Translated from Latin and meaning ‘course of life’, a Curriculum Vitae, (abbreviated to CV, but also known as a personal resume), is a summary of your qualifications, skills, experience, interests and career objectives. It is likely to be the means by which you first introduce yourself to a prospective employer.
Firstly, it needs to be clear and concise. It must also be tailored to the role you are applying for, so it may well be that you have to produce several slightly different versions to ensure your application covers the skills and qualifications required by the person specification in the job advert.

Focus on qualifications, skills and personal achievements
For a first full-time job application, you may have no relevant employment experience so your CV should focus on qualifications, skills and personal achievements. However, if you have had a part-time job, completed work experience or done voluntary work then do include it, even if it was not in the same work sector. This is the opportunity to show that you understand the world of work and the requirements for punctuality, application, working as part of a team, completing assigned tasks and a whole raft of other positives.

Briefly describe your career aims
You don’t need to put ‘CV of …’ at the top of your document, but do include it in the file name of the electronic version(s) you create. The document should start with your name, full address, a contact telephone number and e-mail address.
Next, have a short Personal Summary in which you describe your qualifications, skills, attributes and career aims in a couple of sentences.
After that, list your main achievements, both in and out of school. This might include work experience, non-academic awards and participation in sport.
Then focus on the skills required in the person specification, and any others that you think that are relevant. Be specific – rather than saying ‘I have good communication skills’, give examples such as having written for a school newspaper or newsletter, speaking at an assembly, making presentations or examples from experience.

Illustrate your adaptability and usefulness in a work environment
After that, list work experience and describe activities you have done that are relevant to the job you are applying for, or which otherwise illustrate your adaptability and usefulness in a work environment.
List all of your qualifications, with the highest level first, along with the results. If you are still studying for qualifications, make sure this is clear.
Write a short section on your personal interests, focusing on hobbies such as sport, music, practical skills and relevant activities. If any of these have resulted in an award, mention that here.
Finish off by providing the name and contact details of two people who can provide a reference (normally the head of year at school, your tutor or someone who you have worked for if you’ve had a part-time job). Remember to ask the person first though to ensure they are willing to provide a reference.
A CV builder is accessible via: nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/home. Create an account and go to the ‘Help to get a job’ section.