CVHow to write a

for Biology students

Sevenstepsto a great

CV

Identify the skills and experience that the employer is looking for. They are the criteria against which your CV will be assessed, and should be listed on the job description, website or job advert. If you cannot find them, ask the recruiter.

Think of examples – from your work, volunteering, study, interests, travel or home life – that prove you have these job requirements. Try to choose ex-amples that show you using the skills in a way which is similar to how they would be used in the role.

Decide which sections you need in your CV, then decide on section titles and order. Refer to pages 2, 3 and 4 for guidelines on format.

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Incorporate your examples into the most relevant section(s) of your CV. Make sure you have provided evidence for every job requirement.

Triple check ALL spelling and grammar and ask someone else to check this too. Many employers will regard even one error as an indication of poor motivation for the job, and reject you on that basis.

Run through our checklist on page 4.

Write a covering letter to accompany your CV, referring to guidelines in our Covering Letter Helpsheet.

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A CV isn’t a list of everything you have ever done; it is a marketing document.

It should focus on those skills and experiences most relevant to your target employer. Your mission is to ensure that, after a 20 second scan, the employer can pick out evidence that you have exactly the skills and experience they are looking for.

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Example job advertGuidelines on formatYour CV is your document. In the UK, there are no official rules on format. The example CV on the next page is only one way of formatting a CV.

Whatever the format, CVs must be specific to the job you are applying for, like this one has been tailored to the job advert on the right. Read the job advert and the CV to give you some ideas about how to write your CV to show you are are a suitable candidate.

If you are following an academic career path or applying for a job outside the UK, alternative CV formats may be more appropriate. This may also be the case if you are changing your career.

Call QM Careers on 0207 882 8533 to book a place on our CV Clinic, or book a CV feedback appointment.

The second example is more persuasive. You can achieve this by:

• Placing the skill word at the start to make it easy for the employer to pick out after a quick scan;• Allocating maximum space to how you applied this skill;• Using Action Words (below) to convey achievement and impact;• Adding quantifiables (e.g. numbers, timescales) to make your examples more concrete;• Including a tangible outcome (in this case a completed stock-take) or testimony (e.g. grade, increased responsibility or hours) to prove the impact of your contribution.

Language Action words describe dynamic activity. Using action words in your CV and covering letter will help you to convey achievement, ability and impact. Examples you could use are in the box below. Passive phrases like “I was involved in” and “I was required to” have the opposite effect, so avoid these.

Tips for wording your examplesImagine you are a recruiter seeking a student strong at teamwork. Below is an excerpt from the CVs of Candidate A and B. Who would you choose?

Candidate A: “Demonstrated strong teamworking skills during stock-taking at STL Retail.”

Candidate B: “Teamwork – supported team of four to achieve full stock-take of STL Retail in 16 hours by: arriving early to receive briefing on behalf of team; taking on extra tasks for a colleague who had to go home sick; and organising night out to keep us motivated.”

Marine Planner (Evidence & Analysis) Organisation: Poseidon PlanningStarting salary: £22,745 paBased: Cambridge with significant travel in UK

If you’re passionate about marine and coastal issues and keen to use your skills to help secure a sustainable future for the seas around England, join us in this exciting role.

About the role: You will support developmental work focussed on evidence and analysis, monitoring and reporting on plans, research, and take the technical lead on at least one topic or sector.

About you: We’re looking for someone who is educated to degree level in a relevant subject and keen to develop their knowledge and skills as part of a team that contributes significantly to the development and implementation of marine planning in England. You will have strong skills in analysis, be a clear communicator and should have experience of working with evidence applied to marine or coastal issues.

To apply, send an email with your CV and a covering letter.

achieved • analysed • arranged • budgeted • co-ordinated • created • demonstrated • designed developed •enhanced •evaluated • identified • improved • increased • initiated • led • liaised managed • organised • negotiated •planned • prepared • prioritised • produced • researched

PROFILE

Passion for marine & coastal issues – Sea Champion for the Marine Conservation Society since 2007.

Analytical skills – collected and identified samples of phyla during fieldwork for invertebrates module.

Clear communicator – working at a hotel reception desk, answering telephones and meeting customer needs in a professional manner.

EDUCATION

2010 – 2013 BSc Biology Queen Mary, University of London

My degree is a broad-based study of biological sciences with an emphasis on the marine environment and ecology.

Relevant modules: Conservation and the environment, Ecology and environmental techniques, Aquatic ecosystems: structure and function.

• Application of evidence to marine issues- collected and identified samples during the fieldwork on marine invertebrates. Applied theory to establish behavioural characteristics of phyla, achieving a mark of 71%.

• Monitoring – during the residential element of the Populations, communities and ecosystems module I was responsible for designing and recording observations.

2002 – 2009 Dorothy Stinger School, Brighton

A Levels: Biology (A), Chemistry (B), Spanish (B) AS Level: Environmental Science (A)10 GCSEs: including Mathematics (A*) and English (B)

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

May 2007 - Sept 2012 Sea Champion Marine Conservation Society

Voluntary work assisting in the marine coservation activities of the local branch of the society.

• Presentations - gave a 20 minute talk to the local society based on my assignment for the Fish biology and fisheries module.

• Gathering data and monitoring - accurately identified and collected data on rubbish collected during four Beach Cleans.

Summer 2007 3 week Work Experience SEA LIFE, Brighton

Assisting aquarists with food preparation, feeding fish and invertebrates, as well ascleaning the displays.

• Technical skills – testing water conditions and making minor adjustments to temperature and pH.

• Highly motivated - some tasks were very messy but I was keen to get my hands dirty.

You do not have to include a profile. Amanda has used it to emphasise some of her most recent experience. If you do include one, keep it brief and achievement focused.

For most students and graduates ‘Education’ comes before your work history. However, if you have a lot of relevant industry experience, you might choose to swap these sections.

Highlight the components of your degree most relevant to the job.

If you don’t have experience in the field, just group all of your experience together under a header such as ‘Work Experience’ or ‘Work History’.

Minimum space taken up by school as this is now less relevant than university.

This experience wasn’t paid or in a work environment and only lasted a few weeks, but is still a useful showcase for one of the skills the employer is seeking.

CV example targeted to job advert above

Add specific and tangible outcomes or testimonies where possible.

CV

Che

cklis

t Look at your CV as if you were the recruiter. After a quick scan, can you pick out evidence of each of the job requirements?

Is your CV two pages in length? (Some UK employers request a one-page CV, and academic CVs can be longer, but most UK CVs are two pages in length.)

To ensure your CV is easy to read, is there about the same amount of text on both pages, and have you avoided large chunks of text?

Have you used formatting tools (e.g. bold, italics, capitals and spacing) consistently?

Have you asked your Careers team for feedback on your CV and covering letter? (Please take a list of job requirements with you.)

Finished?

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE

Oct 2010 - present Part-time receptionist Holiday Inn, Sutton

• Working under pressure – Working in a team of three people with a flexible approach and aptitude for front of house co-ordination. Awarded training of new recruits for the past 6 months, as a result.

• Attention to detail – Maintaining and updating the customer database for bookings, cancellations and special requirements.

OTHER SKILLS

IT: Intermediate level Word, Excel, Access and Powerpoint Languages: Conversational and a good written standard of Spanish.

LEISURE ACTIVITIES

Cooking: Enjoy baking, sold cupcakes to raise £80 for the Marine Conservation Society in 2009.Travel: Hostelling in Spain for one month, to improve spoken Spanish.Sport: Recently taken up Zumba to get fit.

REFEREES

Prof Fabio Torini Ms Sharon ShawPersonal Tutor Holiday InnSchool of Biological and Chemical Sciences Gibson RoadQueen Mary, University of London SuttonMile End, London E1 4N Surrey, SM1 2RF

Start with the most recent activity and work backwards.

If your travel has been challenging, you may be able to use it as a source of evidence for your skills.

Ask your referees before you list their details. If you are not able to disclose names, you can state “References available on request.”.

See our ‘Competencies and skills’ and ‘Cover letter’ leaflets for related information.

October 2012 © QM Careers

www.careers.qmul.ac.uk020 7882 8533

Room WG3, Queens Building, Mile End

Shows initiative and that you can turn your part-time job from something you ‘just’ do to earn cash to evidence of skills valuable to future employers.

You don’t have to include this, but some employers like to know what you do in your spare time. Keep it brief!