Imperial Guide to CVs

Careers Service
www.imperial.ac.uk/careers
 Careers Service
Level 5 Sherfield Building
South Kensington Campus
London
SW7 2AZ

careers@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0)20 7594 8024
www.imperial.ac.uk/careers
 WELCOME!
Your CV is your first opportunity to market yourself to potential
future employers. This booklet has been produced by the Careers
Service to show a range of different CVs devised to cover a number
of scenarios. There are examples from undergraduates, Masters and
PhD level students, and the CVs have been tailored for a variety of
positions - internships/placements, graduate roles, postgraduate
study applications, academia, and industry.

You do not have to find your particular department below - we’ve simply tried to present a range
of CVs from different courses here at Imperial College. The aim is to be inspired and give you some
further ideas of how you might want your own CV to look.

CONTENTS:

How to Write a CV
advice and guidance pages 1-2

Undergraduate CVs
Design Engineering 2-page CV for 6-month placement pages 3-4
Biochemistry 2-page CV for UROP pages 5-6
Mechanical Engineering 1-page CV for internship in industry page 7
Mathematics 1-page CV for banking and finance graduate role page 8
Bioengineering 2-page CV for non-technical graduate role pages 9-10
Chemistry 2-page CV for graduate role in science pages 11-12
Medicine 2-page CV for medically focussed role pages 13-14
Computing 1-page CV for a technical role page 15

Masters CVs
Life Sciences 2-page CV for PhD application pages 17-18
Earth Science & Engineering 2-page CV for industry pages 19-20

PhD CVs
Physics 2-page CV for an academic post pages 21-22
Physics 2-page CV for role outside of academia pages 23-24
Medicine 2-page CV for industry pages 25-26

The Covering Letter

advice and guidance pages 27-28
example covering letter page 29

Remember, you can find further advice about writing your CV on the Careers Service website:
www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/cv.
CVs
How to write a CV
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) gives you an opportunity to provide
the employer with a summary of your education, experience
and achievements and helps you get an interview. This is
your marketing document to a potential employer. Use this
opportunity by making your CV as interesting and appealing as
possible.
KEY FEATURES
• No more than two well-balanced A4 pages
• Effective use of headings (don’t change typefaces, but
consider capital letters or bold to make headings stand
out)
• Clear layout, concise format
• Organised into typical standard sections of information (see
below)
• Tailored to the job/work area
• Using bullet points can help to give your CV more impact,
especially if combined with ‘Action Verbs’ (see over page)
• Use note form so avoid using ‘I’ and ‘my’, ‘the’ or ‘a’, etc.
HEADINGS FOR YOUR CV
Headings are very powerful as they signpost the reader. Your
headings reflect the content of your CV. These are examples,
but you can use alternative headings.
Personal Information – Put your name in larger font at the
top of the page as your main heading, and make it stand out.
There is no need for the heading ‘Curriculum Vitae’ as the
document is self-explanatory. Provide one reliable address,
daytime telephone number and email address. Sub-titles are
not needed. Nationality (if there might be a query with regards
to your work permit status) and gender (if this is unclear or
could be male or female) are both optional. Date of birth is not
needed due to anti-ageism legislation. Marital status is not
needed either.
Education – Begin with your most recent education, include
university name, degree subject, projected outcome and
details. Consider what is relevant and important for the job
role. Include as much technical information as possible for
technical roles, but keep it more general for graduate training
schemes not related to your degree subject. Then continue with
A levels and GCSEs (or equivalent for non-UK qualifications).
Work Experience - Dates (also in reverse chronological order),
job title, organisation, place or country (avoid stating full
Careers Service
www.imperial.ac.uk/careers
1
address). Consider organising your experience, e.g. Finance
Experience and Other Experience if applying for a finance
sector job, Scientific Experience and Other Experience if
applying for a science sector job. Use relevant headings. Then
describe your tasks and achievements indicating the skills you
have developed. Make use of action verbs (see page 2) and use
the past tense of these for work carried out in the past. Include
any unpaid work, as this still provides evidence of your skills.
Skills – IT skills (e.g. packages you can use competently),
driving licence, language skills (give an indication of the level
of written/verbal skills), First Aid qualification or any other
certificates you may have. For technical positions provide more
detail on relevant technical skills.
Interests and Achievements - This could also be called
‘Achievements and Responsibilities’ and includes information
about key interests, roles of responsibility, awards,
volunteering, travel, etc. Be specific - quantify what you do or
indicate positive outcomes, rather than just providing a list.
References - Insert ‘available on request’ unless specifically
asked. If asked, you need to provide full contact details of two
referees, typically your tutor and a previous employer.
OPTIONAL EXTRAS AND FURTHER TIPS
Profile – This is a short and concise summary of your
education, skills and experience, designed to attract immediate
attention. Aim for no more than 3 or 4 lines maximum. It
comes after your personal details and you could use this to
tailor your CV to a specific area of employment or to highlight
your career objective. Bland statements are best avoided (e.g.
‘Seeking employment with a dynamic business to build on my
outstanding achievements.’) However, it can work well if you
are considering a change in career direction.
Awards – Include this as a separate heading after education if
you have achieved a number of scholarships, school prizes or
any other awards.
Other countries – Please note that each country has its own
etiquette for writing CVs. See www.prospects.ac.uk/links/
countries for examples and information
 CVs

Reasons CVs are rejected: FURTHER INFORMATION

• Poor presentation, chaotic layout, untidy, containing
spelling errors
• Use of bold, capital and underlined all at once
• No clear link between experience and employer’s
requirements
• Too long (too wordy, too many pages, not enough time to
read it all)
• Too much jargon, fancy fonts in many different sizes
• Poor spelling and grammar. If in doubt get someone else
to check your CV
ACTION VERBS
When describing projects or work experience in your CV,
aim to express yourself clearly and concisely, making use of
the language used in recruitment. Here are a few examples
of words you might like to use, describing actions which
demonstrate particular skills. Using your thesaurus can help
you find others:
Achievement - accelerated, accomplished, achieved, carried
out, completed, improved, delivered, enhanced, finished,
negotiated, obtained, produced, secured, increased, doubled,
implemented
Communication - advised, participated, chaired meeting,
wrote, instructed, demonstrated, edited, presented, discussed,
promoted, persuaded, recommended
Taking initiative - created, formulated, designed, established,
introduced, devised, started, developed, set up, launched,
initiated, enabled
Available from the Careers Service:
• Careers Service Website - www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/
applications includes detailed information about
producing effective CVs and covering letters, includes a
‘Quick Guide to CVs’. ‘Develop Your CV: how the Careers
Service can help’ - leaflet with practical steps to take to
improve your CV. Available from www.imperial.ac.uk/
careers/handouts
• Reference books - some students find it useful to consult
books on CVs so a selection is provided at reception. None
can be particularly recommended: advice is prescriptive,
often aimed at experienced job hunters and with a US
bias; this is often also the case with online ‘advice’ on
‘perfect CVs’. Prospects website - www.prospects.ac.uk/
links/appsinterviews includes detailed information
about producing effective CVs and covering letters, with
examples for different types of CVs.
• Having your CV checked - we offer Careers Consultations
daily which can be booked from 07:00 through JobsLive via
the Careers website. At certain times of the year, we also
offer 5 Minute Final CV checks (simply turn up and sign up
– check the website for details).
• CV seminars - are run during the autumn and spring terms
and are open to all students.
For information on the disclosure of disability or specific
learning difficulty such as dyslexia please see information on
the Careers Service website:
www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/disclosure

Research - classified, differentiated, investigated, determined,

experimented, equated, searched, developed, surveyed,
examined, indexed, compiled, catalogued
Organising and planning - distributed, reorganised, arranged,
restructured, budgeted, verified, scheduled, computed,
planned, produced
Interpersonal - advised, negotiated, consulted, evaluated,
proposed, handled, sorted out, collaborated, discussed,
mediated, facilitated
Leadership - directed, supervised, motivated, guided,
managed, led, organised, undertook
Managing - organised, implemented, established, produced,
initiated, attained, maintained
Problem solving - analysed, diagnosed, reduced, increased,
simplified, evaluated, synthesised, tackled, investigated,
reviewed, identified, refined, streamlined, examined,
reorganised, solved

Level 5, Sherfield Building - 020 7594 8024 | careers@imperial ac.uk

2
CVs - Undergraduate
Example 2-page CV for 6 month placement in Design Engineering

Ellie Stephenson
54 Northanger Road London SW8 4RT
07989 3475895; ellie.stephenson@ic.ac.uk

EDUCATION
2015– 2019 Imperial College London – MEng Design Engineering (Expected result 2:1)
□ Achieved overall average of 2:1 (67%) to date.
□ Modules include (Year 2): Computing 2 (72%); Gizmo (Mechatronics and Robotics) (65%),
Engineering Analysis 2 (66%), Big Data (63%), Design 2 (66%), Engineering Design Project
(72%).

