you have got as far as you can with

our CV resources. We provide advice on CV content, on tailoring to a specific job or sector,

and with some of the tricky areas where the ATS gets confused. CV360 may also get

confused with some more specific CV types. For example academic CVs which may be

longer than two pages, and creative CVs for art and design roles which may contain images

and icons which CV360 cannot see.

Access CV360 on our Resources Portal here: https://www.abintegro.com/u/ys4wre14

For more information and advice on CV360 and Applicant Tracking Systems please

see our Hot Tips sheet: https://www.abintegro.com/u/hvo4yarh

Oxford Brookes Careers

CVs

CV checklist

Personal Details

❏ I have used my name as the heading (not CV or Résumé!)

❏ I have included my mobile number and email address

❏ I have included my LinkedIn / personal website address if I have one

❏ I have not included: date of birth, gender, marital status, age, photograph

Proﬁle (optional)

❏ I have written no more than 3-4 sentences

❏ I have tailored the CV to the role I am applying for

❏ I have highlighted my key experience and skills

❏ International students: Do I want to explain that I have permission to work

(visa)?

Education

❏ I have summarised in reverse chronological order (current Oxford Brookes

study ﬁrst)

❏ I have included the places of study, course titles and dates attended

❏ I’ve included predicted degree result, relevant modules and dissertation

topic

❏ I have included A level subjects and grades, and summarised my GCSEs

Work Experience (relevant and other)

❏ I have summarised all my experience in reverse chronological order

❏ I have a ‘Relevant Experience’ section to give prominence to most useful

experience

❏ I have included employment, placements, internship and voluntary work

experience

❏ I have used active language to identify relevant skills and provided evidence

❏ I have included the names of employers, job titles and dates of employment

Additional Information (optional)

❏ I have provided further relevant information e.g. technical skills, languages,

driving licence

Oxford Brookes Careers

CVs

Interests (optional)

❏ I’ve included any interesting details, skills or achievements (not just listing

my interests)

References

❏ I have stated 'references available upon request', unless otherwise required.

❏ I have gained consent from my referees so that their details can be provided

where necessary.

Overall Layout and Formatting

❏ I have used CV360 to check and improve some basic aspects of my CV

❏ I have used an appropriate, professional font e.g. Arial, minimum 11 pt

❏ My formatting is consistent throughout, avoiding narrow margins and

densely packed lines

❏ I have not included: graphics, tables, coloured font and italics

❏ I have used bullet points to avoid lengthy paragraphs

❏ I have kept the CV length to two sides maximum (one side for part-time

jobs)

❏ I have avoided unnecessary acronyms and abbreviations

❏ I have proofread my CV and checked for spelling, grammar, and

professional language

❏ I have saved my CV with an appropriate title e.g. my name and the vacancy

reference

Oxford Brookes Careers

CVs

CV FAQs

What style of CV should I use?

● The format of CV you choose is the one that presents your experience most

eﬀectively for the particular job or opportunity you are applying for.

● The two main types are chronological and skills based.

● A chronological CV clearly demonstrates chronologically how your previous

experience is relevant to the opportunity to which you are applying and is

generally most commonly used.

● A skills based CV is useful for directly targeting the opportunity by

emphasising the skills you have attained from your other achievements. To

ﬁnd out more, please see our CV examples

How can I develop my CV if I have very little work experience?

Identify the skills and attributes you have developed from extra-curricular activities,

voluntary work and any other experiences you may have had. Ensure that you are

tailoring skills to the requirements of the person speciﬁcation. It is advisable to

obtain relevant work experience wherever possible. Check out our Hot Tips,

‘Internships: Gaining Work Experience’.

Should I include a personal proﬁle on my CV?

If you are attaching a covering letter with your CV, a personal proﬁle is not generally

required. However, if you do decide to include a personal proﬁle, be sure to keep it

brief and succinct and not too generic. For further advice on writing a proﬁle see

the How to Write a Good Proﬁle section earlier in this guide.

Do I send my CV with an application form?

Only send your CV if they request it as an additional upload with your application

form. Ensure that your CV is targeted to the speciﬁc role highlighting relevant skills

and experience. It may be advisable to convert your CV to a PDF ﬁle in order to

ensure that the layout does not get altered when it is being uploaded.

Do diﬀerent countries expect diﬀerent CV formats?

Yes, it is advisable that you undertake research to ﬁnd out what individual countries

expect in terms of format, content and layout as they can vary considerably. Take a

look at ‘GoinGlobal’ (via Resources section on www.brookes.ac.uk/careers) and

the Prospects.ac.uk website.

Oxford Brookes Careers

CVs

What do I do if I have gaps in education or employment?

This will depend on your individual circumstances and it is recommended that you

contact Careers to discuss your personal situation with one of the team.

Who can I ask to provide references?

You could ask academic staﬀ who have taught or your student support coordinator

who may know you well enough. Other references can come from work experience

or from contacts you have made from extra-curricular activities or voluntary work

you have undertaken.

Whoever you ask, remember to always ask their permission before you submit their

contact details.

Oxford Brookes Careers

CVs

APPLICATIONS GUIDE

COVERING

LETTERS

Introducing your application

You have seen the vacancy and want to apply - but should you send a ‘covering

letter/email’ with it? And what is that all about?

For the most part, employers really expect to see this and are surprised if you don’t

provide one. Very occasionally an advert speciﬁcally states that a covering letter is

not required or desired - but in most cases, recruiters do expect to see this even if

they have not suggested you provide one.

A covering letter is very important because it introduces your application and is an

opportunity to convey a number of important things:

1. Explain why you are interested in their company. Be speciﬁc here. Where

did you hear about them? What do you like about them as a company? If

you do lots of research into the company from its website and other

sources, think about what has struck you about this employer. Employers

want to read about what you have noticed. Don’t just list facts here, but

show your thoughts, observations and appreciation. Tailor it - make what

you write relevant to this particular employer. Show you’ve done some

research and reﬂection.

2. Describe why the role interests you - refer to particular aspects of the role

that draw upon strengths and things that motivate you. Show a clear

understanding of what is involved in the role.

3. Explain how you match the key competencies they are requesting - in

this section, consider using a couple of examples of situations where you

have demonstrated a few of the key competencies that they hope to see.

