Careers

Put the emphasis on the right things

The major problem in this area is remembering that while you worked incredibly hard to get your degree, unless it is going to be directly relevant to the job, no one cares what modules you took. Definitely no one cares what individual marks you got in any of them. If you are just graduating, spend up to 4 bullet points on your University life and this should include your extra-curricular activities. If you graduated more than 2 years ago take this down to two bullet points. Anything more than that and just give your degree title, awarding University and possibly the grade you achieved.

Absolutely no one wants to know what you got for your exams at 18, just what they were in, and this only if you have just graduated. And absolutely definitely 100% guaranteed no one wants to know what your subjects or results were from when you were 16. Unless you are specifically asked to give this information, save the space for other things.

This need to let go of past achievements can be the hardest part of CV writing as they have meant so much to you in the past. However, winning a medal for your A-Level Physics coursework is of absolutely no consequence to anyone who is looking to employ a mature person. If you are applying for your first job and are really unwilling to leave it out, all right then. But anytime after that just let go.

The same is true under the Work Experience heading. Your most recent job should take up 1/3 to 1/2 of the space allocated to this section, depending on how many jobs you have to list.

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