2008 – 2015 Isleworth School – A levels: Physics, Mathematics, Further Maths, Chemistry (AAAA)
□ GCSE's: 9 Grade A-C, including 5 A*s

AWARDS & PRIZES

□ The President’s Undergraduate Merit Scholarship from Imperial College London (2015 –
2019) - one of only 112 students awarded this most prestigious of awards at Imperial.
□ National Maths Olympiads (silver and gold 2013 and 2015)

ENGINEERING PROJECTS (Portfolio attached)

□ 3rd Year Engineering Design Project Grade (only team to be awarded DESIRE Award)
- designed low cost medical device for measuring tidal and residual volume (lung capacity).
- proposed alternative concept to measure residual volume; innovation was highlighted as
‘ambitious and creative’ by assessors from Royal Brompton Lung Respiratory Unit and
Institute of Public Health.
- received DESIRE (Design Engineering Innovation Reward) for best engineering design project.
- next stage will be to build a prototype of the design and test it.

□ 2nd Year Bucatini Water Tower Challenge (Group Project) Grade (x%)
- worked in a team of five to design a water tower for economical construction in the
developing world, built in biodegradable material and strong enough to hold 5 tons of water.
- undertook FEA (finite element analysis) in InfoSys and produced a design simulation.
- built a scale model of the simulation out of pasta strands and destructively tested this to see
how the buckling and fatigue of structures under loading compared with the FEA prediction.

□ 2nd Year People’s Pod (Group Project) Grade (x%)

- worked in a team of five to design interior of a small public transport autonomous vehicle.
- produced innovative design concept and scale model, receiving feedback that ‘our design
showed vision and originality as well as being a feasible concept’.
- gave presentation on the design concept to panel of assessors comprising external academics
and industry representatives (Nissan and Transport Systems Catapult).

□ 1st Year Catapult Competition Grade (x%)

- worked in groups of five competing with other teams to achieve the most accurate
measurements when catapulting a projectile to a target 10m away.
- calculated optimum angle and distance and produced a simulation of gravitational potential
energy, based on projectile’s mass, gravity and height in flight, managing to hit the target.
- designed and created innovative medieval-themed costume, winning 1st prize for our design.

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 CVs - Undergraduate

WORK EXPERIENCE
2017 FastForward Prototyping - Prototyping Engineer
□ Set up and developed a novel prototyping initiative on my own (early 2017) to produce one off
equipment and prototypes for clients; joined by partner in summer 2017.
□ Have executed 6 large projects to date; ran 4 projects concurrently, managing them all myself,
negotiating paid contracts with clients, resulting in income of £6,000+.
□ Undertook all lab automation and aides, including designing and building robotic apparatus,
embedded development and application software development.

2016 – 2017 3d Printing – Open Source Project (RepRaps)

□ Maintain a number of printers for the Imperial College Robotics Society and provide advice on
the process of 3D printing to a large number of students at Imperial.
□ Currently developing software to implement 5 axis 3D printing as 4th Year Project.

TECHNICAL SKILLS & LANGUAGES

□ Machine Element Design – Have gained experience in developing and refining complex
machines through synthesis, analysis and prototyping. Know how to produce technical
engineering drawings of machine elements and electronic components. Have designed and
materialised machines, which involve integrating hardware (machine elements, structure,
electrical components, micro-controllers, sensors & actuators) and high-level programming
languages, such as Python to achieve specified outcomes.
□ Programming – Experience in Object oriented programming in Python to solve mathematical
problems, plot graphs, and manage data structures; basic API design using Python as well as
Java and Assembly (ARM). Have also programmed in C++ as well as Matlab. Competent in use
of Linux platforms for real time control as well as in use of LaTex to produce project reports.
□ Technical software / analytics: Adept at using FEA software - InfoSys.
□ Languages: German (Intermediate); French (Conversational); Driving Licence – UK.

EXTRA CURRICULAR INTERESTS

□ Imperial College Robotics Society – Elected President (2017 – 2018); served as Sponsorship
Officer (2016 – 2017)
- Recently elected to lead and manage this society, which is a hub for all students who are
passionate about robotics and electronics
- Liaise with staff from many departments as well as key external and industry stake-holders
- Answer technical questions on electronics and robotics; give presentations on key concepts
- Managed to raise sponsorship from industry last year totalling over £4,000 and currently
overseeing committee involved in rolling out ambitious programme of new competitions
(with £2,000+ prize money) and events, bringing together members and industry contacts.

□ Other achievements
- Member of Imperial College netball team (2nd) and captained the school team
- Organised 3 independent Inter-rail trips across 6 countries in Europe over last three years
and have visited east coast of Canada, USA; plus several visits to India, Far East and Kenya
- Duke of Edinburgh Bronze & Silver Awards (2013- 2015 respectively)
- Piano Grade 8 (2014)

References – available on request

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CVs - Undergraduate

Example 2-page CV for a Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)

Alexa Student
58 Tennyson Road, London, NW9 2XB
Alex.Student@imperial.ac.uk
+44 (0)123 456 7891

Education

2016 – 2019 BSc Biochemistry, Imperial College London

Current average: 67%
 Modules (Year 2): Molecular Biology 2; Physical Biochemistry; Molecular Cell Biology
2; Immunology; Protein Science; (Year 1): Biological Chemistry (67%); Molecular
Biology 1 (71%); Molecular Cell Biology 1 (65%); Proteins and Enzymes (67%)
 Weekly lab sessions have entailed using a range of laboratory techniques including
sterile cell culture, DNA extraction, agarose gels, PCR, fluorescence microscopy
 Planning and conducting experiments in pairs or small groups requires good team
work and communication as well as organisational skill and precise record-keeping
 Completed two data handling modules, gaining experience in using specialist
software such as SPSS and ‘R’ to capture, analyse and report on numerical data
 Have undertaken numerous assessed reports and presentations throughout degree,
all of which required excellent written and verbal communication skills

2006 – 2013 Passmore College, Bournemouth

 A Levels: Maths (A), Chemistry (A*), Biology (A*)
 GCSEs: 10 A* - C

Research / Laboratory Experience

Department of Biochemistry, University of Nottingham 2016

- Undertook six-week summer placement in Centre of Cell Biology, working in

laboratory of Dr John Smith, supervised by Dr Jayne Richards
- Undertook tissue cultures of different cell lines such as EC and hES cells in
compliance with health and safety procedures
- Observed several lab techniques and protocols including SDS-PAGE and Western
Blotting, qPCR, Bacterial transformation, gel extraction, plasmid purification and
antibody staining for fACS analysis and cell sorting
- Helped with general maintenance of Research Lab and associated tasks such as
autoclaving and filling stock reagents
- Assisted in process of feeder inactivation and freezing of cells for long term storage,
visiting Liquid Nitrogen Room
- Gained experience handling various lab equipment including microscopes as well as
flow cytometers, Biostation and NanoPhotometers

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 CVs - Undergraduate

Other Employment / Work Experience

2014 - 2016 Waitrose, Bournemouth, Team Leader (part-time / in vacations)

 Promoted from Customer Assistant to Team Leader in summer 2014
 Demonstrate strong customer service in a fast paced retail environment
 Develop an in-depth knowledge of products and train new staff
 Ensure excellent communication while working across several teams

Volunteering

Feb 2014 - Present RAG, Imperial College London, Volunteer

 Responsible for securing street collection permits from local authorities and
arranging transport for up to 50 volunteers
2012 – 2013 Befriend a Child, Bournemouth, Volunteer
 Supervised homework and other activities for two children once a week for a year

Laboratory Skills

 Have learnt a range of techniques including sterile cell culture, DNA extraction,
agarose gels, PCR, fluorescence microscopy, SDS-PAGE, Western blot, affinity
chromatography and immunocytochemistry

IT / Statistical Skills and Languages

 Have learnt how to apply statistical packages such as SPSS and R to analyse data
 Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint
 Learning French on Imperial Horizons course (have passed Level 1, progressing to
Level 2 next year)

Interests

 Imperial College Boat Club 1st eight. Have demonstrated commitment to undertaking
five early morning training sessions per week and currently planning Fresher’s Week
event offering novice rowers the chance to have a go and consider joining the club

 Elected Treasurer for next academic year (2017 – 2018) of Imperial BioSoc. Aim to
increase sponsorship for events and help organise these as well as manage accounts

References available on request

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CVs - Undergraduate

Example 1-page CV for an internship in industry

Jo Olsen
2 Long Road, London, SW7 7AZ
07123 456780 / jolsen16@sample.imperial.ac.uk

EDUCATION
2016-2020 Imperial College London
MEng Mechanical Engineering with a Year in Europe
 Relevant Modules: Stress Analysis, Fluid Mechanics, Design and Manufacture.
 Successfully completed various group projects including a task to design and make a small
hovercraft in a team of four.
 Developed an understanding of the entire design and prototyping process through the completion
of an individual project undertaking drive transmission design project.
 In addition to engineering courses, participated in a French language course at Imperial.

