Career Launchpad

This is your go-to resource for building the skills and confidence you need to land your dream job role. Here, you can explore expert tips on creating a winning CV that grabs attention, crafting a compelling cover letter and mastering job interview preparation so you can shine under pressure and wow your interviewer.

When writing a CV, save space by only including the main points of your education and experience. If you're struggling to edit your CV, ask yourself if certain information sells you. If it doesn't, cut it out. If it's not relevant to the job you're applying for, delete it and if it's old detail from ten years ago, summarise it.

What should you include in your CV:

Contact details - Include your full name, home address, mobile number and email address. Your date of birth is irrelevant and unless you're applying for an acting or modelling job you don't need to include a photograph. If you have a professional networking profile, website or online portfolio, link to it within your contact details.
Personal statement - Usually placed at the top, it picks out a few relevant achievements and skills, while expressing your career aims. A CV personal profile is a concise statement that highlights your key attributes and helps you stand out from the crowd. A good CV profile focuses on the sector you're applying to, as your cover letter will be job-specific. Discover how to write a personal statement for your CV.
Education - List and date all previous education, including professional qualifications. Place the most recent first. Include qualification type/grades, and dates. Mention specific modules only where relevant (e.g Health Policy and strategies module for NHS policy and strategy job role) · Work experience - List your work experience in reverse date order, making sure that anything you mention is relevant to the job you're applying for. Include your job title, the name of the company, how long you were with the organisation and key responsibilities. If you have plenty of relevant work experience, this section should come before education.
Skills and achievements - This is where you talk about the foreign languages you speak and the IT packages you can competently use. The skills you list should be relevant to the job. Don't exaggerate your abilities, as you'll need to back up your claims at interview. If you've got lots of job-specific skills, you should do a skills-based CV.
Interests - 'Socialising', 'listening to podcasts' and 'reading' aren't going to catch a recruiter's attention. However, relevant interests can provide a more complete picture of who you are, as well as giving you something to talk about at interview. Examples include writing your own blog or community newsletters if you want to be a journalist, being part of a drama group if you're looking to get into sales and your involvement in climate change activism if you'd like an environmental job. If you don't have any relevant hobbies or interests, leave this section out.
References - You don't need to provide the names of referees at this stage. You can say 'references available upon request' but most employers would assume this to be the case - so if you're stuck for space, leave this out.

Learn how to build a polished CV and write compelling CV, showcase your skills, achievements and experiences in a way that gets employers’ attention. Click here for guidance.

A cover letter is a document sent alongside your CV when applying for jobs. It acts as a personal introduction and helps to sell your application.

These letters are necessary as they give you the chance to explain to an employer why you're the best candidate for the job. While your CV outlines your skills, qualifications, and experience, the cover letter allows you to highlight your most relevant achievements, demonstrate your motivation and show how your strengths align with the specific job and organisation. It provides context to your application, showcases your communication skills and helps you stand out by expressing genuine interest and personality in a professional way.

It's important for your cover letter to make a lasting impression. To achieve this, you'll need to:

Tailor to the organisation - You should rewrite your cover letter every time you apply for a position to target the company. It is worth doing research on the organisat
Format - Presentation is important so you'll need to format your cover letter properly. Make sure the document is as uncluttered as possible. Use the same font and size as you use in your CV and if you're sending it through the post or handing it in, use good quality plain white paper to print it on.
Use keywords that appear in the job advert - This lets the employer know that you've read and understood the job description. It also demonstrates that you've taken the time to tailor your application to the job.
Identify your USPs - These are your unique selling points (USPs). Be positive about what you have to offer and clearly outline how your skills and experience meet those requested in the job description. Demonstrate why you're the perfect candidate.
Include examples - Back up the claims in your cover letter with real evidence or examples that show how and when you've used your skills and experience.
Save a copy - If you're invited to interview, you might need to refer back to it.

Learn how to write a personalised and compelling cover letter that complements your CV and demonstrates why you’re the right fit for the job role. Check here how to write a cover letter.

Interview preparation - Preparation is the key to a successful interview. You need to research the employer, the industry and the job and prepare for the interview process so that you can clearly relate your skills and experiences to what they are looking for.

To succeed in interviews, it's important to understand the different types you'll encounter each designed to assess your specific attributes.

Motivational Interview Questions: Designed to explore your passions, goals, and what drives you. Use this opportunity to show how your personal motivations align with the role and the company’s values.
Competency-Based Interview: Focuses on your past experiences as an indicator of future performance. Be ready to share specific examples that demonstrate how you’ve successfully used key skills and behaviours in similar situations.
Strength-Based Interview: Rooted in psychology, this approach assesses what you’re naturally good at and what energises you. Be authentic and highlight your natural strengths, showing how they’ll contribute to your success in the role.
Technical Interview Questions: These questions evaluate your specialised knowledge and practical abilities. Be prepared to solve problems or answer questions related to your field to demonstrate your expertise and hands-on experience.

Get advice and learn how to prepare for interviews, application forms and assessment processes so you feel confident and ready. You can find more guidance here.

Use reliable sources to find jobs

University careers services
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Reputable local employers and organisations