careers service, 2 nd floor, armstrong building, newcastle university, ne1 7ru, +44 (0)191 2227748, ...

Careers Service, 2nd Floor, Armstrong Building, Newcastle University, NE1 7RU, +44 (0)191 2227748, www.careers.ncl.ac.uk

Writing eye-catching CVs and Covering Letters

Rachael Roberts

Careers Adviser

www.careers.ncl.ac.uk

Career Management Cycle


This session aims to ...

Explain how UK employers select candidates

Increase your understanding of the skills and experiences you have to offer

Provide practical advice on how to market your research experience in a CV

Highlight additional sources of help


Further sessions

Marketing Your Research Qualification Applications and interviews outside Academia Interviews in Academia

Managing your Career

MBTI Moving out of Academia

Postgraduate Careers Day


International issues

Some UK employers will only accept applications from candidates with a permanent right to work in the UK/EU

Come and talk to us in the Careers Service about the help available

Useful websites

www.careers.ncl.ac.uk/international

www.prospects.ac.uk


Individual issues such as ...

eligibility to work in the UK

disclosure of disabilities

any other individual concerns

.... can be discussed with the Duty Careers Adviser in the Careers Service


Session outline

Part one Getting started How do you convince employers you have got

what they are looking for? Part two

Basic rules Assessing sample CVs

Part three Feedback, question time, covering letters


Before applying, you should ...

Assess your own skills and experience

Research suitable opportunities and organisations

Find out what they want – their ‘wish list’

Match yourself to the employer’s needs and identify sources of evidence


What is your approach?

Purist believes recruitment is based on merit the better the qualification, the better the job

chances something will turn up

Player understands that recruitment isn’t just based on merit you have to do more than just ‘be good’

Brown & Hesketh: The Mismanagement of Talent, 2004


What do employers want?

At all stages in the recruitment process, they look for evidence that you

CAN do the job (ability)

WANT to do the job (motivation)

Will FIT into the organisation


Understanding what the employer is looking for

Analyse the advert and application pack Research the field/position/organisation/

research team Take advice from experts

supervisor, contract researchers, academics

Use your networks to gain further insight contact in the group, department or company?


What can you use as evidence?

In small groups, consider what skills, experience and knowledge you have for an academic position or a non academic position. List what you might use as evidence.

Be ready to feedback to the rest of the group.


What can you use as evidence?

Research experience and education publications, conferences, funding, training

(UKGrad, research training programme) academic achievements, scholarships

Work experience industry placement, casual, voluntary,

commercial, military service

Interests & achievements committees and societies, positions of

responsibility, professional memberships


Identifying skills – education

JRC Postgrad Skills www.grad.ac.uk

University of Leeds ‘What is a researcher?’

What do PhDs do?

www.grad.ac.uk


Identifying skills – work experience

Team work Commercial awareness Individual responsibility Project management Time management Training Report writing Client contact People management Information retrieval Technical

Get feedback from …

Friends and family Colleagues Appraisals Review meetings Careers advisers

Training courses


Identifying skills – interests

Team work Initiative Self discipline Relevant experience and insight … Motivation, drive and ambition Commercial awareness Individuality


An effective CV should ...

ensure content and style is relevant

place the most important facts FIRST and give them the MOST space

be easy to read

create the right impression

be accompanied with a letter


What do you include?

Usually include…..

personal details education and qualifications work experience interests achievements

Optional to include…

referees? list of publications? personal profile skills profile gender, date of birth nationality? photographs


First impressions

You have a minute to look at each CV and write down your first impressions.


Group exercise

In small groups, review each CV and

a) decide the focus - industrial research, academic research or a new direction?

b) discuss how the candidate has tailored each application

c) what do you like and dislike?

d) prepare to feedback your key points


Make an impact

Don’t waste space but avoid large blocks of text

Use a consistent layout and professional presentation

Describing your experience avoid ‘I feel…. …. use action words…advised, organised, mention key outcomes


Tailor your application

Job using specialist subject and skills– summary of research (including aims and

achievements, supervisors name and funding) ability to achieve results education particularly relevant modules projects and resources managed relevant techniques and skills including

technical skills, Health & Safety


Change of direction

New direction, unrelated to research – include a brief and accessible description of

your research, avoid over-technical terms highlight the measures of your success and

achievements outside research context highlight key transferable skills appropriate to

the job and define your level of competence personal and skills profile may be helpful


What are the benefits of recruiting people with research experience?

‘Analytical thinking, report writing and the ability to work independently’

‘Good learning skills, their commitment to task and the need for minimum supervision’

‘Highly developed research skills combined with an intellectual approach. Good communication and presentation skills demonstrated by teaching experience’

AGCAS Survey ‘University Researchers: Employers’

Attitudes & Recruitment Practices’


What are the drawbacks of recruiting people with research experience?

Lack commercial awareness and career motivation Limited team working skills Lack experience of working on short term tasks Lack awareness of the different aims of academia and

industry Set in academic work styles and cycles Experience difficulty making a transition from academia

AGCAS ‘University Researchers: Employers’ Attitudes & Recruitment Practices’


Any questions?

Review your own CVs?


Covering Letter

Named contact Summary of key points

Why you are writing? Why you want the job? Why you want that organisation? Why they should want you?


Group Exercise

In small groups, review the Covering Letter and CV….

a) are the skills, experience and knowledge described in the letter, relevant?

b) does the letter show interest in the organisation?

c) Anything else of importance to note…d) prepare to feedback your key points


Final points

Ensure your CV is targeted and relevant Know your employer’s wish list Use the best examples you’ve got Review – ask yourself “so what” Ask others for feedback - first impressions


2nd FloorArmstrong Building (off the Quadrangle)

10 am - 5 pm Monday - Thursday 10 am - 4.30 pm Friday

Careers Service

Come and talk to us!

careers service, 2 nd floor, armstrong building, newcastle university, ne1 7ru, +44 (0)191 2227748, ...

Documents

careers service slide

organisation slide

research experience

career management cycle

uk employers

sources of evidence

application pack research

duty careers adviser