2009-2016 Leeds City Academy, Yorkshire

A Levels: Maths (A*), Physics (A*), Further Maths (A), French (A)
GCSE’s: 6A*, 4A

WORK AND VOLUNTARY EXPERIENCE

2016 - Imperial College London
Temporary Events Assistant
 Worked at several corporate events on campus, providing a first point of contact to external visitors
and speakers from industry and other universities.
 Demonstrated strong customer focus, working as part of a team of other students and members of
the Events department at Imperial.

2013 - Kirklees Badminton and Squash Club

Qualified Badminton Coach
 Regularly coaching children aged between 10 and 16 to encourage active participation in sport.
 Voted on to the club management committee to represent the views of younger members, and
introduced and maintained a social media presence which has increased membership by 22%
 Developed leadership skills in addition to the ability to motivate others.

2011 9th Leeds City Explorer Scout Group

 Participated in numerous local and international volunteering activities, including undertaking
charity walk from Leeds to Edinburgh, which raised £2,500 for children’s charities.

IT AND LANGUAGE SKILLS

 Proficient in Microsoft Office applications
 Coding in MATLAB
 CAD and solid modelling in Solidworks
 Advanced French

INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

 1st Year Student Rep (2016/17), representing student body at academic committee; proposed and
designed template to assist with online learning module.
 Active member of Imperial Engineers Without Borders student society.
 1st 4Sport Level 1 award in badminton coaching

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

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 CVs - Undergraduate

Example 1-page CV for a graduate role in banking and finance

Xi Li
39 James Square, London, SW7 1NN, United Kingdom
+44 7123 45678 | xili@sample.imperial.ac.uk | www.linkedin.com/in/xilisample/1

EDUCATION
Imperial College London London, United Kingdom
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Statistics for Finance September 2015 – June 2018
 Predicted to graduate with First Class Honours – (ranked top 5% in first and second year)
 Modules: Financial Management, Statistical Modelling, Time Series, Games Theory
 Awarded prize for best group in 2nd Year, M2R project, leading a team of 4
 Achieved Distinction in Imperial Horizons course: ‘Professional Skills for Employability’

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
ChinaGold Asset Management Beijing, China
Summer Analyst, Investment Division July 2017 – August 2017
 Participated in a 3 billion live deal within energy industry
o Designed financial model individually to estimate earnings of a convertible bond, which
facilitated the adjustment of transaction structure
 Worked effectively in a project team on non-performing commodities assets
o Proposed solutions on assets recovery and produced business plan as part of a team of 5
Blue Sky Securities Beijing, China
Summer Analyst, Corporate Finance Division June 2016 – July 2016
 Contributed to the IPO of a high-end laser company
o Conducted laser industry research and comparable company analysis
o Collaborated with a team of 4 and composed the industry section of Due Diligence report
 Provided integrated financial advisory services to a medium-sized sports company based in Jiangsu
o Analysed a major competitor’s financial and identified potential market in sport industry
o Discussed effectively with clients and amended business plans based on market performance
PwC China Shanghai, China
Summer Intern, Finance Division June 2015 – August 2015
 Analysed 25+ transactions across all industry, including 25 million deal with Shanghai Electric
 Performed basic audit tasks and liaised with project manager to request client information

FURTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Imperial College London London, UK
Research Assistant, Computational Statistics August 2016 – September 2016
 Implemented graph and string matching algorithms efficiently in statistical analysis
 Gained experience of working in a team with 2 PhD researchers and also a Senior Lecturer
Enactus Imperial London, UK
Project Leader October 2015 – March 2016
 Investigated producers of ethically sourced chilled green tea and negotiated with college shops to
introduce the product.
 Donated the profit made from speciality tea sales to support Enactus Philippines project

SKILLS, ACTIVITIES & INTERESTS

Languages: Mandarin (Native), English (Fluent)
Programming Skills: Python, Matlab, R, C++
Activities & Interests: Volunteered for London Fashion Week 2015/2016, Finance Society, Swimming

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CVs - Undergraduate
Example 2-page CV for a non-technical graduate role

Adam Student
24B Tennyson Road, London, NW9 2XB; Tel: 01234 56789; astudent@live.co.uk; www.linkedin.com/in/adstudent

EDUCATION

2014-2018 MEng Biomedical Engineering Imperial College London

 Predicted degree class: Upper Second
 Year 3: achieved Upper Second, distinction in Third Year independent project
 Year 2: achieved Upper Second; distinction in fluid mechanics
 Year 1: achieved Upper Second; distinction in mechanics
Courses include: Biomedical Advances & Computational Stress Analysis; Biomechanics; Image Processing;
Biomimetics: Medical Device Entrepreneurship

Group Projects:
 2016: The Application of edge detectors in MATLAB on images of eczema; working with 10 students
 2015: Adapting a rowing ergometer for users with limited range of wrist and ankle joint motion; working
with 5 students

2012-2014 Sutton Grammar School, Surrey

A Levels: Mathematics (A), Further Mathematics (B), Chemistry (B); GCSE: Japanese (A*)

2007-2012 Ladywell Manor School, Morden, London

GCSEs: 12 including Mathematics (A*), ICT (A) and English Language (C)

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Jan – April 2017 Third Year Project, Imperial College London

 Developed design concept of Implantable knee joint for knee amputees
 Gained practical experience of using Solidworks, rapid prototyping and knowledge of tissue
engineering and biomechanics
 Enhanced report writing and presentation skills, delivering summary of project results to tutors

July – August 2017 Researcher, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)

Imperial College London
 Mechanical characterization of the vitreous humour and changes due to eye movements and age
using non–Newtonian material models
 Developed proficiency with MATLAB and acquired experience of applying mathematical techniques
for use with unsteady oscillatory flows

July – Sept 2016 Volunteer project member, MERU (www.meru.org.uk) London

 Volunteer member of a team of 5, including 3 professional bioengineers working on assistive equipment for
children and young people with disabilities
 Responsible for investigating resin mouldings for a camera mount for wheelchair users
 Participated in focus groups with young people and their families; responsible for gathering and
analysing feedback on prototypes

WORK EXPERIENCE

June – July 2015 Operations Assistant, Boomerang Travel Operations, London

 Set up Access database and updated information on the system, demonstrating strong attention to detail
and organisational skills
 Communicated effectively via phone, email and Skype to companies and individuals to pre-book services
and successfully secured confirmations

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 CVs - Undergraduate

July 2014 HR Admin Assistant Intern, Winchester Training & Consultancy, London
 Utilised attention to detail to organise and crosscheck documents for auditing
 Provided admin support to departments by chasing up candidates and companies for references and CRB
renewals
 Resourced candidates from recruitment websites such as Reed and TotalJobs
 Submitted timesheets using various management systems such as Beeline and Manpower
 Created invoices, entered remittances and reconciled a bank statement using Sage

2014 - 2015 Maths Tutor Volunteer, Chiswick Park Academy, London

 Tutored a group of 6 underachieving students, to help boost their maths for GCSE and A Level, providing one
to one mentoring and support and classroom assistance to various year groups
 Negotiated and strategized solutions to support a student struggling in class
 Led a cover lesson with a year 8 class in the presence of a supply teacher

2013 - 2014 Shop Volunteer, British Red Cross, Sutton, Surrey

 Responsible for handling money, including managing the till and cashing up
 Served and interacted with customers providing excellent customer care; demonstrated listening and
communication ability by answering queries about products
 Approached customers asking if assistance was needed and investigated stock availability, showing
proactive customer service skills

2012 - 2013 Young Enterprise, Sutton Grammar School, Surrey

 Fundraised money to register company and collected donations for a talent show
 Helped manage a stall at Borough food market to sell the products and communicated with customers with
a professional attitude
 Generated ideas for a product in a team of 13 through weekly team meetings
 Made profit of £600

POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY

2015 – 2016 Student Associate, Ladywell Manor School, London

 Raised students’ interest in studying A Level mathematics and aiming for university through presentations
and a question and answer session to 30 students.

