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CVs & Applications For

Postgraduate Masters

Elizabeth Wilkinson

University of Manchester

Careers Service

What We Will Cover

• CV Rules & Myths

• The Secret of Success

• CVs

• Covering Letters

• Application Forms

CV’s - rules or myths?

• ‘Curriculum Vitae’ must be clearly written

at the top?

• CVs must be 1 / 2 / 3 pages long?

• You must include -

– Nationality?

– Age?

– Details of referees?

– A ‘Career Objective’?

– All your jobs and exam results?

Does a Masters

Make You Stand Out ?

• How many new undergraduates in UK in 2007?

• Approx 282,000

• How many new Masters ?

• Approx 79,500

• BUT - Employers often don’t automatically

recognise the value of a Masters degree

– how are you going to convince them?

The Secret of Success

- Self-Promotion

• Your application is your way to get an employer

to interview you

• Focus on what they want - not what you want!

• Highlight your key selling points

• Give them the evidence

• Target each job separately

• Think about the style and presentation of your

application

The Secret of Success - Targeting

Aim at whoever is reading it

• What do they want to know?

Researching jobs, PhDs and employers

• Job specs, person specs

• Web sites – recruitment, department, corporate

• News items, recent academic publications

• Talk to them – recruitment fairs, mutual

contacts, seminars

Selling your Experience

• Projects –

Undergraduate, MSc/MRes

• Work experience –

– Vacation in a lab

– 4 years part-time in a shop, supervisor, training

new staff

– 10 years as an experienced IT manager in India

• Skills -

eg. time management

– Holding down a part-time job, getting a good 1st

degree and going climbing at weekends

CVs - The Basics

• Make it easy and inviting to read

• Allocate space in accordance to the

importance of the information

• Tone, upbeat and positive

• Perfect grammar and spelling

• Always send a covering letter

Content

• No absolute rules – you choose!

• Different conventions for different

countries

• Logical structure - clear headings

• Get the good stuff on the first page

• Use language the reader will understand –

take care with technical jargon &

abbreviations

Caroline Jackson

Address

: 99 Brentford Street, Collingley, Worcestershire, WO4 7CJ

Telephone

: 01825 461588

Date of Birth : 26th February 1982

Nationality

: British

Education

2003-2004

MSc Polymer Science and Technology, University of Manchester

Core modules include industrial polymer processing, spectroscopic and thermal

characterisation of polymers and mechanical and engineering properties of

polymers and composites. I have also chosen to study polymer processing in

manufacture and engineering, manufacture and design with polymers.

I am currently negotiating my project topic, and hope to carry this out in the

manufacture of polymer products with an industrial partner

2000 - 2003 BSc (Hons) Chemistry – 2:1, University of Manchester

In addition to studying a broad curriculum covering physical, organic and inorganic

chemistry, I also completed options in materials science, business management

and analytical chemistry.

Final year project – Investigation into the effectiveness of new palladium catalysts

on the polymerisation of alkenes

1994 - 2000 Park Royal High School, Collingley

A levels : Chemistry (A), Physics (B), Maths (B)

GCSEs : 9 including Maths and English

Work Experience

1998 -

McBurgers, Collingley

present

Promoted to Team Leader, responsible for making sure all aspects of shift run

smoothly.

• Supervise a team of 5, organising rotas to ensure cover throughout shift

• Successfully trained staff on own shift to be multi-skilled and fully flexible. At

request of the manager, briefed other Team Leaders on training methods and

saw them implemented across all shifts.

• Introduced a “rapid response” system, drawing on staff flexibility, to cater for

peaks in customer demand

Positions of Responsibility & Awards

• Promoted to Team Leader after 18 months at McBurgers

• Elected fixtures secretary for University 1st XI hockey team

• Member of award winning Silver Band at Three Counties Show, 1999

• Young Enterprise - Production Manager of a local winning team whilst in 6th form.

Skills

• IT skills - proficient in the use of Word and Excel, plus some experience in

devising Access databases and programming macros.

- developed applications to assist the running of a family friend’s catering

business, allowing them to keep records of suppliers and clients.

• Clean driving licence

• German - basic knowledge (GCSE plus recent visits)

Interests and Activities

Sport - play a variety of sports at University, including

• Hockey - member of University 1st XI. This year I have also taken on responsibility for

organising fixtures, liaising with other Universities, arranging venues, transport and ensuring all

players knew of arrangements.

• Softball - took this up in the 1st year where I played for my Hall. Now play occasionally for the

Hall team when do not have football commitments

• Tai Chi - have recently started attending classes at a local gym

Music - played cornet for Collingley Silver Band whilst at school, regularly appearing at the annual

Town Hall Gala Performances. Still practice with the band during vacations

Travel - have travelled to several European countries, both with family, and with the Ranger

Guides, where I experienced white water rafting, night orienteering exercises and

mountaineering.