While your CV provides a factual summary of your experiences, the covering

letter gives you space to be more reﬂective and to describe how you have

demonstrated your suitability in a few key occasions in more detail. Giving

this insight helps the employer to see whether they would like to talk further

in person about your application!

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Covering Letters

Top Tip

If you could remove the name of the employer from your covering letter and it

would still work for another employer’s vacancy, you have not tailored your

application. See ‘Ways to do your research’

End with a polite closing statement in a ﬁnal paragraph, for example: ‘Thank you

very much for considering this application. I would welcome the opportunity to

discuss my interest in person.’

Ways to do your research

There are many clues - most company websites have a section called ‘About Us’,

and may have sections on their history, products and services, locations, and client

testimonials. They may have an ‘In the news’ section - many applicants forget to

look at these - and if you do that and reﬂect positively and intelligently on what

you’ve seen, this will make you stand out. You may be able to ﬁnd out more about

the company in staﬀ or company LinkedIn pages, in the press or sector news

websites. You may also be able to talk to people about the role before you apply. If

you are lucky enough to have contacts that work there, do also talk with them.

Activity

1. Spend a few minutes looking through the company website - Ask yourself

what they want customers to think about them as an organisation. What are

their values?

2. What are the company’s goals? What is it aiming to achieve? Who are its

potential customers and what particular types of customers is the company

trying to reach? Does the company have a mission statement? Read it and

notice any overall message being presented.

3. Find the company’s ‘News’ section if it has this and read 3 articles. What

points are made that you ﬁnd interesting? What could you note down and

refer to in your covering letter to show you have gained insights from ﬁnding

out about the company?

Oxford Brookes Careers

Covering Letters

Ground Floor Flat

Kinn Road

Oxford

Sam Jones

Oxford Universal Publishers

Great Clarendon Street

Oxford

OX2 6DP

1/9/20

Dear Ms Jones,

Re: Marketing Assistant (W07/076)

I am writing to apply for the position of Marketing Assistant as advertised on the

Oxford Universal Publishers website. Enclosed is my CV for your consideration.

I am not only drawn to OUP because of its development into digital publishing, but

also because of its focus on education targeting all age groups. My recent

experience as an undergraduate and “end user” of academic journals such as

Essays in Criticism and The Review of English Studies has sparked an interest in a

marketing role at Oxford University Publishers.

My current position as UK Marketing assistant at Publishing Co. together with my

role as Concert Manager at Oxford Brookes University has given me a strong

interest in a marketing career. As a Marketing assistant my duties include

designing print material such as posters, booklets and leaflets using Adobe

InDesign and Photoshop. The designing process requires high level of attention to

detail, taking into account marks and bleeds, image resolutions and ink coverage

to ensure the end product is of the highest quality. Liaising with suppliers regarding

our events and the materials we need has allowed me to develop networking and

account management skills. Discussing the most appropriate products for the work

we produce and estimated delivery times allowed me to forge a stronger

relationship with our suppliers. In addition, managing the company’s database has

developed my account management skills, ensuring all contact addresses and

invoicing details are up to date.

As a concert manager, my duties included managing our social media pages such

as Facebook, twitter and Instagram. This involved uploading images and

promotional offers for current and upcoming events. I also developed my oral

communication skills liaising with musicians about time slots and equipment

requirements. Writing reviews for Oxford’s “Daily Info” has enhanced my

copywriting and written communications skills, ensuring all work has the correct

spelling and grammar.

As a result of my experience to date both professionally and academically, I

believe that I could make a valuable contribution to OUP as a Marketing Assistant.

I look forward to hearing from you. I am available for interview at any time.

Yours sincerely

Jane Schiller

Your letter needs to ﬁt one

side of A4, written in a

sensible font no smaller than

11 and formatted as a

professional letter

Wherever possible, address

your letter to a named

person. Contact the

company to ﬁnd out who to

send it to

Highlighting the job title and

reference number makes it

easier for the recruiter to

immediately see which role

you are applying for

Introduce yourself, your

reason for writing and where

you saw the advert

Covering letter example

Covering Letters

Using the person

speciﬁcation as a guide,

show why you are suitable by

highlighting key skills and

experiences, state what you

can bring to the role and why

they should consider you

If you addressed the letter to

a named person it should

end with “Yours sincerely”, if

you started with “Dear Sir or

Madam” it should end with

“Yours faithfully”

Positive ending. Finish the

letter with a strong

paragraph

State your motivation for

applying, what attracts you

to the company and the role.

Why them? Try to show you

have done your research

Covering letter checklist

Covering Letters

If you are including your covering letter as an attachment or by post:

❏ I have made sure that I included: my address, the employer’s address, date

of my letter and the job reference number

❏ I have saved my covering letter with the job reference number / job title and

your name

Introducing your letter:

❏ I have written to ‘Dear (Named Person) or Sir / Madam if it was not possible

to ﬁnd out who to write to.

Concluding your letter:

❏ I have signed oﬀ with ‘Yours sincerely’ (for a named person) or ‘Yours

faithfully’ (if you do not have the names of the recipients.) ‘Kind regards’ is

also acceptable, particularly in an email.

I have structured my covering letter to cover the following three main areas:

1. Why this Employer interests me:

Preparation:

❏ I have taken time to research the company so that I can show some

awareness of how it operates and what I think about it.

❏ I have found out about its history, culture, values, products and

services and any latest news and developments.

Reﬂection:

❏ I have articulated the aspects which I found most interesting.

Motivation:

❏ I have said why the company appeals to me, showing enthusiasm

and motivation.

❏ I have chosen reasons that the company would also ﬁnd admirable.

2. Why this Role interest me:

❏ I have explained why the role interests me, giving reasons would be

meaningful to the employer.

❏ I have indicated which competencies I would particularly enjoy and

are my strengths.

3. How I have relevant experience for the competencies which the employer

requires:

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Covering Letters

❏ I have provided speciﬁc examples of how I have demonstrated

competencies (refer to exercise you have completed and see Hot Tips

- Describing My Skills leaﬂet for further ideas)

❏ I have given more space to providing examples that can demonstrate

more than one competency (giving details of the context, actions,

results and my evaluation (e.g. what I learnt, how I might do things

diﬀerently if faced with a similar situation).

If I’m writing to express interest in an advertised position:

❏ I have included the job reference number and job title at the start of my

letter.