2013 Manga Club Volunteer Monitor, Chiswick Park Library, London

 Assisted library staff, at Saturday club, working with children, and organising and displaying stock.

TECHNICAL SKILLS
 Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
 Competent in use of Solidworks, COMSOL, MATLAB, Graphviz, LATEX
 Intermediate proficiency in C/C++
 Proficient in Japanese, both spoken and written

INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

 Member of Institution of Mechanical Engineers and Institution of Engineering Technology
 Active member of Imperial College Sailing Club, with regular attendance at committees (2014-17)
 Running; currently training for 10k race to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital

REFERENCES Available on request

10
CVs - Undergraduate

Example 2-page CV for a graduate role in science

John Student 14 Kedleston Close, Allestree, Derby, Derbyshire, DE22 2JP

Tel: 07769234568 / adam.student13@imperial.ac.uk

EDUCATION

Imperial College London 2013-2016

BSc Chemistry
Results:
 Predicted 1st class honours
 Second year Modules: Applied Molecular Biology (75%), Immunology (79.1%), Cancer
Biology (70.02%), Tutored Dissertation (70%), Epidemiology & Global Health (77.5%),
Nanotechnology (75.45%), Principles of Pharmacology (66.55%), Infectious Diseases
(69.56%)
 Second year average – 72.90%
Key Projects:
 Demonstrated research abilities and critical appraisal skills by producing a 4000 word 1st
class Tutored Dissertation entitled “To exercise or not to exercise: the health benefits”
 Proved scientific practical and writing skills by achieving a 1st class grade for a 3 week
laboratory project and write-up
 Achieved a 1st class grade for all coursework oral presentations working both as a group and
individually
 Enhance critical analysis and presentation skills shown during weekly Journal club meetings

Derby College 2011-2013

A Levels – Biology (A*), Chemistry (A*), Maths (A)
AS Level – Psychology (A)

Derby Hill School 2007-2011

GCSEs: 5A* including Maths and English Language, 5As, 2Bs, 1 Distinction

EXPERIENCE
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Placement – Imperial College London Summer 2015
 Received bursary for 8 weeks laboratory work experience
 Worked as part of team of 7 students, a postdoctoral researcher and a project leader
 Examined fish muscle M-bands using cryosectioning and electron microscopy
 Prepared pins for cryosectioning and grids for electron microscopy
 Cryosectioned fish muscle, preserved and viewed the samples under an electron microscope
 Carried out weekly journal clubs and developed presentation and leadership skills
 Researched current articles on the M-band to further scientific understanding

11
 CVs - Undergraduate

Au Pairing and Teaching English – Milan, Italy Summer 2014

 7 weeks English coaching
 Responsibility for the solo care of two children
 Improved skills in Italian listening, reading and speaking
 Communicated with a wide variety of people
 Gained experience of living in a different country, developing adaptability and cultural
awareness

The Star Inn, Quarndon 2009-2015

 Carried out waitressing and bar staff roles
 Trained new staff members
 Demonstrated interpersonal and team working skills

Derby Jazz Festival Annually 2009-2014

 Assisted in waitressing, bar work and food preparation
 Guided new staff members and assigned tasks

Cardiac Rehabilitation Centre, Nottingham 2012-2013

 Observed the roles of doctors and instructors in the centre and developed commercial
awareness and an understanding of the requirements of running of a business
 Undertook secretarial tasks

KEY SKILLS
Technical – Laboratory skills: PCR, carbon coating, cryosectioning and electron microscopy.
Proficient in Microsoft word, excel and PowerPoint
Languages – GCSE French, German (B), Basic Italian

INTERESTS/ACHIEVEMENTS
 Imperial College School of Medicine Boat Club (ICSMBC) (2013-present) – Progressed from
beginning rowing in 1st year of university to competing in the 1st eight boat for every race of
2nd year. Demonstrated time management skills by attending 5 training sessions per week
while obtaining a high standard degree. Responsible for the welfare and technical training of
novice rowers
 Part of a team of rowers who walked 100km from London to Brighton to raise money for the
RNLI and ICSMBC. With the money raised a boat was bought was bought for the 2nd eight
team
 Gliding (2010-present) – Flew solo at 16. Supervised youth members by demonstrating how
to be safe on the airfield and the essential skills needed for their first flight. Presented
theory to the youth flying group
 Tennis – Club finalist (2014)

REFERENCES
Available on request

12
CVs - Undergraduate

Example 2-page CV for medically focussed role

Amed Student
123 Shooters Hill Road, London, SW3 8AB,
Tel: 01234 567890 amedstudent@live.co.uk www.linkedin.com/in/ameddstudent

EDUCATION:

2013-2018 MBBS/BSc Medical Science with Management, Imperial College London

First Class BSc awarded. Currently sitting in the top percentile for MBBS

Recent Clinical placements: St Mary’s, Paddington – general surgery, respiratory, Care of the
Elderly, neurology, ICU and gastroenterology. GP placement with Munster Road GP Surgery

Relevant BSc modules: Health Informatics, Managing Healthcare Organisations, Health

Economics, Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management
Group project: Understanding the Junior Doctors contract negotiations – presented to the junior
doctors committee at the BMA. Achieved 82%

2006-2013 Sutton Grammar School, Surrey

A Levels: Mathematics (A*), Chemistry (A*), Biology (A)
GCSE: 11 GCSEs at A* and one at A, including English, Mathematics and Latin

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Jan – April 2017 Development Project, Help for Hero’s

 Developed design concept of detachable knee joint for veteran knee amputees
 Gained practical experience of using Solidworks, rapid prototyping and knowledge of tissue
engineering and biomechanics
 Collaborated with veteran amputees and consultants from St Mary’s to trail knee joint and
assess expanding the project. Funding currently being applied for

July – Sept 2015 Researcher, Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)

Imperial College London
 Extended BSc group project to fully assess potential impact of introduction of new junior
doctor contract, both economically and anthropologically
 Developed proficiency with R and developing meaningful surveys to enable the application of
mathematical techniques
 Published results in student BMJ, wrote a blog for BMJ online and presented findings to the
BMA Medical Academics Conference

Aug – Sept 2014 Volunteer project member, MERU (www.meru.org.uk) London

 Volunteer member of a team of 5, including 3 professional bioengineers working on assistive
equipment for children and young people with disabilities
 Given responsibility for training the 24 differently abled users on using their new equipment,
working with carers during home trials and providing technical assistance as required
 Participated in focus groups with young people and their families, responsible for gathering
and analysing feedback on prototypes

RELEVANT CLINICAL EXPERIENCE:

July – Dec 2016 Care of the Elderly Attachment, St Mary’s Hospital, London
 Shadowed consultant and registers over 10 weeks, observing medical care of up to 30 patients at
any one time
 Communicated effectively patients, ensuring their comfort and building an understanding of the
realities of the theoretical learning received during training
 Supported the nursing team in an audit to assess patient care, interviewing carer givers and
families. Collated responses and contributed to a poster delivered at the Royal College of Nursing
AGM

13
 CVs - Undergraduate

Feb – April 2015 General Surgery Attachment, Charing Cross Hospital, London
 Followed a range of patients throughout their surgery experience, included 2 amputations and 3
paediatric cases (appendix removal, emergency spleen repair and fracture correction)
 Observed over 20 surgeries per week
 Produced graphs mapping aesthetic usage as part of a QIP in collaboration with an anaesthetic
registrar

POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Aug2015 – Present Manga Club Volunteer Monitor, Chiswick Park Library, London
 Assist members of the library team, working the children and teenagers at the club and also
organising and displaying stock

Sept 2013 – Present Widening participation ambassador, Imperial College, London

 Raised students’ interest in medicine, mathematics and university through presentations and a
question and answer session to 30 students at various colleges within London