Referees

Mrs Rosalind Smalley,

McBurger plc,

15 Main Street

Collingley,

Worcestershire,

WO3 4FP

Dr Andrew Regan

Department of Chemistry

University of Manchester

Manchester

M13 9PL

Caroline Jackson

Address

: 99 Brentford Street, Collingley, Worcestershire, WO4 7CJ

Telephone

: 01825 461588

Date of Birth : 26th February 1982

Nationality : British

Personal Profile

An energetic graduate with a solid track record in a front-line sales and customer service

role, seeking an opportunity to use her proven flair for teamwork and innovation in the retail

sector

Key Skills

Teamwork

•

5 years experience (during vacations) as an effective team member in a busy fast food

restaurant, McBurgers

•

Keen team sports player, both in serious competition (played hockey for the University 1st XI)

and for recreation (played softball on a casual basis for my Hall)

•

Developed understanding of the importance of both individual team roles and co-ordination

through playing cornet with the Collingley Silver Band whilst at school

Leadership & Co-ordination

•

Led a team of 5 in McBurgers, organising staff rotas to ensure cover throughout the shift to

meet customer demand

•

Elected fixtures secretary for the University 1st XI hockey team, organising matches, liaising

with other Universities, arranging venues, transport and ensuring all players arrived in the right

place at the right time

•

Led night orienteering exercises for company of Ranger Guides, both at home and in

unfamiliar terrain in Germany

Communication

•

Developed simple but effective multi-skilling training plan for my team at McBurgers, to

maximise flexibility. At the request of my manager, briefed other Team Leaders in training

methods and saw them implemented across all shifts

•

Persuaded initially sceptical manager at McBurgers to let my team trial a “rapid response”

system to cater for peaks and troughs in customer demand. Once proven, the system was

adopted by all teams.

Creative Problem Solving

•

Developed database to keep track of customers and suppliers for small catering business.

Increased turnover by allowing them to record and target customer preferences, and to

accurately match orders and invoices

•

During final year project, when key test equipment failed, brainstormed alternatives with

supervisor & colleagues. Discovered similar equipment being used in another lab by a contact

of mine, and successfully negotiated sufficient access to complete the project on time.

Other Skills

•

IT Skills - proficient in the use of Word and Excel, devised Access databases and programmed

macros.

•

Clean driving licence

•

German - basic knowledge (GCSE plus recent visits)

Positions of Responsibility & Awards

•

Promoted to Team Leader after 18 months at McBurgers

•

Elected fixtures secretary for University 1st XI hockey team

•

Member of award winning Silver Band at Three Counties Show, 1999

•

Young Enterprise - Production Manager of a local winning team whilst in 6th form.

Education

2003 - 2004

MSc Polymer Science and Technology,

University of Manchester

2000 - 2003

BSc (Hons) Chemistry – 2:1, University of Manchester

Modules studied included business management, IT, statistics and practical

skills sessions covering teamwork and presentations

1994 - 2000

Park Royal High School, Collingley

A levels : Maths (A), Physics (B), Chemistry (B)

GCSEs : 9 including Maths and English

Work Experience

1998 - present McBurgers, Collingley

- Team Leader

Interests and Activities

•

Hockey - member of University 1st XI.

•

Softball - play occasionally for the Hall team

•

Music - played cornet for Collingley Silver Band whilst at school

•

Travel - visited several European countries, with family and with Ranger Guides, where I

experienced white water rafting, night orienteering and mountaineering.

Referees

Mrs Rosalind Smalley,

McBurger plc,

15 Main Street

Collingley,

Worcestershire,

WO3 4FP

Dr Andrew Regan

Department of Chemistry

University of Manchester

Manchester

M13 9PL

CV for PhD Applications

• Generally chronological CV, emphasising

– University course grades, especially later

years

– Project/Lab work – vacations, academic

projects

– Techniques & knowledge acquired

– Attendance at relevant seminars

– Evidence of original thinking and ability to

work independently

– Interest in subject, over and above coursework

• Edit ruthlessly – don’t cram too much

information on to one page

• Line up text in columns

• Short sentences - avoid long prose passages

• Break up text with bullet points

• NOT TOO MANY CAPITALS AND Changes of

font

• Use colour and shading sparingly

• Use quality A4 paper – white or cream

Presentation

Advanced Suggestions

• Use strong words

– Set up - founded, launched, introduced

– Sorted out - reorganised, resolved, transformed

– Made better - simplified, eliminated, improved

• Quantify

• Stress personal involvement – “I” not “We”

• Use recent experiences – from all parts of

your life

Covering Letters

• One page, A4, quality paper

• Write to a named individual

• 5 key elements :

1. Get to the point at the start– who are you,

what do you want?

2. What do you have to offer?

3. Why do you want this type of work?

4. Why are you interested in this employer?

5. Positive ending – what should happen

next?

Application Forms

• Do complete all the sections

• Use specific examples where requested

– Give an example of where you’ve had to lead a

group of people …

– C

ontext

A

ctions

R

esult

• Don’t write ‘see CV’ rather than completing

section

• Don’t include CV unless asked to

• Do keep a copy of your form

Personal Statements

• Find out what they are looking for

• Break it down into headings

• Be guided by the space allowed

– if there’s only room for 200 words, that’s

what they want

• Edit and get someone to critique it

On-Line Application Forms

• Print off a copy first

– preview all the questions

• Draft answers in Word first – allows

you to spell check & avoids “time-outs”

• Think of key words

– they may “auto-sift”

• If don’t meet their qualifications, try to

apply on paper

(again, avoid the auto-sift)

Careers News - Just for Postgrads

• Up to the minute news and information to support

postgraduate careers

http://manchesterpgcareers.wordpress.com

Quick Query

• 15 minute appointments

– eg CV feedback, brief questions

• No need to book in advance - drop-in

• Monday to Friday at Careers Service :

Crawford House, Booth St East

9.15am – 4.30pm

(vacation times may differ)

Career Service

- Location

Crawford House –

Entrance

on Booth Street East

Appointments

Phone : 0161 275 2829

www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/careers