Curriculum Vitae/Resume - Writing Tips

You will need to upload your CV when you complete an application form; your CV forms an important part of your application and will be reviewed.

It might be useful to refer back to the company’s career page where the criteria they consider are laid out. Ensure that you demonstrate evidence for these in your CV.



Here are the basic CV writing principles,

A CV is a record of your personal, education and work details. It should be as up to date as possible. 

The layout of your CV is flexible, however ideally it should be no more than two pages long. 

The use of headings such as Education, Career History can help to clarify sections. Don't use fancy layouts as these can detract from the contents of your CV.  Don't make general statements about your qualities.

Make sure you can support your statements with evidence.

Try to link your skills and experience to the requirements of the job you are applying for.




A good CV will include:

Personal Details
Keep this section brief - your full name, address, email address and phone number are important.

Education Details
Usually stated in reverse chronological order, with your most recent experiences first. Include details of the name of the institutions, the dates you attended and the qualifications you obtained / will obtain.

Think about the relevance of the information you detail. You may want to include a list of relevant modules, information about projects and dissertations undertaken, average grades and/or skills developed.

Career History / Professional Experience
All experiences count, whether paid, voluntary or shadowing. These are usually stated in reverse chronological order with dates to illustrate how long you were there.
Focus on your responsibilities and achievements in the role and remember to highlight where skills were used or developed.

Positions of responsibility/achievements/interests
These are all relevant sections to include and can be used to demonstrate that you are motivated to pursue other activities, have an interest in a relevant career and take the initiative to develop your involvements and skills. Try to focus upon recent achievements and what your contributions were, skills developed and outcomes.

Please remember that this is a platform for you to demonstrate your key attributes and qualities.
Recognise your own achievements and the key challenges you have overcome.   This is your opportunity to demonstrate this and potentially could be your first step through the selection process.

Sample Cover Letter

_______________________________________
Department of Microbiology
University of Ibadan
Ibadan
Oyo State

Dr. Ngozi Adebiyi
Department of Biochemistry
Obafemi Awolowo University
Ife
Osun State

February 9th 2010

Dear Dr Ngozi Adebiyi

I am writing in response to your advertisement in 'Science' for the post-doctoral research position in protein chemistry. I shall graduate at the end of May from the Microbiology Graduate Program at Obafemi Awolowo University. The subject of my dissertation, which I am due to defend in April, is the design of synthetic inhibitors for microbial proteases, and specifically the major E. histolytica cysteine protease. I have found your studies on viral proteases to be fascinating and I feel that while I will be able to contribute expertise to your project I will also be able to develop and expand my understanding of inhibitor function.

In addition to experience with most molecular biological techniques, my dissertation work has involved production of the recombinant protease, X-ray crystallography (in collaboration with Dr. G. Ogumdipe at the University of Lagos), extensive modelling of the protein's active site and design and testing, in vitro and in vivo, of synthetic inhibitor peptides. This work has been reported in two published papers and one that is currently in press (please see enclosures). I have also recently been able to obtain the three dimensional structure of the protease bound to histostatin (our most potent inhibitor) at a resolution of 2 Å.

I have enclosed a copy of my curriculum vitae, together with the three manuscripts and have arranged for three letters of reference to be forwarded to you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,
Taiwo H. Johnson

Taiwo H. Johnson


Enclosures

Basic Format of a Cover Letter

__________________________________
Street Address
City
State, Zip

Name
Title/Department
Organization
Street Address
City
State, Zip

Date

Dear Name

The opening paragraph should state why you are writing and why you are interested in the position and/or organization. If you are writing a letter of application, you should name the position for which you are applying and tell the employer how you became aware of it. A letter of inquiry should provide evidence of your career-mindedness; it helps to refer to specific job functions, if not titles. If you were referred to the employer by a current employee of the organization, by your mentor or other contact, this is the best place to mention that person's name and to point out that he or she suggested you write.

The middle paragraph is where you draw attention to your resume/CV and highlight specific skills or knowledge relevant to the potential employer. Present your motives for seeking employment with this specific lab./employer/organization and cite achievements and qualifications related to the position desired. If you have qualification that is not noted in your resume, this would be a good opportunity to discuss them.

The closing paragraph states what you will do next (such as calling to arrange an interview at the employer's convenience), or what you would like the recipient of the letter to do next. An assertive statement explaining what you plan to do and what you hope the employer will do is harder to ignore than a vague request for consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Signature

Your typed name

Enclosure (indicates a resume or CV is enclosed with the letter).

The Basic Principles of Writing a Cover Letter

Cover letters normally are a very strategic & advantageous tool for the smart job seeker. They should be neat and well-written to make a terrific difference and impression on your recruiter.

There are important principles that would dramatically multiply your job offers. Careful attention has to be paid to them as you prepare to get a job that is worth the whole effort.

Keep your letter short and very consistent with the information required.

1. Carefully study the wordings of the advertisement. This is where you choose the expressions to use in your cover-letter.
2. Read the requirement for the post carefully-showing a great keenness in your cover-letter.
3. The letter has to be Short
Crisp
Clear
Contain the name & date of advert publication or website

Paragraph 1. It should state why you are applying for the job, express your interest and where you saw the advert.

Paragraph 2. This is where you make use of the advert job description. Highlight your skills, knowledge, experience and accomplishments and describe how they meet the job requirements of the position.

Paragraph 3. Round off the letter. Draw attention to your attached Resume and say that you are looking forward to hearing from them.

Greeting

Dear Mrs Ige………………………………………………………….Yours sincerely

*Remember the basics:
• No one in today's world is a Sir, Madam or a concerned Whom. Get the name, or leave the greeting off altogether.
• Get the right name.
• Keep the letter to one page, but don't use microscopic typefaces or write massive paragraphs)

These are the acceptable methods to sign off. Ensure your name is under your signature for the sake of clarity.