Aug 2015 – Aug 2017 Imperial College Representative, British Medical Association, London
 Collaborated with the Imperial College Medical Student Union to ensure Imperials views were
voiced at the quarterly meetings of the BMA Medical Students committee
 Ran a training on speaking on conference at the 2016 BMA Medical Students Conference to an
audience of over 50 students from across the UK

OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE AND VOLUNTEERING:

Jan – April 2014 Maths Tutor Volunteer, Chiswick Park Academy, London
 Tutored a group of 6 underachieving students, to help boost their maths for GCSE and AS,
providing one to one mentoring and support, in addition to classroom assistance across various
year groups
 Negotiated and strategized solutions to support a student struggling in class
 Led a cover lesson with a year 8 class in the presence of a supply teacher

Sept 2012-Sept 2013 Shop Volunteer, British Red Cross, Sutton, Surrey
 Responsible for handling money, including managing the till and cashing up
 Served and interacted with customers providing excellent customer care. Demonstrated listening
and communication ability by answering queries about products
 Approached customers asking if assistance was needed and investigated stock availability,
showing proactive customer service skills

TECHNICAL SKILLS

 Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office

 Competent in use of Solidworks, COMSOL, MATLAB, Graphviz, LATEX
 University level laboratory techniques including PCR, splicing, inoculation, sterilization, filtration,
reagent mixing and sample collection
 Proficient in Japanese, both spoken and written
 Current drivers licence

INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

 Student member of the BMA and Royal College of Physicians

 Active member of Imperial College sailing club, with regular attendance at committees (2014-)
 Running. Currently training for 10k race to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital

REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

14
CVs - Undergraduate
Example 1-page CV for a technical graduate role

Edmund Husserl 134 Phenomenalogia Strasse, Leuven 1010, Belgium; ed.husserl@gmail.com; 07123456789

Computing / Coding skills

 Intermediate: Java, C#, Python, (T-)SQL, C; Basic: Haskell, Assembly, C++, JavaScript (JS), LATEX

Education
MEng Computing (2:1 expected) – Imperial College London 2014 – 2018

 Included six month industrial placement at Deutsche Bank (April to September 2017)

Baccalaureat - St Francis Xavier College, Leuven: Mathematics: 10/10; Physics: 10/10; Overall: 9.86/10 2012 - 2014

Employment
Technology Intern (Algorithmic Trading), Deutsche Bank 2017 (Apr-Sept)

 Assisted Foreign Exchange Automated Trading Team by devising enhanced software for algorithmic trading

Software Developer Intern at Digital Capital Markets plc 2016 (Jun–Sept)

 Created a natural language processing app in C# to process relevant information based on emails

Research Intern at Riverside Data Analytics 2015 (July)

 Analysed hybrid theoretical models for fraud detection in invoices for small/medium training sets

Technology Spring Intern at UBS 2015 (Apr)

 Developed a budgeting app to predict when the user will achieve a financial goal (‘Best Project Award’)

Ambassador at IMG Investments and Services Insight Intern at RBS 2015 (Jan-June)

Projects (Full details and portfolio at www.linkedin.com/in/ed-husserl-12345678)

 Wrote an operating system, variation of BSD, called Pintos with monolithic kernel, several syscalls, two schedulers (mlfqs,
priority), virtual memory with paging and swap – using C
 Wrote full compiler for a complete general purpose statically typed language (WACC) – using Java
 Created an assembler and an emulator for ARM Assembly language – using C. This has since been extended to support
Morse Code communication for Raspberry Pi’s – using C
 Produced algorithm to rate a decision with respect to benefit it can bring, versus others – using Python; CTA Technologies
now uses it globally to improve priority selection for all its subsidiaries

Awards
 The President’s Undergraduate Merit Scholarship from Imperial College London (2014 – 2018)
 National Mathematics Olympiads and Contests – Gold (1), Bronze (2), Prizes: awarded top 3 Junior Fellow UK Society of
Mathematical Sciences; awarded prizes in national and regional Olympiads
 Hackathons: 1st Prizes – IC Hack (Imperial): Swift (2016); Hack X (King’s): JavaScript (2015); 2nd Prizes: Hack King’s
(King’s): Java (2016); Bloomberg at Lauzhack (EPFL Lausanne): Python; Capital One at HackLondon (UCL): JavaScript;
Prizes: HackUPC (UPC Barcelona) tech: Python; Hack King’s (King’s) HireSpace: JavaScript

Additional Interests / Achievements

 Elected Chair (2017 – 2018) and Secretary (2016 – 2017) Imperial Belgium Society
 Schools Ambassador at Imperial College London (2014 – 2015)
 Fluent (mother tongue) in French and Flemish; highly proficient in English and German

References – available on request

15
16
CVs - Masters

Example 2-page CV for a PhD application

Astrid Jansen
Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL7 PY
Linkedin.com/in/astridojansen Nationality: Austrian - Hungarian
Phone +44(0)123456789 Email: aojansen@ic.ac.uk
Languages - German (native), Hungarian (native), English (fluent), Spanish (beginner)
IT / Statistical Skills - Excel, SPSS, R, GIS

Education
MSc Conservation Science, Imperial College London (2016 – 2017)
MSc is aimed at experienced conservationists; significantly improved statistical (e.g. R,
SPSS), teamwork, project planning skills and knowledge of conservation in practice.
Bachelor and Masters of Science in Forest and Nature Conservation, University of
Wien, Austria – GPA 3.7 (2011 – 2016) Undertook broad range of courses including
statistics, ecological modelling, forest ecology and forest management, agroforestry.

Conservation Research Projects / Internships

MSc Dissertation on Conservation, Imperial College London (April – August 2017).
Supervised by Dr C. P. Snow. Project: sequencing and comparing soil microbiota
genome and observing impact (if any) on seed germination in Falkland Islands / Islas
Malvinas. Collaborating with Falkland Conservation, Natural History Museum, Royal
Botanical Gardens Kew and Darwin Initiative. Methods: DNA extraction, bacteria
isolation & identification, molecular phylogenetics. Analysis: SPSS and R.

Optional Internship (January – June 2016) in Forestry Department, Ministry of

Environment and Rural Affairs, Wienerwald. Supervised by Dr S. Bakker. Supported
Austrian Council of European Union at EU and UNFCCC level, by preparing and
attending negotiations on sustainable timber trade and climate mitigation.

Final Year Research Project (June – December 2015) in Ecological Research

Centre, Agronomical Institute of Krems in collaboration with Budapest University
of Technology and Economics. Supervised by Arne Thorensen. Designed and
implemented a study on the limiting effect of grazers on tree line expansion in Siberian
Tundra. Methods: cafeteria experiment, transects, abiotic measurements. Analysis:
GzLMM (Excel, SPSS).

Research Internship (October 2014 – April 2015) in Austrian Committee of

International Union for Nature Conservation (IUNC), Graz. Supervised by Stephanie
Krohn. Completed a desk-based study of conservation in landscape design; reviewed
literature on the topic, created a theoretical framework and evaluated three different
projects based on interviews with NGO partners and review of published reports.

17
 CVs - Masters

Conservation Research Projects / Internships

Research Assistant Department of Plant Sciences, University of Graz (June -
August 2014). Supervised by Dr Samira Khan. Assisted with investigating
evolutionary shifts from hermaphroditism to dioecy using annual mercury plant as a
model. Extracted and weighed reproductive parts of mercury plants from different
breeding lines; kept accurate records which were used by PhD student in her thesis.
Invasive Species Compendium Researcher – CABI, Delemont, Switzerland (July –
August 2013). Supervised by Dr Goodluck Nelson. Reviewed recent literature,
uploaded, updated and proof-read species profiles in the Invasive Species Compendium.

Contributions to Conferences
Youth in Landscapes Initiative, Member of trade and finance group (December
2015). Selected as one of 10 youths to participate in environmental advocacy course
and pitched ideas to reform Danone’s Livelihoods Carbon Fund.
EU Conference on Environmental Threats to Marine Biodiversity (June 2015).
Selected to attend this conference. Contributed to discussions about coastal waste
collection and threat posed by Chinese lanterns. Gained overview of global threats to
marine biodiversity and demonstrated communication and leadership skills.
Summer School of Austrian Ecological Society (July 2011). Selected as one of 5 high
school pupils nationally to attend this summer school. Learnt how to dissect barn owl
pellets and analyse bones to gather data on barn owl’s diet in Wienerwald. Learnt how
to trap and release rodents. Collected, examined and identified species of aquatic
insects to assess level and impact of pollution in River Danube.