If I’m writing speculatively:

❏ I have identiﬁed speciﬁc contacts that might be interested in my application.

❏ I have kept the letter short and focused.

❏ I have attached a CV and ensured that I have presented relevant skills the

employer is likely to value.

If I’m writing to make a contact:

❏ I have referred to any mutual contact we may have in common.

❏ I have explained why I am interested in their company and sector.

❏ I have shown my desire to learn more and asked for a short amount of time

to have a conversation (whether that is in person or over the phone or

through an online meeting).

Proofreading and checking your covering letter

❏ I have kept my covering letter to one side A4.

❏ I have checked my letter is clear and logical.

❏ I have proofread to check for spelling and grammatical mistakes.

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Covering letter FAQs

Covering Letters

Do I attach my cover letter as a separate document or do I write it in the body

of the email?

It is usually ﬁne to incorporate your covering letter into an email rather than having

it as a separate document - unless you have been asked to upload or attach a

covering letter.

If I am attaching as a separate document, do I have to convert it to a PDF ﬁle

ﬁrst?

It is ﬁne to convert your covering letter into a PDF ﬁle (to preserve formatting)

unless you have been asked to upload it as a Word document.

How to address someone e.g. Mr, Mrs, Ms, Mx, ﬁrst name or full name? Or

Sir/Madam?

Try to ﬁnd out the name of the hiring manager, if possible - it looks good to address

your letter to a named person. You could use titles e.g. Mr, Mrs, Ms or Mx

(Surname). If you don’t know their title or are unsure about assigning one, you

could write ‘Dear Firstname Surname’. It is best to avoid ‘Dear (Firstname) in case

this is considered too familiar. If you don’t know who to address the letter to, ‘Dear

Sir or Madam’ is acceptable.

What font do I use?

Fonts such as Arial are popular and widely considered to be acceptable. It is wise

to avoid fonts such as Comic Sans, which can be seen as unprofessional. Font size

of 11 or 12 points is considered to be ideal.

I have no previous work experience, what do I write in the skills section?

You can refer to any other experience e.g. volunteering, student societies, acting as

a course representative, sports, and experience gained in your academic studies

(e.g. group presentations). For further advice, check out our Hot Tips leaﬂet on

Work Experience and speak with Careers.

I am an international student, do I mention it in the cover letter and ask for

visa sponsorship?

Before considering your visa request, employers normally want to be persuaded

that you meet their selection criteria. For that reason, it is best to ﬁrst show your

interest in the company, the role and how you meet their requirements. After this

you could insert a short sentence e.g. ‘I am an international student and able to

work in the UK under the terms of my visa for X hours.’ or ‘I am an international

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Covering Letters

student currently able to work in the UK under the terms of my visa for X hours and

believe my experience could be useful to your company - and would therefore like

to ask if I could be considered for visa sponsorship.’

Do I sign oﬀ with ‘Yours sincerely’ or ‘Yours faithfully’? How do I sign oﬀ in

the email?

If you are writing to a named person, end with Yours sincerely’. If you don’t have

the names of the recipients, use ‘Yours faithfully’. ‘Kind regards’ is acceptable as

an ending within an email.

Do I need to put my address and the company’s address if I write my letter in

the body of the email?

No, this is not usually expected by employers within an email. If you haven’t

provided your own address elsewhere in your application, you may wish to include

it here.

Oxford Brookes Careers

APPLICATIONS GUIDE

APPLICATION

FORMS

What is the purpose of an

application form?

Application forms are used by employers to select the best candidates for the

positions they are advertising by looking for evidence of the following:

A desire to work for that organisation - Do you clearly demonstrate that you

understand what they do and ﬁt in with their culture and uphold their values?

The desire to do the job - Are you motivated and enthusiastic about the role?

The ability to do the job - Do you have the right skills, qualiﬁcations and

experience?

Many employers will produce their own application forms in addition to or as part

of the application process and require candidates to complete it. Application forms

are also commonly used for applications for postgraduate courses. Some

employers may use forms speciﬁcally designed for graduate trainees which can be

demanding to complete whereas others may use generic forms which can present

more challenges as it can put more emphasis on experience rather than

qualiﬁcations.

Whatever the format, the basic techniques for completing application forms are the

same. It is advisable to give yourself plenty of time for completing applications. In

order to write a strong application, it will take much longer than you think.

Application forms usually begin with straightforward and factual information about

your education, qualiﬁcations and experiences. It is recommended that you have

all the essential information such as dates and grades achieved readily available as

this usually required.

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Application Forms

Applications - getting started

What should I consider before I start?

The key to writing an eﬀective application is preparation and plenty of time to think

about how to complete the application and to undertake your research.

Start by reading through the job description and person speciﬁcation. The job

description explains the duties you will need to perform in the role. A person

speciﬁcation clearly shows what qualiﬁcations, knowledge, skills or competencies

the employer is looking for. You need to clearly demonstrate this by providing

examples of evidence that you can meet the essential criteria they are looking for in

order for you to progress to the next stage of the application process.

Other research you need to undertake is about the company or organisation such

as what they do and how they operate, who their competitors are, the challenges

or issues they may be facing and their ethos and working practice. This research

can be done by looking at their website and their social media feeds and also by

keeping yourself up to date by following current aﬀairs.

What are employers looking for in my application?

Application forms are used by employers to select the best candidates for the

positions they are advertising by looking for evidence of the following:

● A desire to work for that organisation

● The desire to do the job

● The ability to do the job

Demonstrating knowledge of the company can be referred to as commercial

awareness and is a great way in which you can show your motivation for wanting

to work for a particular organisation and the contribution you will be able to make.

Find out more about what the company does and how they operate, who their

competitors are, the sector they work in and some of the challenges they are

facing. Research their ethos, values and culture and show how you would ﬁt in with

them. However, be careful not to just repeat back basic information that they

already know about themselves! Instead, make sure to remark on how the

employer and its work have motivated you to apply.

Oxford Brookes Careers

Application Forms

Writing your personal or supporting

statement

Employers will often give you the chance to demonstrate your relevant

competencies in a single account called a personal statement. This gives you the

opportunity to prove that you are the best person for the job, and to demonstrate

how you meet the elements of the person speciﬁcation. Before addressing this, it is

best to indicate why you are interested in the company and the role - if you have

not already done so elsewhere in your application or via a covering letter. Tell the

employer what is of interest to you from your research into the company, and what

particularly draws you to the role you’re applying for. Quite often, you will get a

vague request such as ‘Please provide a statement in support of your application’.

