An employer or admissions tutor may have as little as 30 seconds to read your CV. Therefore it is useful to look at your CV with a critical eye and think about how easy it would be for someone else to quickly get the information that they need
So, what should you be looking for? Based on your responses below we will rate your CV, and provide you with some feedback and suggested next steps.
Don't worry if you answer 'no' or 'I'm not sure' to any of the questions, just be honest and it will help us to generate the right feedback for you.
Once the form is complete you will have the option to receive an email with all your results, so you can make any suggested changes in your own time.
A typical UK CV is a maximum of 2 pages long. Anything longer may be rejected, so it's important to keep to this length. The expected length of a CV can vary depending on the sector or the country, so make sure that you do your research.
Name, contact telephone number and email address are usually enough.
Include job titles, organisations and dates for your experiences, starting with the most recent.
List your qualifications, where you studied and the dates, starting with the most recent.
Information about your hobbies and interests relevant to the opportunity can help your application.
List the contact details of your referees or include a sentence offering them on request.
You may have a profile or personal statement, or a skills section. Perhaps you have included a photo, used 'CV' as a heading, or provided personal details such as gender or date of birth.
Headings should be concise and to the point e.g 'Education'.
The content of your CV should be tailored to the role that you are applying for and highlight your most relevant skills and experience. Submitting exactly the same CV for every opportunity is likely to be ineffective.
Check your CV for errors you might have missed and then check it again to be sure. Use a spell checker, but also get a friend or family member to read through it as well. Aim for well formed sentences and avoid informal or unprofessional language.
Make sure you are reflecting the job description and person specification when discussing your skills and experience.
If you are 'an excellent team worker', make sure to prove that statement with an example of where you have previously developed or demonstrated excellent team work.
Make your relevant achievements shine through in your CV.
Try to avoid embedding information in long and detailed blocks of text.
You want your CV to be clearly formatted and easy to read. Avoid the use of colour or a font which is difficult to read. Where possible use black text and a clear, simple font.
Allow your CV to showcase your ability to communicate concisely and effectively.
These words can be used to form an active description of your achievements e.g 'Created an engaging and interactive way for students to successfully review their CVs'.
Recruiters want to get a sense of who you are so that they can decide if you will be a good fit for the culture and values of their organisation.
This is your CV and you need to feel confident that it presents you in the way that you want to be seen by a recruiter. Your CV is part of your personal brand and therefore it should present your best self.
please complete all highlighted options
Your CV is around
0%
complete!
(based on your 'yes' and 'mostly' responses)
Well done! You have clearly worked very hard on your CV and given it a lot of thought.
However, if you are a student or recent graduate from the University of Sheffield and still feel that you need some further feedback on your CV, you can book an appointment for this through Career Connect. We provide one-to-one advice and guidance on any careers related subject. Appointments are available Monday - Friday during semester (times vary during vacation) and can be booked in advance or on the day from 8am.
Please bring a paper copy of your CV to your appointment, as this makes it easier to record comments and suggestions directly. It’s also helpful if you can bring along details of the opportunity that you are applying for. That way we can provide tailored feedback on your CV.
We've generated some CV feedback for you based on your responses. The feedback focuses on three areas: 'Structure', 'Content' and 'Style'. In each of the three areas there are graphs highlighting your positive outcomes, as well as some things you may want to work on.
Each section provides additional information on how to improve the specific areas which you may need to focus on. Enter your email address at the bottom of the page and we'll send you a copy of these results.
The graph below is based on the responses that you gave to questions about the structure of your CV. It highlights areas that you may want to work on in order to improve your CV. Underneath the graph you will find more detailed information and advice on how you might improve each of these areas.
The graph below is based on the responses that you gave to questions about the content of your CV. It highlights areas that you may want to work on in order to improve your CV. Underneath the graph you will find more detailed information and advice on how you might improve each of these areas.
The graph below is based on the responses that you gave to questions about the style of your CV. It highlights areas that you may want to work on in order to improve your CV. Underneath the graph you will find more detailed information and advice on how you might improve each of these areas.
You will find further advice and information on the 'Writing a CV' section of our website, including some sample CVs.
We also provide one-to-one advice and guidance to University of Sheffield students and recent graduates on any careers related subject. So, if you feel that you need some further feedback on your CV, you can book an appointment for this through Career Connect via Muse. Appointments are available Monday - Friday during semester (times vary during vacation) and can be booked in advance or on the day from 8am.
Please bring a paper copy of your CV to your appointment, as this makes it easier to record comments and suggestions. It’s also helpful if you can bring along details of the opportunity that you are applying for. That way we can provide tailored feedback on your CV.
Just provide your email address below and we'll forward on your results so you can come back to them another time!