Outreach and Science Communication

National Museum of Science, Wien – Digital Media Volunteer (May 2013).
Interviewed scientists and curator of ‘Flora and Fauna Framed’ exhibition (2013); used
editing software to help produce exhibit videos; wrote blogs on exhibits and debates
and posted material on exhibition website.
Austrian Ecological Society – Education and Outreach Volunteer (Jan – Jun 2012).
Helped teach field skills such as collecting and identifying aquatic insects and
lepidoptera to groups of school children, aged 9 – 16 years.

Additional Skills / Interests

 Member of Austrian Ecological Society and Forestry International
 Basic Outdoor First Aid Course (2017), Imperial College London
 Keen hiker and member of Imperial Fell Wanderers club; enjoy planning and
participating in weekend walks, with trips organised to Alps, Norway, Scotland

References – available on request

18
CVs - Masters

Example 2-page CV for industry

TOMAS GARCIA
Flat 19, London House, London Street, London SW7 2AZ
+44 7099 12345
T.GarciaSample@imperial.ac.uk / www.linkedin.com/in/adstudent

EDUCATION
2016-2017 Imperial College London
MSc Petroleum Geophysics

Relevant modules: Petro-physics (log and core analysis), Reservoir Engineering, Petroleum
Geophysics, Basin Analysis and Advanced Seismic Methods.
Individual Projects:
 1 month – Taranaki basin (seismic data processing). Processed data collected from the
Taranaki basic and submitted a report with results of the subsurface image.
 Attended 1 week EAGE Geophysics Boot Camp, Tremp, Catalonia gaining practical
experience seismic data processing.
Group Projects: Gullfaks Field Group Project
 Worked in a team of 4 over 2 weeks to research, draft and submit a report on the Gullfaks field.
 Responsible for reprocessing field data using 4D seismic interpretation.

2013-2016 University of Leeds

BSc Geological Sciences (Petroleum Pathway) 2:1 degree awarded

Relevant modules: Graphics/Statistics for Geoscientists, Advanced Applied Geophysics,

Geohazards, Advanced Programming, Mineral Deposits, Minerals Processing, Reservoir Engineering
Fieldwork: Conducted a five week independent mapping project in Sardinia.
 Gained practical experience of the application and use of field maps, sections and
observations.
 Produced a detailed 20km2 Geological map and an accompanying 10,000 word report.
 Demonstrated the ability to organise and prioritise and remain focused in a new and
challenging work environment.

2011-2013 Madrid International College

International Baccalaureate: Result, 39 (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography
German)

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

July-Aug 2016 Summer Intern, Shell, Aberdeen (6 week placement)

 Practically applied knowledge gained during academic studies to analyse data for a live
exploration project to assess the feasibility of a sector north west of the Orkney Isles.
 Contributed in the identification of potential geohazards for a 3000km pipeline project within the
Middle East; successfully located and classified rivers along the full transect using remote-
sensing platforms.
 Worked on a Phase 1 rail project analysing historical changes along the designated route.
Calculated and presented seasonal slip rates for ongoing borehole data in central Europe.
 Worked closely with a team of geologist, analysts and engineers, and gained a good
understanding of upstream operations.
 Trained in and used 3D mapping and seismic interpretation software to analyse and present
data for use by the project team.
 Received excellent feedback from supervisor, specifically relating to successful identification
and subsequent correction of a data anomaly with project documentation.

19
 CVs - Masters

Dec 2015-April 2016 Final year project, University of Leeds

 Conducted an investigation of carbon concentrations in samples of synthetic muds.

 Ran a suite of shear experiments identifying a 30% decrease in the co-efficient of friction from
a 5% increase in carbon concentration.
 Co-wrote final report with Dr A Smith (project supervisor) which was then jointly presented at a
Geological Society London Lecture on 05/05/2017.

Feb 2015-May 2015 2nd Year Group Project, University of Leeds

 Successfully co-ordinated a research project group of 5 individuals to produce and present an

assessed report – An evaluation of Hydraulic Fracturation in North England.
 Achieved a grade of 85% and selected award E.H. Davies prize for best group.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE

2014-2016 Part-time Sales Assistant, Decathlon, Leeds

 Delivered excellent customer focused service in busy retail environment.

 Negotiated sales and developed specialist knowledge of outdoor leisure equipment.
 Used communication skills to train new staff on both store and health and safety procedures
 Applied attention to detail to undertake regular stock checking, and introduced a new process
for stock re-ordering which received positive feedback from the senior management.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Technical and computing skills

 ArcGIS, CAD, GIMP and Inkscape to produce professional quality maps, drawing and general
landform imagery
 Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
Languages
 Spanish – native speaker
 German – fluent
 French – conversational

INTERESTS AND POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY

2016-2017 Postgraduate Student Rep, School of Earth Science & Engineering

Imperial College London

 Liaised with academic staff to ensure feedback from an internationally diverse cohort of MSc
students was communicated effectively.
 Co-managed an online student user group, piloting a test version of the Moodle online learning
environment.

Travel: backpacked across South America in summer 2015 with a group of friends.
Music: Play several instruments including: guitar, piano and accordion.

References available on request

20
CVs - PhD

Example 2-page CV for an academic post, such as a postdoctoral position or research

fellowship

PETER M. JONES
15 Wilton Avenue, Southampton SO2 7TY, UK
Tel: + 44 7794 234675 Email: pjones@hotmail.com

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH INTERESTS

My current research, supervised by Professor Samuel Smith and Dr Nicos Montani focuses on modelling
of high-pressure structural behavior of silicon nanowires up to approximately 24 GPa using angle
dispersive X-ray diffraction measurements. Though the X-ray diffraction experiments do not reveal any
size effect, the pressure dependence of Raman modes indicates that the behavior of nanowires is
comparable but not identical to that of bulk crystal and porous Si. My thesis aims to investigate these
differences with greater accuracy than has been achieved to date. Novel techniques arising from my
research include the development of the innovative linear-scaling DFS code UNISTEP and co-
development with my supervisor of MONOTEP.

I am now keen to collaborate with physicists in the group at University of Cambridge and work on
computational fluid dynamics to understand better their impact on plane-wave formation and
transformation. I aim to further improve the accuracy of my predictions using DFS simulations and novel
CFD techniques, developed by Professor Xu Lin. I would also like to contribute to wider international
projects on nanomaterials, setting up collaborations with groups in Japan and the US. I am currently
exploring the possibility of matched industry funding for a postdoctoral position, given the current interest
in nanomaterials with limited combustibility.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE & EDUCATION

2012-2015 PhD in silicon nanowires, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, UK

 Project title: ‘Pressure-induced structural phase transformations in silicon nanowires’
supervised by Professor Samuel Smith and Dr Nicos Montani.
 Collaboration with University of Cambridge, UK
 Publications and poster presentations: www.researchgate.com/profile/peter-jones
 Methods include analysis by electron microscopy and X-Ray diffraction
 Developed novel DFS linear-scaling software - UNISTEP and contributed to
development of MONOSTEP with supervisor; apply both tools to analysis and
simulation of behavior of silicon nanowires after application of pressure
 Planned completion date December 2015

2011-2012 MSc in Theory and Simulations of Materials, Imperial College London, UK

 Distinction achieved
 Co-authored linear-scaling code UNISTEP on group programming project

2007-2011 MSci Hons Physics (1st Class), St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford
 Gained top overall marks in Finals examinations on this degree
 Final year project: Computer modelling of carbon nanotube spectra

2005-2007 GCE A Levels – Bradshaw School, Nottingham

 Mathematics, Physics, Further Mathematics – Grade A*; Chemistry - Grade A

PUBLICATIONS / RESEARCH OUTCOMES

 Smith S., Jones P.M., Montani N., 2014, Europium anomaly in silicon nanowire and bulk crystal
transformation sequence, Applied Nanomaterials, vol 27, issue 15, p. 264-278

 Smith S., Montani N., Jones P.M., 2013, Iridium anomaly in silicon nanowire and bulk crystal
transformation sequence, Applied Nanomaterials, vol 24, issue 11, p. 132-1388

 In total, four papers published, two as first-named author and six invitations received to speak at
national or international conferences and meetings. Full details of all publications and poster
presentations - www.researchgate.com/profile/peter-jones