This can be confusing but there is no need to panic about it. All you have to do is

go through the person speciﬁcation, and write about how you meet each criterion.

Some people like to use headings, taken directly from the person speciﬁcation, and

to provide evidence for each point in a clear and structured way beneath each one.

If you are faced with a great number of criteria, you may ﬁnd it helpful to group

some criteria if these overlap, if you are struggling to meet the word count. It is up

to you to decide how you go about it, unless instructions or direction has been

given on the application form. But whatever your approach, break up your answer

into paragraphs or sections to make it easier for recruiters to follow your thought

process, and make sure that you address the employer’s requirements. One of the

most eﬀective methods for demonstrating evidence to support your skills and

competencies is the STAR approach: Situation, Task, Action and Result.

How can I describe my skills eﬀectively?

Start by listing the key criteria the employer is looking for and then write examples

of what you have done as part of your degree, work experience, paid and unpaid

and extra curricular activities that evidence the skills and attributes relevant to that

role. A detailed personal statement may be required but some application forms do

not make this very clear. The form may just state - ‘Please provide any additional

information here’.

SITUATION - forms the introduction

TASK - outlines what you needed to do (may be combined with the situation if

you have a limited number of words to your answer)

ACTION - the action you took should form the main body of your answer

RESULT - outlines what you needed to do should be your conclusion – try to

be speciﬁc if you can e.g. “We raised £400 for charity.”

Application Forms

Example 1 - personal statement

This student is currently completing a BSc (Hons) in Adult Nursing is aiming for a

career in cardiac nursing.

Example of why the applicant is interested in working with this particular

employer:

As a regional referral centre of excellence, the Oxford Heart Centre at the John

Radcliﬀe Hospital would present me with wide-ranging opportunities to develop my

learning as part of my ﬁrst post.

Example of what the values of the organisation mean to the applicant:

I am committed to the trust’s values, enshrined in the NMC Code, in my treatment

of every patient in my care, recognising the need to treat people as unique

individuals and to uphold dignity at all times. For example, compassion and

respect were demonstrated when interacting on placement with a patient with

dementia who needed personal care, reassurance and understanding in frequent

interactions. His adult children were struggling to cope with his care and initially

were reluctant to interact with nursing staﬀ. Building trust and rapport with them

enabled me to improve eﬀective communication with them about their father’s

treatment and care needs.

Example of applicant explaining why this role is of interest:

Cardiology is of particular interest to me as patients can have a heart problem at

any age and this contributes to the varied conditions such as arrhythmias,

hypertension and heart disease that present on the ward.

My interest in working in cardiology has developed due to my invaluable placement

experience on a cardiothoracic ward where I gained experience of interacting with

patients recovering from heart conditions. Although it can be challenging

supporting patients during vulnerable times, I ﬁnd it hugely rewarding to support

them to come to terms with their condition. This has also allowed me to gain an

insight into the critical role we can play in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment

of heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions.

Application Forms

Oxford Brookes Careers

Example of applicant using STAR to provide evidence against one of the

competencies in the person speciﬁcation:

I have used my communication skills eﬀectively with patients in a range of

situations. (Situation)

Part of my work on the cardiothoracic ward has included interacting with patients

after a stroke who have expressive dysphasia, to assist their ability to communicate

their wishes or concerns and to facilitate non-verbal communication. (Task)

Making use of picture boards with stroke patients has enabled me to facilitate

eﬀective communication. After ensuring that patients understand how to use the

board eﬀectively, I assisted them to communicate with staﬀ and relatives in ways

that are tailored to their individual needs. (Actions)

My mentor commented that I had patience when communicating with patients with

expressive dysphasia. These experiences have oﬀered me opportunities to develop

creative and innovative ways to communicate eﬀectively with my patients.

(Results)

Example indicating willingness to work ﬂexible hours:

I currently work for NHS Professionals as a care support worker in my spare time,

and have been ﬂexible in picking up weekend and night shifts as necessary. I

would be willing to work at variable hours and weekends in order to take full

responsibility in completing shift patterns required in the role.

Application Forms

Oxford Brookes Careers

Example 2 - personal statement

This student is currently completing a BA (Hons) in English Language and

Linguistics and is aiming to start a career in digital marketing.

Example of demonstrating commitment or passion for chosen career path:

I am actively involved in using multiple social media platforms. I participate in

LinkedIn forums in order to develop insights and increase my commercial

awareness about issues and challenges aﬀecting the industry. I follow the latest

practices of professional bodies including the CIM. Recently I attended a webinar

hosted by BBC Academy on ‘LinkedIn for Creatives’, which enabled me to learn

about a range of strategies that can help to actively engage my audience including

use of colourful imagery, initiating discussions and asking questions.

Example of applicant demonstrating commercial awareness:

In addition to my studies, I have undertaken a range of online courses including

one in data-driven marketing through Future Learn, the Basics of Marketing

Analytics. Through taking part in reading, following recommended research tasks

and contributing to discussion forums, I gained many new insights that have

increased my conﬁdence.

Example of applicant demonstrating transferable skills gained through

placement or voluntary work:

I have been an active member of my _________ society at University. As its

marketing oﬃcer, I actively sought to attract new members via a range of creative

social media activities. I engaged in some market research to identify topics and

activities which would be of most interest to potential members. As a

consequence, membership increased and the society gained twice as many

followers on Facebook.

I have been involved in supporting fundraising events for Cancer Research. I

worked collaboratively with a small group of volunteers to identify innovative ways

to engage sponsors - activities included organising a village fun run and a

second-hand clothes fashion show. These experiences have enabled me to gain a

greater insight into the diﬀerent aspects of planning successful events which were

well attended. I also learned about how to manage a budget to achieve goals with

limited resources.

