How do I write a great CV and covering letter?

Whether you’re applying for a job, a scholarship or to get into your dream university course, writing a covering letter and CV is a real art.

We’ve asked our experts to give us their top tips on how to put together a successful application.

In this short film, our experts explain what makes a CV and cover letter stand out.

"If you were writing a cover letter, the main thing I would say is it needs to be exciting enough to compel the reader to want to read more about you. So, if it’s applying for a job, they’ll need to want to look at your CV, having read your cover letter."

"Two key things to consider in that personal statement is why should we choose you as a student, and why do you want to study this course? So, you really need to think about your motivation. What’s inspired you to want to study this course?"

"It’s really easy on a cover letter or a CV to say, 'I’ve got excellent communication skills,' or, 'I’m a great team player.' But you have to back that up with real experience that you’ve got. So, it could be, 'I’ve got great communication skills, as evidenced by my time in the debating team,' or, 'I’m a great team player, as evidenced by my work experience or my part-time job.'"

"Employers want to see somebody who’s unique, somebody who’s different, so they want to see that come out either on paper in your CV or in an interview."

"Things like pink CVs or graphics on your CVs don’t always go down well with employers, so think about the market that you’re applying to. If you’re applying to a prestigious law firm, for example, a pink CV probably is gonna fall flat."

"It needs to be short, snappy and sweet, because they might be reading hundreds of these things."

"The days of the generic CV are over. You can’t write your CV, expect to hand it into 100 different jobs and expect that to work. You might get lucky, but the reality is now that employers are more demanding. So, yes, 75% of your CV will stay the same, it’ll be the education, work experience, your personal details. But the other 25%, which might be something like a personal profile, it might be a skills profile, it might be you changing, maybe, the subjects you’ve studied in school or what you learned within that, are the absolutely essential parts to making an effective CV. You need to speak to that employer and explain to them why you are ideal. And if you put a generic CV, it’s very hard to do that. Take the time to understand what the employer needs, then take the time to understand how you meet those skills, and you’ll be on to a winner."

CVs and applications: Top tips

Make sure your covering letter is short and snappy – they will be reading hundreds of them, so if something’s not necessary, don’t include it
A good cover letter will make the reader want to know more about you. It is, first and foremost, a good piece of writing that tells your story
Employers want someone who’s different, with distinctive skills
But different doesn’t always mean ‘quirky’! Think of the industry you want to work in: if you’re applying to work at a prestigious law firm, a pink CV might not go down well!
Generic CVs don’t work: they need to be tailored to the job you’re applying for
While 75% of your CV (such as your personal details, education and work experience) will remain the same, the other 25% (for example: a personal statement, a skills profile or the more granular details about what you studied for a certain subject) needs to be relevant to that job
Look at the job description and what the employer is looking for, and match that with your experience
Give concrete examples. It’s easy to claim you’ve got excellent communication skills, but you need to back it up with evidence. Did you volunteer at a help line, or work in customer service? Or were you part of a debating team? Say it!
If you’re applying for a place at uni, they will want to know: why should we choose you and why do you want to study this course?
If you’re invited for an interview, your prospective tutors might ask you questions about books, films or anything else you may have mentioned in your personal statement – so don’t lie, and do your research!
Of course, it goes without saying: spellcheck your application and make sure your grammar is impeccable.

How do I write a great CV and covering letter?

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