21
 CVs - PhD

PRESENTATIONS / INVITED TALKS

 Conference presentations at
o European Silicon Nanowires Union 2013 and 2014
o European Association of Nanomaterials, 2014
o DYF 2014 Conference in Vienna
o EPTHG 2013 meeting in Edinburgh
o ESHG 2013 meeting in Cambridge

 Invited to give a Thomas Giddon Centre lunchtime seminar and posters at the CESSNI local orbital
conference (best student poster prize) and the TGH Energy Materials workshop

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

 Prize for top examination result on MSci degree at University of Oxford in 2011
 Poster prize awarded at European Association of Nanomaterials 2013 conference

SUPERVISION & TEACHING

 Taught undergraduate practicals in computational methods and material simulation in Department of

Physics and Department of Material Science
 Gave recent lunchtime seminar for new PhD students on X-ray diffraction techniques
 Currently supervising two Masters students’ project work

IMPACT ACTIVITIES

 Worldwide media coverage of research project in 2013, e.g. Channel 4 documentary

 With my supervisor, contributed to Government policy paper on nanomaterials and the environment
 Presented to school children during recent collaborative trip to Cambridge UK, gave Café Scientifique
presentation and local interest group talks in 2014
 I write my own science blog with weekly updates at www.silcyscientist.com

FUNDING SECURED

 Obtained travel grant to attend European Geosciences Union 2014

 Assisted my supervisor with a successful collaborative bid for £1 million EU funding
 Achieved an estimated profit of £3,000 p.a. through increase in online sales revenue as a result of
improvements and recommendations made to senior management on Infotec internship

INDUSTRY AND MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE

2012 – 2013 HERMES 2013 International Summer School – Co-organiser, on comittee

2011 Infotec Consulting, summer intern

Working for this technical consultancy and data analytics firm, I analysed online customer
user interface data and recommended improvements to search engine optimization
(including use of Sigmaplot, GDCKit); also produced and delivered briefings and
graphics at presentations to clients

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

 Attended courses in Practical Demonstration, Communication & Presentation Skills for Conferences,
Writing Project Proposals, Writing Scientific Papers

REFERENCES available from Professor Samuel Smith s.smith@imperial.ac.uk and

Dr Nicos Montani n.montani@imperial.ac.uk

22
CVs - PhD
Example 2-page CV for a role outside of academia, e.g. management consultancy

PETER M. JONES
15 Wilton Avenue, Southampton SO2 7TY, UK
Tel: + 44 7794 234675 Email: pjones@hotmail.com

PhD candidate with three years’ experience managing complex research project. Strong
analytical skills developed on PhD and on technical consultancy internship. Committed team-
player, flexible and reliable with excellent communication and leadership skills. Highly
motivated to apply these skills and experience to a future career in consultancy.

EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

2012-2015 PhD project on silicon nanowire simulations, Department of Physics, Imperial College
London
 Collaborative research project with University of Cambridge, UK
 Contributed to development of novel linear-scaling code which enables accurate
simulation of plane-wave and other quantum mechanical calculations
 Published in international peer-review journal
 Presented work at 4 national or international conferences
 Co-organised international summer school (Hermes 2013)
 Title: ‘Pressure-induced structural phase transformations in silicon nanowires’

2011-2012 MSc in Theory and Simulations of Materials, Imperial College London

 Distinction achieved.
 Co-authored linear-scaling code ‘MISSTEP’ on group programming project.

2007-2011 BSc Hons Physics (1st Class achieved), St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford
 Gained top overall marks in Finals examinations on this degree.
 Final year project: Computer modelling of carbon nanotube spectra.

2005-2007 Bradshaw School, Nottingham

A Levels Mathematics, Physics, Further Mathematics(All A*s); Chemistry (A).

CONSULTANCY EXPERIENCE

2011 Infotec Consulting, Summer Intern

 Infotec provides analytics based consultancy to the retail sector.
 Analysed raw data and identified promising trends that could be implemented
by major online retailer in the future
 Managed to improve search engine optimization which resulted in 10% higher
conversion rate to online sales.
 Worked on 2 concurrent projects, providing data analytics, online research,
written briefings and graphics for presentations.

23
 CVs - PhD

SKILLS AND INTERESTS

Technical skills & knowledge

I have a broad background in physics and materials science. During my PhD I have developed extensive
expertise in software development producing an innovative new software called UNISTEP to model
changes in materials. I have participated in several international conferences and seminars presenting
novel techniques arising from my research project. Working with my supervisor I have contributed to UK
Government policy debates on the impact of nanomaterials on the environment and have published two
peer-reviewed papers in international journals and edited a third.

Data & problem analysis

From my PhD and internship at Infotec I am comfortable analysing large amounts of data and identifying
patterns and trends. I am also adept at solving technical problems and devising new approaches, which
has been an important part of my PhD. On my MSc and my PhD I have demonstrated higher level
analytical skills when developing new linear-scaling software.

Team working & collaboration

I enjoy working with people and contributing to team goals. At the National Institute of Nanomaterials, I
am part of a research group which collaborates with a variety of internal teams and external research
organisations and I am trusted to help build and maintain good relationships. I visit Cambridge University
regularly to maintain good relations through face-to-face discussions. Also, this year I have supervised
the projects of two Masters students, ensuring they know how to use the relevant software and regularly
discussed with them their progress on their projects (both were awarded Distinctions).

Communication

I have strong presentation skills, having given numerous talks to both technical and non-specialist
(public, schoolchildren) audiences during my PhD. I have spoken at international conferences with
audiences of several hundred people and received positive feedback.
I have published papers in highly-rated journals (listed at www.researchgate.com/profile/peter-jones)
and I communicate ideas and arguments clearly in writing. At Infotec I drafted clear, concise, technical
reports for the consultants which were always well-received.

Personal effectiveness

At Infotec I supported several consultants from different teams and received excellent feedback on the
quality of my work and my interpersonal skills in managing multiple demands on my time. I learned to
deliver high quality work to tight deadlines which has been useful during my PhD. Managing a heavy
workload on my PhD as well as at Infotec has required me to be well-organised and able to plan and
manage a project ensuring I meet deadlines and achieve deliverables.

Additional Skills

I am computer literate, able to programme in C++ and Python. I am also familiar with using specialist
linear-scaling software such as UNISTEP as well as LaTex and am proficient in Microsoft Office (Word,
Excel, and PowerPoint).

I have excellent spoken and written French.

References – available on request

24
CVs - PhD
Example 2-page CV for industry

Sam Smith

Address: Flat B, 101 Kennington Street, London, SW3 2AB

Email: s.smith@sampleimperial.ac.uk Mobile: 07531416029

Education:

PhD: Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London Nov 2013-April 2017

Title: Novel strategies for using maternal analgesic pre-treatments as neuroprotectants against
perinatal brain damage
Researching the clinical implications of commonly used anaesthetics and how they affect the newborn
brain. Supervised by Dr N. Oh.
 Successfully awarded an MRC studentship
Supervision and Teamwork
 Direct supervision of five undergraduate students from Imperial College London.
 Co-ordinating the design of individual projects, providing ongoing mentoring support and a daily
point of contact within the wide research group.
 Worked effectively as part of a team of 12 PhD and Post-Doctoral Researchers.
 Supervised the work of a BSc student which won the Royal College of Psychiatrists President’s Prize
and as a result received commendation for the Imperial Graduate School for leadership skills.
Communication and Presentation
 Undertook regular presentations at both internal, national and international meetings to a wide
audience, ranging from industry professionals, clinicians and fellow researchers.
 Effectively summarised lab work, collating and synthesising complex quantitative data.
 Published three first author review articles (see which has given me a much greater depth of
knowledge in techniques and topics that I encounter on a regular basis as part of my PhD. These
papers centred on my ability to digest and assemble large quantities of information and present
them in a clear way for easy understanding.
Project Management
 Efficient management of lab resources, to ensure transparency and accountantability to key
stakeholders including Principal Investigator, Faculty of Faculty and MRC.
 Successfully secured £5k funding grant from Tommy’s Charity to undertake cross disciplinary,
time limited, research project with parents who have experienced the birth of a premature baby.

MSc Neuroscience, University College London Sept 2012-Aug 2013

Overall grade: Distinction
Project: Investigations of neuroinflammation and hypoxia in animal models of MS. Institute of Neurology.
Supervisor: Prof N Di Guiseppe.
Courses: Developmental Neurobiology, Systems Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Dengeration.