Application Forms

Oxford Brookes Careers

Example of applicant demonstrating transferable skills gained through

placement or voluntary work:

While working as a test and trace contactor during lockdown, I regularly

communicated with members of the public that needed to self-isolate due to

pandemic restrictions. I provided additional advice to some individuals to raise their

awareness of how to self-isolate and I adapted my communication style to

individual needs. (Context)

I gained experience of explaining clearly what action customers need to take, in a

calm, friendly and positive way which engaged them with the process they needed

to follow. I provided concise information, facts and strategies, displayed empathy

and created opportunities for them to engage in discussion and respond positively

to their questions. (Actions)

I received positive feedback from members of the public who complimented me on

my ability to explain things clearly and empathetically (Results)

Through this experience I have gained conﬁdence in my ability to understand

customers’ needs and to respond to them in a way that is ﬂexible and responsive.

(Evaluation)

Application Forms

Oxford Brookes Careers

Application form questions

There are usually questions about the organisation, industry and the wider sector.

These could include;

● Why do you want to work for us?

● What inspires you about working in digital marketing?

● What are the major challenges facing the publishing industry over the next 5

years?

These types of questions are used to measure the candidate’s motivation and

understanding of the job role. Clearly explain why you are interested in the role at

that company in particular. Demonstrate the research you have undertaken but be

careful not to repeat back to them what they have written on their website.

Employers are interested in what you think. Also, don’t be tempted to cut and

paste your answer from previous applications you may have made.

Many large organisations use competency based questions as part of the

application form with questions that usually begin with “Describe a time when…..

Give an example of……..” asking for examples of speciﬁc skills that the employer

has identiﬁed as being essential for the role. The STAR approach can prove very

eﬀective in answering these types of questions in a concise and comprehensive

way. Don’t overlook the fact that recruiters will be looking at your use of English,

how well you express yourself and your use of spelling and grammar. Here is an

example of how you could answer this question:

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“Describe how your personal planning and organisation resulted in the

successful achievement of a personal or group task?”

SITUATION - “During my summer job as an administrator of a chain of pubs”

TASK - “I was given the responsibility for reviewing the stock control system”

ACTION - “I looked at factors such as the ordering process, whether stock

was used and how often orders were placed. I worked out a method of

streamlining the process and created a database which I submitted to my

manager”

RESULT - “My ideas were accepted and implemented and we achieved a

15% reduction in wastage”

Application Forms

Applications forms for competitive areas often ask more challenging questions

such as:

● “Who do you admire the most and why”

● “In 2,500 characters (approximately 500 words), tell us why you have applied

to JLL (real estate) and what you believe you can achieve working with us”

Remember to think originally and take the initiative to demonstrate your own ideas.

Make your answers interesting to read and although you need to keep the job

description in mind, don’t just try to tell the employer what you think they want to

hear.

Oxford Brookes Careers

References

Application Forms

Generally, employers will expect one academic and one employment reference.

● The academic referee may be your academic adviser who is usually happy

to give you a reference. If you feel that another member of staﬀ knows you

better or will give you a more favourable reference, it is ﬁne to ask them.

● The employment referee may give a work related reference or more general

character reference. You could ask current or previous employers from

vacation, part time or voluntary work as well as longer term jobs or

placements.

If you feel uncertain about who to ask to be your referee, Careers would be happy

to advise.

Always ask for your referees’ permission to give their names and tell something

about the jobs for which they are applying. It is often a good idea to maintain

appropriate levels of contact with your referees (depending on how well you know

them!) to keep them updated on your plans and progress. It might be advisable

that you provide them with details of the role to which you are applying so that they

can structure their reference accordingly and don’t forget to thank the referee for

their time and trouble!

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Competency

Example - Communication

Competency

Your example:........................

Application form exercise

Application Forms

Oxford Brookes Careers

Try out the STAR/CARE approach now by selecting creating a vacancy which interests you

and working out how you would demonstrate

Situation

/ Task /

Context

Action

(say what

you did)

Result

Evaluate

(say what

you

learnt)

When I was working in customer

services in my local supermarket, I

often had to show good

communication skills when dealing

with customer complaints, so that I

positively represented my employer.

For example, I had to respond to an

irate customer returning an item that

was defective.

I listened carefully to what the

customer said, acknowledging their

issues. I kept calm, explained what I

could do next. I discussed options with

my manager, explained these to the

customer and identiﬁed a solution he

was happy with.

The matter was resolved to the

customer’s satisfaction

I was complimented by the customer

and they came back again on future

occasions

I learnt from this that it is always

worthwhile to listen carefully to

understand customers and to keep

them informed, so that they know we

care about their concerns

You may ﬁnd it useful to check the ‘Action Words’ and ‘Describing your skills’ resources to

get some ideas!

Application form checklist

Application Forms

Initial research and planning

❏ I have researched the company/organisation and the speciﬁc role I am

applying for.

❏ I have read the job description and the person speciﬁcation for the role in

full.

❏ I have enough time to complete and submit my application well before the

deadline (remember vacancies may close early if suﬃcient applications are

received).

❏ I have investigated what the application form requires and any particular

instructions e.g. word counts.

❏ I am drafting my answers in a separate document so that I can edit and

perfect them before uploading/sending my application.

❏ I have contacted the employer for further information if I am unsure about

any aspect of the role or the application process.

Completing the application form

❏ I have used STAR or CARE to demonstrate that I have the skills the

employer is looking for.

❏ I have provided evidence-based answers with clear examples of my

skills/experience.

❏ I have related my answers back to the essential criteria in the person

speciﬁcation.

❏ I have avoided highlighting any negatives or weaknesses.

Checking and submitting

❏ I have given answers to all the questions - in particular I have provided full

answers to any general sections e.g. ‘additional information’ or ‘tell us why

you want this job’.

❏ I have made sure that each answer directly answers the question being

asked.

❏ I have proofread my application and checked my spelling and grammar.

❏ I have kept a copy of the information and answers I have submitted in case

it is not possible to retrieve this at a later date.

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Application form FAQs

Application Forms

What should I put in the supporting statement on the application form?

This is your opportunity to show your motivation by giving reasons why you want

to work for that company in that particular role. This means undertaking research

about the company, what they do and the personal qualities they are looking for.

Carefully study the job and person speciﬁcation and provide evidence for the

essential criteria. This could include relevant examples of experience from

University, part time work and extracurricular activities. Use the STAR/CARE

method to provide clear examples to show evidence and how you have developed

and used the key skills required. See our Hot Tips, ‘Describing your Skills’.

How far back can I go when giving examples of evidence?

There are no hard and fast rules about how recent your examples should be, but

anything beyond 5 years may probably be considered out of date. Try to use up to

date examples wherever you can. These can be from your studies, not only from

extracurricular activities, as they will have enabled you to develop the skills and

attributes employers are looking for.

Can I use an example more than once?

It is advisable to try to demonstrate how you have developed the necessary skills

from a range of experiences wherever possible. Try to think of the experience that

best demonstrate that particular skill or attribute which could come from your

studies, employment, volunteering or extracurricular activity.

What if I don’t meet all the essential criteria?

It is important to always carefully read the person speciﬁcation to see that your

skills meet the essential and desirable criteria as much as possible. However, for

some of the criteria, this may be more diﬃcult. Think about the transferable skills

you have gained from your course, part time work and any other extra curricular

activities. For example, working in retail can require you to demonstrate good

communication, time management and teamwork.

Should I disclose information about my disability or health issue?

The Equality Act (2010) makes it illegal for an employer to discriminate against a

person on the basis of their disability. However there are many reasons why you

may be reluctant to disclose your disability on your initial application. Deciding

when to disclose depends on your disability and your individual needs. For more

information and advice check out our Hot Tips leaﬂet, ‘Disability – Talking to

employers about your disability. Tips and support’.

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Application Forms

How do I deal with negative aspects in my application?

It is advisable not to dwell on things that do not reﬂect you positively and avoid

highlighting the areas in which you feel less conﬁdent. Instead, try to reﬂect on

what skills and attributes you have developed as a result. Diﬃcult times and

dealing with adversity can demonstrate resilience and determination. Responding

positively when things go wrong or not according to plan shows that you are able

to eﬀectively evaluate, analyse and show problem solving skills.

The application requests additional information, what do I include?

If you have not yet had the opportunity to demonstrate your motivation for wanting

to apply for the job or course this could be where you can add this information. If

you have not already highlighted your key skills relevant to the job role or course

then this could also be included. Consider any other achievements or experiences

pertinent to the role that you have not yet included. This section can also be used if

you would like to explain any aspects of your application that may need further

explanation.

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APPLICATIONS GUIDE

SPECULATIVE

APPLICATIONS

Introduction - what is the purpose

of a speculative application?

Speculative Applications

What is a speculative application?

Not all vacancies are formally advertised - there can also be a ‘hidden’ jobs market

of unadvertised opportunities. A speculative application is a way to proactively

approach a company or organisation who may not actually be advertising roles,

and apply to work for them. In many ways, a speculative application is similar to a

normal application as you will need to clearly outline your suitability and relevant

skills and experience. However a key diﬀerence is that you will not have a job

description or set of selection criteria to work from, so you will need to do some

research to determine what sort of roles the employer may oﬀer and what sort of

skills/attributes they might be interested in.

Ask for a conversation (an informational interview)!

Making contact with a potential employer or with someone who already works for

the industry can be really helpful in not only developing your knowledge and

understanding but could create work opportunities. An informational interview is a

meeting whereby a job seeker seeks advice on their career, industry and the

culture of a potential future workplace. However, rather than asking for a job/

internship/work experience when making initial contact, ask for this conversation.

Check out our practical guide to Networking for more ideas.

What should I include in my application?

Remember that you are not responding to an advertised vacancy, but expressing

and demonstrating your interest in this company/organisation and suitability for

their work. You should keep your application short and succinct to maximise the

chances of it being read. You will need to explain who you are and why you are

interested in this speciﬁc company/organisation. Explain also why you are

speculatively approaching them in this way - for example you might have noticed

the company is currently expanding, or you might be interested in a particular

project they are undertaking. Think about what you are able to oﬀer them in terms

of your skills and experience. Make sure you include something about next steps -

you could ask for an informal telephone discussion or for further information on

their recruitment processes.

How should I make a speculative application?

Often it will be an email or letter to the company/organisation but remember that

you can also use LinkedIn to connect with potential employers. To work out which

employers to approach you will need to do some research using any networks you

have, or resources such as Prospects.

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Speculative Applications

● Think carefully about how you might adopt the right ‘tone’ in writing which

the reader would consider to be relevant and professional to them.

● What tone would you use if you are writing to a person that you know?

● Could you ask if you could arrange to have a telephone call or video call at a

time which suits them?

● If using LinkedIn to connect, avoid just sending a note which is generic e.g.

‘I want to connect with you’ - personalise it.

● Here is a checklist below (also see the examples of speculative approaches

on the following pages).

Oxford Brookes Careers

Speculative applications checklist

Speculative Applications

Making contact by emails or letters

❏ I have thoroughly researched the company - refer to our Hot Tips guides

about how to understand the company and how its work ﬁts into the wider

job sector.

❏ I have considered the likely issues, objectives and concerns which the

employer may be facing and showed my awareness and appreciation in how

I have referred to it.

❏ I have clearly explained my purpose in writing to them.

❏ I have sought to identify and write to a named person.

❏ I ensured that I maintained an appropriate professional tone in my letter

even when addressing the letter to a person I know.

❏ I have ensured my letter is brief and succinct.

❏ I have checked that I come across as conﬁdent and persuasive, but not

demanding.

❏ I have referred to protocols for starting and ending a letter (see Speculative

Applications FAQs in the Applications Guide)

❏ I have considered whether I wish to refer to my intention to follow up my

email/letter.

❏ I have checked spelling and grammar.

❏ If I’m writing a personal email or LinkedIn note, I have ensured that I have

written a targeted, personal note which shows my interest and dedication to

learn more.

❏ I have made sure that my LinkedIn proﬁle is consistent with my CV and

personal statement / covering letter.

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Speculative applications FAQs

Speculative Applications

Why is it worth me writing speculative letters?

● You may get to hear about opportunities that haven’t yet been advertised.

(Making direct contact with employers can be really useful as they may be

thinking about recruiting!)

● It may lead to an opportunity for some work experience which in turn could

lead to employment.

● You could write to ask for a chance to speak with the employer to learn

more about their company, career and employment sector.

Who should I send it to?

Unless you want to work in HR, it’s often best to send speculative letters directly to

speciﬁc contacts/managers (outside of recruitment or HR, as these functions act

as gatekeepers/ﬁlters). Departmental managers may also have a clearer idea of

immediate job/work requirements than HR staﬀ.

How should I begin and end my speculative letter or email?

Always try to write to a speciﬁc, named person. Use their correct title in the

salutation i.e. ‘Dear Mr Jones’ or ‘Dear Ms Smith’. If you really cannot ﬁnd a name

use ‘Dear Sir/Madam’.

End the letter correctly: Letters to a named person i.e. ‘Dear Ms Smith’ should sign

oﬀ with ‘Yours sincerely’. Letters to ‘Dear Sir or Madam’ should end with ‘Yours

faithfully’.

Can I follow up on my speculative letter?

Yes, this could be useful but be careful to be polite and not pressurise - allow a

week or two between your ﬁrst email/letter and your follow up. You may need to

accept that the employer may not have had time to look at your email or does not

wish to reply.

How could I write a speculative letter over LinkedIn?

Refer to how you came across this person / company and explain why it interests

you. Show commitment to learn and beneﬁt from their perspective. Ask if they

would be willing to give you further advice - perhaps in person.

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Example 1 - speculative covering

letter

Speculative Applications

Oxford Brookes Careers

Your Address

Mr P Egan

Retail Manager

FancyRags

Queen Street

Oxford, OX1 2AB

Dear Mr Egan,

I read with interest the recent report in the Oxford Times describing the forthcoming

completion of FancyRags newest retail outlet in the city centre. It looks like a great

opportunity for your business and I am writing to enquire whether you may have a need for

additional staff.

I am currently undertaking a degree in English at Oxford Brookes University and have two

years sales experience in a range of retail outlets, including Next and Debenhams. I am

currently available for part-time work (up to 15 hours per week) but am planning to take a

gap year and would be available for full-time work from June. In the longer term I’m looking

to develop my career in the retail sector.

I am attaching a short CV, which expands on my experience, and would welcome an

opportunity to find out more about any suitable vacancies. I will telephone you in a few

days to hopefully arrange a meeting.

Yours sincerely,

Jennifer Swift

Example 2 - request for an

information interview

Speculative Applications

Oxford Brookes Careers

Your Address

Mr Brown

Marketing Manager

Siemens Industrial Projects and Systems

Sir William Siemens House

Princess Road

Manchester

M20 3UR

Dear Mr Brown,

Jo Smith (of xxxx) suggested I drop you a line to see if it would be possible to arrange an

informal discussion with you.

I have decided that I want to move into the field of xxxx. I am not looking for a job at

present but rather to extend my knowledge of the sector and to see how suited I would

be to working in it. I am a graduate (or undergraduate) of xxx, with a variety of work

experience and skills which seem well suited to xxxx.

I have already undertaken some research into the field and the type of companies and

roles available, and I can see my skills seem to be a good match for a number of jobs. At

this stage I am now trying to meet with knowledgeable people to deepen my understanding

of what it is actually like to work in this sector.

I would be very grateful if you could spare me 15-20 minutes for a discussion, at a

mutually convenient time. I attach my CV for information and will give your office a call in

the next few days to see if we can arrange to meet.

Yours sincerely,

Sam Crow

Example 3 - request for an

information interview

Speculative Applications

Oxford Brookes Careers

Dear Chris,

I have been very interested to follow your varied work as a political correspondent at the

BBC, particularly in engaging new audiences through the Brexitcast and Newcast

podcasts, and your ability to host political debates on Any Questions. It was great to read

your RGS article online and to discover that, like myself, you are a Geographer.

I’m now in my second year at Oxford Brookes and have already been seeking to develop

my reporting skills during hustings for The Tab student online newspaper and gaining the

chance to interview several candidates in the recent general and local elections.

Could you possibly find a way to have a 15 minute telephone or Zoom call so I could learn

more about your career experience and gain some valuable tips for how I could further

develop myself so I might one day follow a similar path to you in future? Hope to hear from

you soon.

Thanks and best wishes,

Sarah-Jane Smith

This could be shortened to create a briefer LinkedIn note

APPLICATIONS GUIDE

APPLICATIONS FOR

FURTHER STUDY

Introduction to applications for

further study

Applications for Further Study

Applications for further study

What is the purpose of further study applications?

Like applications for a job, you will need to undertake research about the course

you intend to study. Find out more about what you will be studying, how you will

study and what skills and knowledge the University is looking for.

You will need to explain in your application, why you have chosen that particular

institution and department. The University will expect you to have found out the

detail of the course content, what expertise they have and the latest research they

are currently undertaking.

What to include in the personal statement for a

postgraduate course

The personal statement should include why the subject you are applying for

interests you. This could include aspects of the course that particularly appeal to

you and your reasons why. Try to draw and make connections with your current

course, any relevant work experience you may have or any other activities you may

have undertaken that demonstrates your motivation. E.g. further reading, talks.

Include examples of where you have shown the key skills necessary for

postgraduate study such as research, independent study and time management.

Explain what you hope to gain from the course and where you hope it might lead in

the future.

Use the STAR/CARE technique as detailed throughout this guide to provide

structured examples.

Check out the Hot Tips leaﬂet ‘Applying for Further Study: Personal Statement’ for

further tips and example personal statements on Prospects.ac.uk.

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Applications for further study

checklist

Applications for Further Study

Applications for further study

Oxford Brookes Careers

Initial research and reﬂection

❏ I have reﬂected on my next steps and considered whether postgraduate

study is right for me.

❏ I have investigated the range of diﬀerent types of postgraduate course which

are available and considered which is most suitable for me.

❏ I have investigated funding options and established that postgraduate study

is ﬁnancially viable.

❏ I have researched the course content and the modules/study areas which

will be available to me.

❏ I have checked the application process - How do I apply? What documents

do I need to submit? When is the deadline?

Writing the application

❏ I have avoided using my undergraduate personal statement as a starting

point.

❏ I have avoided starting my application with narrative/autobiographical

information and instead gone straight to the point.

❏ I have explained the reasons why I want to study at this particular university.

❏ I have explained the reasons why I want to study this particular course.

❏ I have demonstrated enthusiasm for, and interest in, the subject of study.

❏ I have shown how my current studies at undergraduate level have prepared

me for postgraduate study.

❏ I have demonstrated that I have the academic skills to complete the course

successfully.

❏ I have highlighted other relevant skills and provided evidence of these.

❏ I have used STAR or CARE to ensure that I discuss my skills in full and

provide evidence-based examples.

❏ I have focused on what I have learnt from my experiences, not just what I

did.

❏ I have related the postgraduate course to my future plans and shown how it

might ﬁt in with my career aspirations.

Applications for further study FAQs

Applications for Further Study

Applications for further study

What funding is available for PG study?

The main source of funding for masters courses is the non-means tested

postgraduate loan which means that the amount you receive does not depend on

your ﬁnancial background. Other sources of funding are scholarships and bursaries

available from the University at which you want to study and many charities and

trusts. For more comprehensive information, see the Gov.uk guide to funding and

further advice on Prospect.ac.uk.

What are the diﬀerent types of PG study?

The main types of Postgraduate courses include Masters and postgraduate

Diplomas, PhD, professional courses such as the Postgraduate Certiﬁcate in

Education (PGCE) and conversion courses where required e.g. in Psychology.

What do I need to include in my personal statement for PG study?

It is important that you clearly demonstrate why studying the subject at that

institution interests you and what you hope to gain from the course. Evidence

reasons why you think makes you a good candidate for the course which could

include skills and attributes gained from degree study and extra-curricular activities

such as independent study or technical skills. See our Hot Tips leaﬂet, ‘Applying

for Further Study: Personal Statement’.

How does studying for a Masters diﬀer from a degree?

A taught Masters such as MA, MSc, MEng usually focuses on one subject area and

consists of seminars and lectures including research methods which culminates in

a dissertation. The main diﬀerences are that at Masters level study, you are likely to

have much more extensive and advanced reading lists and it is much faster paced

and requires much more self-directed learning.

How does PhD diﬀer from a Masters?

A PhD is typically a 3-4 year research degree although it can take longer. It is

almost completely self-led and completely unique with its research aims and

contributions that are made. There are usually 2 supervisors that provide academic

support but the management and progress of the work will be entirely your

responsibility.

Oxford Brookes Careers

Applications for Further Study

Applications for further study

How many PG courses can I apply to at any one time?

For academic courses applications are made directly to the University and there

are generally no restrictions to how many you apply to at any one time. However,

bear in mind that you will need to submit separate applications and provide

necessary data for each one. Vocational courses such as PGCE have a centralised

system.

When are the deadlines for PG courses?

These can vary considerably for each course as some can have deadlines as early

as Semester 1 and others will still accept applications later in the second semester.

It is strongly recommended that you undertake thorough research as early as

possible.

Are there any upfront costs involved?

Some universities will charge you a non-refundable admissions fee which means

you will not get this returned if you are unsuccessful with your application or decide

not to subsequently accept the oﬀer. It is important to do your research to make

sure you have all the up to date information.

How can I tailor my postgraduate application when applying from a diﬀerent

subject area?

Begin with undertaking research about your proposed area of study so that you are

able to conﬁdently express your motivation for wanting to explore an alternative

subject area. Reﬂect on your experiences so far, including academic study and

extra-curricular activities and identify relevant key skills and attributes you have

acquired that demonstrate that you would be successful in this course of study.

Remember to mention how this course of study contributes to your future plans.

What references do I need to include?

Each University will specify which references you will need to include. This will

usually be academic referees. It is important that you choose referees that know

you, and have had contact with you as they will then be able to comment on your

academic performance and suitability for the course to which you are applying. It is

courteous for you to ask your referee whether they give their consent prior to

making your application and to keep them up to date with the status of your

applications.

Oxford Brookes Careers

APPLICATIONS GUIDE

LINKEDIN AND

APPLICATIONS

LinkedIn and applications

LinkedIn and Applications

Applications for further study

Social media has now become an integral part of researching information, job

searching and extending your personal network.

LinkedIn is the world's biggest professional networking platform used extensively

by organisations, students and graduates. If you are not familiar with LinkedIn,

explore LinkedIn for Students.

Your proﬁle

Create your proﬁle using the online instructions. Remember that this is likely to be

how you make a great ﬁrst impression and create a professional online presence.

Your proﬁle is like your online CV which highlights your education, skills and

experience.

Upload a professional photo as your proﬁle is much more likely to get viewed.

Researching Organisations

Most organisations will have a company page where you can ﬁnd out more about

them including their culture, values and any opportunities.

Consider taking part in relevant discussions to show that you are motivated,

interested and well informed.

Looking at proﬁles of existing employees can provide some invaluable insights into

how to develop your own proﬁle and potential career development opportunities.

Exploring and joining Groups

Take the time to explore what professional bodies, groups and forums are already

established on LinkedIn. There are likely to be groups for most sectors and career

areas.

Joining groups could enable you to develop your network, keep up to date with

news and any developments and also be made aware of job opportunities.

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LinkedIn and Applications

Applications for further study

Making connections

LinkedIn is very eﬀective networking tool and used extensively by job seekers to

explore the “hidden job market” (jobs that are not advertised).

When approaching an employer, always personalise your request with a message

and ask for help, advice or information but not a job!

If you would like help and advice on how to start to develop your LinkedIn proﬁle

and/or how to use it to enhance your job search, get in touch with Careers who will

be happy to help.

See our Hot Tips leaﬂet, ‘Social media: building your online presence’.

Oxford Brookes Careers

APPLICATIONS GUIDE

GLOSSARY

Glossary

Applications for further study

ATS (Applicant tracking systems) - software used by human resources that acts

as a database for job applicants. ATS are used by companies of all sizes to

organise, search, and communicate with large groups of applicants.

CARE (Context, Action, Result, Evaluation) and STAR (Situation, Task, Action,

Result) - two methods of answering interview or application questions in a

structured manner.

CV (Curriculum Vitae from Latin: the course of one's life) - an account of a

person's education, qualiﬁcations, and previous occupations. Usually required for

job applications in the UK.

Informational interview - An informal conversation with an employer to gain

insights into an industry, a company or/and a role.

Résumé - Shorter than a CV (a Résumé is typically one page long). A summary of

a person's education and work history relevant to the job an individual is applying

for. This shorter format is often used in North America and some European

countries.

Shortlisting grid - clear and visual method which allows the employer to compare

each candidate against the criteria set for the role, in a fair and systematic way.

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