BSc in Neuroscience, Kings College London Sept 2009-June 2012

Overall grade: 1st Class Honours
Courses: Systems Neuroscience, Developmental Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Physiology of the CNS.
 Awarded the J.F. Fellowes Prize for best overall student performance in final year of studies.

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 CVs - PhD

Relevant Experience

Consultancy with BiotechPharma Apr-Sept 2016

Hired by BiotechPharma, and assigned to a consultancy project for Archid, research unit of AstraZeneca.
Communication skills
 Worked as part of a team of 6, the project involved writing reports analysing complex statistical
datasets taken from ongoing clinical trials.
 Visited Zurich to present findings to a committee of senior staff and researchers working for a
partner organisation, Elias GmB.
 Developed an understanding of the roles and responsibilities required to operate effectively within
a small company, while also maintaining effective communication with clients at Archid.
Commercial awareness
 Worked towards a specific brief set by Archid, enabled practical experience to be gained of meeting
and exceeding the requirements of commercial, time limited, R&D project.
 Developed knowledge of intellectual property legislation and the commercialisation of research.

Imperial College Young Minds Enterprise Programme Feb- Nov 2015

Ambassador
 Represented Imperial at a number of nationwide events encouraging young people to participate
in science and innovation activities.
 Used social media channels including Twitter and Facebook to establish communities of young
female scientists aged 13-16 to provide peer support and role models.

Placement with Amgen Scholars programme May-Sept 2013

Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology, Munich, Germany
 Successfully selected for the highly competitive Amgen Scholars programme.
 Applied for and was accepted to join the laboratory of Prof. Jens Holster in Munich, gaining
international experience and cross-cultural awareness of science research.
 On completion of the project and scholarship travelled to the University of Cambridge and
presented findings at an Amgen conference and awards ceremony.

Technical Skills

 Proficiency in HTML, CSS and Java. Self-directed learning undertaken via www.codecademy.com
 Highly proficient in Excel and MS Office
 Colorometric assays; specialised behavioural analyses with Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila
melanogaster brain dissection; confocal microscopy and using Neurolucida, a software for neuron
reconstruction, 3D mapping and morphometry
 Cryosectioning, immunohistological staining, immunocytochemistry, and Western blot
 Experience of using flow cytometry

Languages
 German (fluent written and spoken), basic French and Italian (written and spoken)

Full List of Publications, Conferences and Presentations available via:

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/Sam_SmithSample1
ResearchGate: www.researchgate.net/profile/Sam_SmithSample1

26
Covering Letters

The Cover Letter

A cover letter is designed to work with your CV, allowing you to introduce yourself to an
organisation, explain your motivation for applying to the role and highlight you key skills. Find out
here how to prepare this formal business document.

The purpose of a cover letter is to work with your CV to introduce yourself and create a good first
impression on the reader. Think of it as that first 30 seconds when you meet someone, you start to
judge them and form impressions of them straight away.

So cover letters need to be interesting, clear and most importantly, convey the answer to three
overarching questions that employers have about all their applicants:

• Why do you want to do this role?

• Why do you want to work for me (the employer)?
• Can you do the role?

Remember your CV and cover letter work together, so the employer will already have a list of
your skills and past experiences which goes a long way to answering can you do the role. So your
cover letter should primarily focus on your motivation, and explain to the reader not just that you
do have the skills, but that you really want to use them.

The letter also shows an employer that you have a high standard of written communication skills
so make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. Use professional English, not academic
English.

How do I structure a cover letter?

Generally a cover letter is a one page, formal business document. See our example letter for this
formal layout. Make sure you say what position you’re applying for. If you’re applying speculatively,
tell the company what sort of area of their business you’d like to work in and why.

Say what attracts you to the role and explain why. Try to match yourself to the job and explain why
you think you’ll enjoy it. Draw on things you’ve done at University, think about past projects or work
experiences and then relate these to the role you’re applying for. They provide evidence when
explaining how you know you’ll like the role you’re applying for. If it’s an internship or a graduate
programme, explain how the experience will build you towards a particular career pathway you’d
like to pursue.

Highlight the most relevant skills and experiences you have for the role and explain why you gain
satisfaction out of doing them. You’ve already mentioned these on your CV, so use this space to
expand on the experience, bringing out how you may have built commercial awareness, shown
communication skills or gone above and beyond to achieve good results.

You also need to explain what attracts you to that particular organisation. Try to match yourself
to the employer and explain why you think you’ll enjoy working with them. The company knows
all about themselves so there is no need to list all of their achievements. However you do want to
show that you’ve done some research on them.

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 Covering Letters

Explore their website looking at the ‘About us’ section, their company values, and their mission
statement. Follow them on social media. Have you interacted with the company previously? Think
about what genuinely attracts you to working there and use your previous experience to evidence
how you know you will enjoy working in that sort of culture or environment and for their team.

Conclude in a professional manner by thanking them for reading your letter and say that you look
forward to hearing from them soon. Make sure you close the letter correctly. In the UK if you have
a named contact, close the letter ‘Yours sincerely’. If the contact is Sir/Madam, close with ‘Yours
faithfully’.

Emailing your CV and Cover Letter

Often you’ll need to email your cover letter and CV to an employer. Keep this email short and
to the point, explaining what role you’re applying for and that you’ve attached the relevant
documents. You don’t need to repeat anything that you’ve already written: the email serves as a
delivery tool for your real application which is the attached PDF of your CV and cover letter.

Cover Letter check list:

• Is it formatted correctly?
• Does it talk about the organisation?
• Does it use evidence to highlight and explain your motivation?
• Is the language and tone professional?

Further information

Imperial College London Careers Service – further information on cover letters

www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/application-process/cover-letters

University of Manchester Careers Service - Cover Letter Guide with some examples of cover
letters
www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/media/services/careersandemployabilitydivision/careersservice/
crcpublications/startingpointseriesofhandouts/jobsearch/CoveringLetterGuide-.pdf

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 Covering Letters

Example covering letter for a graduate role

A.K Pharma Ltd. Adam Student

Central Square 24b Tennyson Road
Winchester London
SO22 1AB NW9 2XB

24 October 2017

Dear Ms Carter

I am a final year MEng Biomedical Engineering student at Imperial College London and am writing to apply for a
position on the graduate programme at A.K Pharma. I am particularly interested in the medical devices stream.

Developing medical devices, whether computer-based applying theory from my course or practically as part of my
project and volunteering experiences, has always been an activity I have very much enjoyed. Seeing my creations
being bought to reality and how people interact with them, is enormously satisfying, and has helped me appreciate
that a career in medical devices is for me. Developing, testing and analysing the usage of a knee joint, in
collaboration with amputees and my supervisor, Dr Wong, was the subject of my final year research project. I have
enjoyed being able to help manage the whole project, from initial modelling through to presenting my work back to
tutors. On completing the graduate programme at A.K Pharma, I hope to become a chartered engineer and continue
to work in your team developing cutting edge solutions for clients.

Working as a volunteer for MERU has helped me to further understand the role of Biomedical Engineer. As one of a
team of five students and three professional bioengineers, I helped to develop assistive equipment for children with
a range of disabilities. My main role was gathering and analysing feedback from focus groups when the products
were being testing. I facilitated the group discussion, using probing questions to help the children explain fully what
they found good and bad about the devices. I then discussed these findings with the team, making further
recommendations, so that we could work together to optimise the devices. Being the bridge between the end user
and the engineering team was often challenging; however when the device finally worked, the enthusiasm from all
parties was infectious. I look forward to helping to create this excitement in my career at A.K Pharma.

I thrive on working on distinct projects with specific objectives. I understand from talking to Mr McCaw, a technician
in your medical devices team at the Imperial Engineering Fair, that this is also A.K Pharma’s preferred way of
working. The majority of my previous engineering experience has involved a project-based, outcome-driven
approach, which is very much in line with A.K. Pharma’s values, as outlined on your website. Mr McCaw also told me
how your company regularly seeks to collaborate with many different organisations, from charities to
manufacturers. I was particularly interested in the work being undertaken with the NHS involving synthesising
functional vitreous humor by adapting collagen synthesis. From my previous work experience, which includes
several customer service roles, I know I work best when discussing and working through problems with a wide range
of people, something I very much look forward to doing at A.K. Pharma, in medical devices product development.

Thank you very much for considering my application and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Adam Student
MEng Biomedical Engineering (2014-2018)
Imperial College London

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NOTES: