Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cvs & Applications: For Undergraduate & Masters Students
Cvs & Applications: For Undergraduate & Masters Students
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CVs &
APPLICATIONS
FOR UNDERGRADUATE
& MASTERS STUDENTS
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ON COVER LETTERS,
M A S T E R S S TAT E M E N T S A N D
S P E C U L AT I V E A P P L I C AT I O N S
CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Contents
CVs and Applications: Undergraduate and 4 Get ready to apply
Masters Students
5 Understand recruitment
A book like this can’t take all the stress out of 6 How employers will look at you
applying for jobs, but our hope is that it will 8 Shortlisting
demystify the process and what the recruiters 14 Save time: put together a bucket CV
are expecting from you. There are also
16 Evidence to collect
examples of successful applications written
20 Manage your online presence
by Cambridge students and alumni to give
22 Manage your referees before you apply
you some inspiration.
23 Work permission
You will also find sections on managing
24 Put together your CV
your online presence and application forms,
and there is expanded advice on personal 25 Core principles
statements for Masters courses and on 26 Research: don’t assume
making speculative applications. 28 Types of CV
You don’t need to read the book in order, 30 How to adapt a CV
but if you’re new to making job applications, 32 Good layout and style
take a few minutes to go through the core 34 Sample CVs
principles of how recruitment works outlined
on pages 4-13. 56 Write your application
57 Core principles
58 Writing with impact
61 STAR technique
62 Cover letters: content and structure
65 Sample cover letters
70 Speculative applications
72 Sample speculative emails
74 Application forms
76 Sample application form answers
78 Personal statements for Masters courses
80 Sample personal statements
2 3
CVS AND APPLICATIONS
to apply focusing on what you would like to say about yourself, your qualifications
and experience, and your perceptions of your own talents. But for successful
job applications your starting point must be what your prospective employer
needs and wants.
Turn to page 26-27 for more on how Turn to pages 30-31 for advice on
to research an employer’s needs tailoring your application
4 5
Get ready to apply CVS AND APPLICATIONS
potential
suitability
6 7
Get ready to apply CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Shortlisting
Students are often naïve about the reality of the shortlisting process. People quote
horror statistics about how briskly an application might get read – five seconds,
ten, thirty – but quoting those numbers isn’t the same as properly imagining how it
feels to work through a whole stack of applications under pressure. Crucially, many
candidates tend to assume that all of their application will be read carefully. It won’t.
8 9
Get ready to apply CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Total 35 39 41
Essential criteria on the person Finn Griffiths was given more points than
specification are turned into a row on Meg McDonald, but Finn gave no evidence of
the scoring grid – one row per item. confidence with social media. Thus he does
Candidates are given a score against not meet one of the essential criteria and is
every item. This ensures parity. unlikely to be shortlisted.
10 11
Get ready to apply CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Imagine this What if I don’t hear back? Try this… Next steps
The person doing the shortlisting is at home after It’s very unusual for employers to get back to You can simulate what the skim- • Turn to pages 32-33 for advice on
a full day’s work. They’ve taken all the applications candidates they don’t want to take forward to the reading stage of shortlisting is like: how to lay out your CV so that it can
home with them and opened a bottle of wine; they next stage. Don’t let this discourage you. Determine be skim-read effectively.
1. Gather some friends who are also
know that, strictly speaking, they shouldn’t have done to tailor your next application even more fully. Spend making applications. • J ump to pages 62-64 for tips on how
either of those things, but they work hard and they your limited time on a few quality applications rather to structure cover letters so that your
didn’t really want to do the shortlisting in the first than multiple generic ones. 2. Swap CVs with one another.
most important messages stand out
place. They can’t go to bed until they’ve come up with 3. G
ive yourselves 30 seconds then to a reader who is skimming.
a list of candidates to invite to interview, because the swap with the next person; continue
shortlisting meeting is first thing tomorrow morning. until everyone has read each CV
once.
What mood do you think they’re in? How do you think 4. W
ithout looking back at the CVs
that affects the way they’ll read your application? (it’s about first impressions and
memory), discuss what stood out,
Of course, there’s no guarantee that any of this will be which information you focused on,
the case. But it might be. Focus on someone in this kind what you found frustrating, etc.
of situation and write your application for them. If you
can persuade a person who’s stressed, tired, and working You can choose to include cover letters
as quickly as possible, you can persuade anyone. or application forms, too. Just adjust the
time accordingly.
12 13
Get ready to apply CVS AND APPLICATIONS
for the industry you are donors’. But it’s not always easy to • Evidence of success
pinpoint your quantifiable measures
wanting to enter.” of success, and it gets harder the
longer ago the experience happened.
Graduate Recruiter, G’s Fresh So capture the numbers when the
experience is still fresh in your mind.
Give yourself enough time to find the
metrics you need. Even your extra-curricular activities (avoid the word ‘hobbies’) can be used to demonstrate success,
e.g. ‘captained team to first league win in six years’ or ‘won award for most improved player’.
14 15
Get ready to apply CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Evidence to collect
Client-facing/ • c ustomer service experience, e.g. in retail, call convinced,
Here are some examples of skills headings and ’tags’, as well as the kinds of customer service skills centres, leisure activities, tourism demonstrated,
evidence you might want to collect in your bucket CV. The list is based on common Creating, building, • representing one organisation at its interface adapted, solved,
competencies which employers look for, but it is not exhaustive or prescriptive. maintaining good with another improved,
working relationships • presenting papers at conferences or in committees, negotiated,
with clients, customers anticipating and dealing with questions or persuaded,
You have to judge carefully what constitutes home and coming to university as an example of or contractors; being challenges conducted,
valuable evidence for you. Employers will assess being adaptable, but a finalist will be expected to a dependable and • involvement in changes or improvements introduced,
candidates according to their career stage. It might draw on achievements at university and preferably credible representative within organisations that might benefit their represented,
be acceptable for a fresher to talk about leaving some work experience. of your organisation; stakeholders responded
committed to giving
high-quality customer
Competency Experience you could draw on Active verbs service
requirements
Commercial • interest in current affairs, listening to/reading achieved, increased,
Adaptability/ready • living abroad (during upbringing or as part of course) recognised, awareness business news (NB be prepared to back this up) budgeted,
and quick to learn • the range of your extra-curricular activities re-assessed, Your interest in how • fi
nancial role in extra-curricular activities advised, marketed,
Your breadth of • switching degree courses explored, learned, and why businesses (quantified) fundraised,
interests; ability to • cross-disciplinary research changed, travelled, operate and • any shop/sales/service experience giving networked,
move rapidly between • transitioning from home to Cambridge adapted, extended, become successful; understanding of customer/client needs recommended,
topics; readiness to • transitions between Cambridge term and vacation combined, understanding clients’ • involvement with company sponsorship, from set up, delivered,
change field of activity work settings improvised and customers’ financing student art exhibition to funding managed
• picking up language skills requirements degree studies
• adding value – improving an existing situation/
Ambition/ • c oming to Cambridge from non-university home, aimed, attained, service/profitability
commitment non-Cambridge school, non-UK country, as a mature awarded, • dissertation/thesis title to reflect (where possible)
You can set high student, as a graduate student determined, commercial implications in simple layperson’s
standards; aim to • self-financed study effected, decided, language
improve; aim for difficult • improving yearly academic results, academic awards improved, • following the stock exchange, personal
goals; have stamina and • learning new skills (IT, social media, languages, etc.) succeeded, investments
resilience • volunteering/unpaid work experience persevered
• s uccessful sporting/music/campaigning/ Communication, oral • m aking presentations as part of academic work briefed, debated,
fundraising activity You can explain things or as extra-curricular activity, e.g. introducing expressed,
• Duke of Edinburgh, Young Enterprise clearly; express ideas; speakers, being faculty or union rep, reporting on explained,
• on the river 6 days a week, rain or shine, with 5am structure logical findings as part of vacation or other work campaigned,
starts AND a 9am lecture arguments; give • teaching, selling, campaigning experience; informed,
information in speeches dealing with customers, e.g. as a waitress, publicised, reported,
Analysis/research/ • y our academic work, e.g. close critical reading, analysed, assessed, in an appropriate style; bartender taught
attention to detail following dense arguments, experiments, clarified, diagnosed, listen effectively; handle • drama, debating
An ability to arrive observation, critical listening and efficient note- edited, identified, questions • delegating to others
at an understanding taking in lectures interpreted, • counselling, care work
by breaking down • decoding languages (scientific, computer, investigated,
complex material diagrammatic, theoretical, music, foreign, literary monitored, proved, Communication, • essays, reports, dissertations briefed,
or situations into styles) researched, written • student journalism, publicity, sponsorship requests, corresponded,
constituent smaller • assimilating large amounts of material, structured, reviewed Your experience in editorial work corrected,
parts; marshalling evaluating it critically, selecting relevant material producing grammatical, • report produced during vacation work translated,
information; seeing • project work or developing a new initiative; correctly spelled, • blogging, writing for websites, creating published, wrote,
connections; logical report produced during work experience logical, structured, communities via social media reviewed, scripted,
thinking; accurate • student journalism, editorial work lively, persuasive and revised
working • unravelling issues while counselling others effectively laid-out text
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Get ready to apply CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Competency Experience you could draw on Active verbs Persuasiveness/ • holding your argument in a supervision advocated, assured,
requirements negotiation • committee work convinced, enlisted,
An ability to convince • liaison with senior members (arranging work, persuaded,
Independence/ • independent academic work, choosing and chose, coped, others of the value of negotiating extensions, as rep of student body), negotiated,
confidence planning project and dissertation topics enjoyed, gained, your point of view; college porters, sponsors, outside suppliers reasoned,
You can establish a • arguing a case in supervisions/seminars observed, followed achieve your own • debating, campaigning, publicity, fundraising re-evaluated,
rapport with strangers; • dealing with other people, especially senior up, initiated, objectives; get others to • enlisting anyone else’s help encouraged,
make effective contacts; colleagues: in college bodies and authorities, in transformed, change their view and • student politics/hustings, being elected and holding consulted, liaised
cope with unfamiliar workplace during vacation/project placements/ performed, agree with you elected posts
situations; take decisions; voluntary work (e.g. selling, phoning, presenting supervised • devising fieldwork and persuading others to
take the initiative to groups) meet you
• t hriving on Cambridge’s competitive environment,
challenging teaching styles, home/university Planning/organisation • d issertation/project report, essay and other designed, ensured,
differences, isolation, unstructured time, self- Show you can decide supervision preparation implemented,
planned and managed timetable on priorities; work out • balancing the demands of your Cambridge life mapped, completed,
• independent travel a timetable; carry out • management or production of an event or organised,
• choosing academic course(s), dissertation topic(s), tasks according to plan; campaign scheduled,
career, employer meet deadlines • planning how to use the vacation, organising prioritised,
travel, planning your job-hunt specified, targeted
Interpersonal • m ediating in disputes/misunderstandings, e.g. advised, assisted, • working under pressure, e.g. a 1-year Masters
You can relate to people teams, committees changed, coached,
in appropriate and • organising events, travel, college issues enabled, liaised, Problem solving/ • your studies – prioritising your work and doing it explored, composed,
effective ways; enable • handling challenging people in testing situations, listened, guided, creativity/innovation • sorting out your finances/the finances of a club, created, designed,
support; delegate; including complaints, e.g. waitressing/bar work, resolved, reconciled Evidence of defining a society, etc. developed, invented,
liaise; cross-cultural travel, college staff, call centre, customer service problem; identifying • leisure activities such as chess, logic games solved, achieved,
understanding • sensitivity to different regional/class/cultural needs; being • arts/media activities introduced,
attitudes, e.g. travel, voluntary work, vacation resourceful; seeing • novel ideas for fundraising, events re-structured,
jobs variant points of view; • doing lots of different things in your vacation simplified
• managing, supervising, training, teaching people, using lateral thinking; • initiating effective change, individual
e.g. running events, voluntary work, gap year devising and applying contribution during vacation job or other work
experiences, tutoring effective methods • understanding and dealing with problems
encountered in college/workplace
Leadership • chairing a committee chaired, delegated, • entrepreneurial activities
Innovation; ability to • organising an activity, e.g. co-ordinating publicity encouraged,
motivate others; direct; for an event, directing/producing an event directed, launched, Teamwork • a ny team situation (sports, committee work), agreed, cajoled,
plan; delegate; oversee; • starting a society, initiating change, e.g. in motivated, Your ability to co- event production/management, choir, orchestra contributed,
chase up or trouble- college, organisation, expanding society initiated, inspired, operate with others • being supportive, to individuals or through discussed, engaged,
shoot membership represented to achieve an agreed volunteer schemes, e.g. Nightline included, involved,
• running a campaign (political, charity) objective • routine vacation work, e.g. production line, office joined, participated,
• editing a paper/magazine/book work supported
• working with younger people (teaching, holiday • project work in a group (degree, Masters, or
camp, etc.) vacation), Young Enterprise
• captaining a team, training others, e.g. in sport, • travelling with friends
handing on to a successor
18 19
Get ready to apply CVS AND APPLICATIONS
20 21
Get ready to apply CVS AND APPLICATIONS
22 23
Put together your CV CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Professional
potential
suitability
Prioritised
Flexible
This diagram was used, on page 6, as a
You will need to tailor it for each application model for how employers assess candidates.
you make Applying the same logic to the CV tells us:
• the basics of how to put together a successful CV Error-free CVs describe the past and the present; they
rarely look forward, so it’s hard to show
• how to research a job and an organisation Employers won’t excuse carelessness potential. That is more typically done in the
supporting documents and/or application form.
• types of evidence you might include in your CV
• h
ow to tailor each CV to the specific application
you’re making
• p
rinciples of good formatting and In this day and age… do I even need a CV?
The answer is: yes, sometimes. Many online forms invite you to attach a CV as well as answer their questions.
an effective layout. And even for those forms that don’t, a bucket CV will be an invaluable source of material.
24 25
Put together your CV CVS AND APPLICATIONS
26 27
Put together your CV CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Types of CV
In principle, there are two distinct types of CV – chronological and skills-based. What about a creative CV?
A creative CV uses innovative design to present
The most traditional format is chronological: you stick to conventional sections relevant career information. But be very wary of
like education and work experience, and in each section you list the most using this option. Even design agencies say that
they typically prefer a traditional CV. They would
recent item first. By contrast, a skills-based CV is organised thematically, with look to your design portfolio for evidence of your
sections for each of the key competencies required for the job. In practice, creative skills.
a hybrid of the two types often works well: you present education and
Always tailor
employment histories in reverse chronology, and then use skills headings to Whichever format you choose, ensure that it is well
organise and expand on your relevant achievements. adapted to each new application.
28 29
Put together your CV CVS AND APPLICATIONS
tor
dministra
Sports A
How to adapt a CV Requirem
ents inclu
de:
in sport
interest
- Strong ice
On this page are three examples of the same CV, adapted for different jobs. As RELEVANT EXPERIENCE / SKILLS mer serv
and custo a
a team in
you can see, this doesn’t usually mean using significantly different content – y to w o rk well in ir on m ent
Excellent customer • Face-to-face customer service at Canterbury Visitor Information Centre - Abilit
m e r-foc used env
custo
although as your career develops, you may have enough experience to draw on service (summer 2015) dealing with difficult customers; surveyed and increased dynamic,
dministra
tive skills
customer satisfaction through own initiative by improving retail area - Good a areness
that you chop and change. More commonly, tailoring is about telling the story and hotel booking system and comm
ercial aw
• Provided high-level customer service at Camelot Themepark – covering
of your achievements in different ways, so that their appeal is different. everything from safety to souvenirs to sick bags.
Organising and • Organised and managed campaign for College Rag Committee (2014–15),
delivering cold-calling local businesses for sponsorship, 15% increase in support over
Term Address: Jesus College Cambridge CB5 8BL You can tailor previous year.
Home Address: 17 Rawdale Close Chorley Lancashire PR7 4AP any/all parts • Jointly organised and managed a new venture; the Charnock Richard
Mob: 07797 264505 Tel: 01257 264427 College Fair, raising £2000 for charity.
of your CV, but
Email: ajs22@cam.ac.uk this applicant
is focusing
on tailoring
EDUCATION
the relevant
Jesus College, Cambridge University ultant
ent Cons
2014–2017 experience
BA Hons Human, Social and Political Sciences
section. Managem
2015–2016 HSPS Psychology and Sociology option, Second Year, 2.1 expected
HSPS First Year: 2.1 de:
2014–2015
ents inclu
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE / SKILLS Requirem s
tical skill
2012–2014 Charnock Richard Tertiary College, Lancashire
lv ing and analy
A Levels: Geography (A*), Sociology (A*), Politics (A), Mathematics AS (B) m so
— Proble and pass
ion
St John’s High School, Bolton re a t iv e mindset tio ns
2007–2012 Analytical and egree course element on research methodology and statistics: personal
D —C us solu
2012 GCSEs 10 subjects (9 at Grade A) including
English Language and
critical thinking, project 2015/16 on improving customer services. Planned project, collected r de liv e r ing rigoro s
fo m
Literature, and Design and Communication ss proble
creativity data and analysed using Excel, to produce 5,000-word project report (in to busine
preparation) showing power of combining two inexpensive quantitative areness
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE / SKILLS ercial aw
and qualitative research methods to generate new ideas for business — Comm skills
unication
Organisation/Planning Canterbury Visitor Information Centre, Assistant (Aug – Sept 2015) improvements.
E x c e lle nt comm
Planned and implemented improvements to hotel booking system. —
with constant customer
Helped reorganise retail section; coped Client skills, Canterbury Visitor Information Centre (summer 2015): persuaded manager
enquiries and office admin at the Centre’s busiest time of year. commercial to agree project to improve retail area. Negotiated objectives, constraints,
College RAG Representative (2014–2015)
Organised fund-raising activities and won support of local businesses.
awareness budget and access to customers. Led brainstorming session with staff,
ran 2 customer focus groups, represented Centre management. Improved
Communication Camelot Theme Park, Games Operator (June/July 2015) retail area, increased customer satisfaction, raised sales by 9%.
Led children’s activities, operated rides and acted as Park guide to visitors.
Red Horse Public House, Barmaid (summer 2014; 2 nights a week) Communication College RAG representative (2014–2015): successfully presented ideas to
ents.
Produced publicity and hosted launch party for new Quiz Night entertainm skills, teamwork committee at meetings. Promoted RAG to local businesses by devising and
College Sports and Freshers Committees (2015–2016)
Negotiated with College/University staff on provision of facilities for students.
managing extensive cold-calling campaign, raising 15% more financial
support than previous year.
Leadership Cambridge Cantata Choir (2015– )
Founder member (with 3 friends) of new choir for university/school students.
Jesus College Ladies’ Football Team, Vice Captain (2015–2016)
Motivated players and arranged coaching and fixtures programme.
30 31
Put together your CV CVS AND APPLICATIONS
1 2
3 4
32 33
Sample CVs CVS AND APPLICATIONS
internship
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Softw line, an
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Sample CVs
Any degr
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ents inclu
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ters in ge
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in p
- strong pr o gra m ming in
Nicholas Peters
uter g
and comp lem solvin
al k n ac k for prob
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- except al reason
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and logic o learn
2nd year Computer Science student at Cambridge d eager t
h ard w orking an ch allenge
- be
an d re lish a real
Mobile: 07722 819408 Email:ncp62@cam.ac.uk github.com/cambridgetechguy
new skills, player
nd team
c o m m unicator a
Education at
- be a gre
2014 – 2017 Robinson College, University of Cambridge
Studying for BA Hons Computer Science Subtitle will
2012 – 2014 Hill Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge make this
A-levels: Maths (A*) Further Maths (A*) Physics (A) candidate of
AS-levels: Additional Further Maths (A) Photography (A) immediate
AEA: Maths (Distinction) interest to
Softwire
2007 – 2012 Swavesey Village College, Cambridge
GCSEs: 2 A*s, 9 As
Contact details
2009 – 2011 Open University easy to find
Certificate in Web Applications Development (60 CATS points) but do not take
up valuable
Languages space on this
Java: 2.5 years JavaScript: 1 year PHP: 1 year one page CV
ML: 6 months Prolog: 6 months Python: 1 year
Work Experience
Sep 2014 Intersys IT – Web Developer
Mention of
Developed a Joomla plugin in PHP to dynamically show available dates from a MySQL Database.
Optimised website CSS for responsive display on mobile devices.
“team” helps
recruiter find
Aug 2012 Carbon Networks – Server Administrator evidence
Identified poorly performing servers under load tests. easily
Migrated websites to higher performing server architectures.
Jan 2012 Computer Angels – Assistant Engineer
Configured new desktop computers for clients.
Migrated client data to new machines.
Project Experience
Sep 13 – Jul 14 Hills Road Racing Team – Lead Engineer
Co-led a team of students aged between 13 and 19 years old to design and build an electric car to compete
in the Greenpower IET F24 race.
Designed, developed and deployed a website (angrygecko.org) on GitHub Pages which enabled us to
acquire two sponsors to back our car. Interesting
verbs highlight
Aug 2013 Young Rewired State Festival of Code
Developed an app in PHP in a team of 4 (using git for collaboration) to determine the cost of a journey on
evidence of
• T hese CVs have been successful in getting London's public transport. ‘knack for
problem
Cambridge students through to interview. Sep 2011 A* Pathfinding solving’
Implemented the A* Pathfinding algorithm in Java as a personal project using greenfoot (greenfoot.org)
• N
ote how each CV has been tailored to a Aug 2009 STEM World Summer School, Robotics Strand, Imperial College
Achieved a Silver CREST Award.
specific opportunity. Constructed a ball-throwing robot in a small team.
• U
se these CVs to get ideas of how to adapt and Activities and Interests
Sport: NICAS Top Rope Climber
present your own material. British Gymnastics Trampolining Award 8
Volunteered at Chelsea Academy Climbing Club (Jan 13 – May 13)
34 35
Sample CVs CVS AND APPLICATIONS
solicitor
Intending
in
cabulary
e t h e re levant vo echa nisms,
Not , w orking m
t in g n
this CV “
dra f attentio
p r o c e d ure, files, se a re
archiving rt”. The
il, c o m p iled repo e s olic itor.
to deta would-b
Rebecca Palizdar very app
ropriat e for a Skills and Activities
Leadership, Teamwork, Professional Accountability
Nov 2016 – President, Cambridge University Marshall Society 2017 Garden Party Committee
Email rep34@cam.ac.uk Present - Balancing serious time-commitment with academic excellence via goal-based
Phone 00 44 7722 819084 deadlines and responsibility delegation. Genuinely valuing diverse input via
whole-team focus forums. Sharing resources in cohesive online database to
Education easily identify modes of improvement for the future.
2016 – 2019 University of Cambridge, M urray Edwards College - Accountable for budget of £22,000. Negotiating diligently with service
Avoid BA Hons, Law providers to ensure cost-effectiveness.
Cambridge - Currently First Year: Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, Law of Torts, Civil Law. Oct 2016 – First Year Representative, Cambridge University Law Society
jargon like Present - Distinctly client-orientated; liaise professionally with commercial partners to
Tripos, Part 1A, 2009 – 2016 South W ilts Gram m ar School for Girls
maintain sponsorship and recruitment interest in society members. Engaging
etc. Use words 2016 A-Levels: French (A*), History (A), Latin (A), General Studies (A*).
everyone will tenaciously with experienced colleagues to learn best practices.
- Achieved 100 UMS scores in half of modules. Averaged 97 UMS.
understand Sep 2015 – Secretary-General, South Wilts Grammar 8th Model United Nations Conference
2015 AS-Level: Government & Politics (A - top grade with 100 UMS in both modules) July 2016 - Drafted and delivered speech to 450 delegates promoting youth engagement
2014 GCSE: 10 subjects at A* including Maths, IT for Business. with global affairs, UN goals. Wrote and peer-reviewed briefing papers on key Positions of
issues, including unfamiliar ones, in clear, appropriate language for audience. increasing
W ork Experience - Remained constantly accessible as main point of contact for all involved. responsibility
- Intuitive in digitising all previous resources to streamline planning, ensure shown to build
Sep 2016 Legal Intern, Pennine Kennedy Solicitors (2 weeks)
the transferable
- Evaluated inefficiencies in archiving procedure. Proactive; persuaded whole committee involvement.
skills of
management to digitise files by using clear worked examples of projected advocacy,
M igration, Global Affairs Orientated
system. Resulted in offer for paid vacation job. representation
2013 – M odel United Nations
July 2015 Legal Intern, Land Law LLP (2 weeks) of a group,
Present - Longstanding commitment. Engaging practically with real world issues via
- Sought responsibility and was rapidly entrusted to draft legal documents, liaise negotiating
research and competitive debate from perspective of UN member states. and persuading
with clients in a fast-paced commercial setting. Praised for acute attention to - Thinking laterally by drafting and negotiating for policy-based resolutions in – all key for a
detail. legal language. Recognised at individual and team level via numerous awards. solicitor
Oct 2014 Study-visit, United Nations Office at Geneva (10 days) Sep 2015 – President, South Wilts Grammar School for Girls, History Society
- Practical exposure to working mechanisms of UN and intergovernmental July 2016 - Presented on Iranian Revolution, “brain-drain” and the Persian diaspora.
agencies including IOM, UNHCR, UNDP. - Diversified Eurocentric agenda to accommodate cross-cultural member
- Engaged enthusiastically at Q&A sessions, focus groups, with professionals to experiences. Prioritised student-led forums to emphasise societal goals as
maximise understanding and personal growth. shared interests.
- Assisted on official document translation, Persian to English.
Research, Analysis and Com m unication
July 2014 M ini-pupillage, 9 St John Street Chambers (1 week)
July 2015 – Independently composed, interrogated hypothesis on “Just War Theory and
- Shadowed and took notes for serious crime barrister in all work; client
Jan 2016 International Humanitarian Law” out of intellectual curiosity, before any legal
interviews, case preparation, court including European sex-trafficking trial.
education. Focused on the “Responsibility to Protect”.
- Gained substantive appreciation of how law affects society at grass-roots level.
- Debated findings confidently with relevant academics.
Sep 2015 – Achieved full marks in A-level History dissertation “War and the Black Civil Rights
July 2014 Adm inistrative Intern, Lincoln House Chambers (1 week)
March 2016 Movement, USA, 1860-1970”. Original inquiry into why war catalysed integration.
- Compiled comprehensive HR report analysing online presences of all
employees using data-mining research techniques. Organised Creativity and Intuition
recommendations by priority to instigate constructive improvement strategy. Sep 2015 – Volunteer Teacher of Latin, Classics for All
Wrote tailored briefings. Described as “outstanding” in all areas. April 2016 - Youngest teacher on scheme. With partner, designed unique course tailored to
primary-school-aged children. Invented diverse communication strategies to
Key Competencies boost enthusiasm and performance. Success of programme led to increased
school registration and charity funding. Awarded “Whitehead Prize”. Titles of essays
Languages English (native), Persian (bilingual), French (professional proficiency, full marks in and relevant
A-level oral). pieces of work
Interests included. Eye-
Computer Skills Complete computer proficiency in MS Office. Basic HTML code. Launched and
- Strong aptitude for language learning. Seek to learn Arabic via the Cambridge Language Centre. catching and
maintained social media for MUN conference to publicise and increase client
- “FLY Girls of Cambridge”; collaboration forum for women of colour. Engaging incisively with racial, reader engaged
interaction; conference received most registrations in its history.
cultural and gender perspectives to cultivate cohesion and empowerment. to know more.
36 37
Sample CVs CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Internship
cubator
Impact In
de:
ents inclu
Requirem nge
social cha
so cia l causes and
for
Rowland Chesterton - Passion
- Rela tio ns
to work
hip building a
well in a
nd ability
team
KEY SKILLS
and
Email: rec73@cam.ac.uk arch skills
- G ood rese in d Relationship •At Eat United, built relationships with local volunteers, vendors, and community
Telephone: 07971 495e634 ing m
an nquir nd building, leaders, represented their interests and needs in marketing materials, drew on
al skills a working in a their knowledge and experience to develop future strategies
o od o rg anisation ork load
-G h high w team •As team leader in the Social Innovation Programme, was responsible for liaising
ilit y t o cope wit
ab with our partner organisation, establishing their needs and priorities; organised
meetings, delegated tasks to other members of the team and supported them
EDUCATION •On Design Committee, collectively responsible for all design decisions and work;
work with two others to produce a programme with one consistent vision
2015-present Trinity College University of Cambridge 2015-18
•Worked in partnership with another volunteer and coordinated with other
BA Hons Human, Social and Political Sciences, dual track Politics and teachers to organise lessons and group activities at Colegio San Ignacio
Sociology. 2.1 (67% in First Year)
2007-14 Comberton Village College Research and •Heavily research-based degree discipline, including self-directed research
2014 A levels: English Literature (A*), Politics (A*), History (A), Art AS (A) analytical skills •During the SIP conducted in-depth research on pasteurisation methods and
Won the Faith Glover Ponsonby Prize for Politics equipment, online and by contacting experts, analysed and collated it to produce Their
2012 11 GCSEs, 10 grade A* including Maths and English, 1 grade A recommendations for future action and development requirements
are used as
•2,500 word essay on childhood socialisation and gender roles, independently
researched, for a school scholarship competition headings
Front page
of CV focuses
EXPERIENCE OF WORKING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
on this key 10/16-06/17 Member of Cambridge RAG Committee (Graphics) Organisation •Member of the Cambridge University Dancesport Team and Design Committee
requirement Collective responsibility for all design aspects of the RAG week. Principally and time on top of my degree work; during Michaelmas term was also a team leader in the
responsible for graphics, main jobs so far have included editing the logo management SIP. Have learnt to balance and prioritise demands
and rendering it in vector format, website graphics, and designing the •Experience working to tight deadlines in a professional environment, e.g.
producing posters and material for an ecological festival whilst working for Eat
programme and the overall aesthetic of a specific area of RAG week itself.
United, producing graphics for the RAG week launch website
10/16-11/16 Team Leader in the Social Innovation Programme
External consultant for WOUP, a social enterprise producing soup from Communication •In our SIP team produced a written report and gave a presentation to all
surplus vegetables, to improve their production and process. As a team, and participants with our findings and recommendations. Had to present complicated
researched possible options and analysed our results to produce a written presentation technical information in an accessible way for those unfamiliar with the project
report and give a final presentation of our findings and recommendations. skills •At Eat United communicated with various stakeholders, e.g members of the
office team, volunteers, beneficiaries, to reflect core values in marketing strategy
07/16-08/16 Marketing and Communications Intern, Eat United Nicaragua
In charge of social media and design for Managua-based charity
combating food waste and poverty. Split my time between the office and Interests
ADDITIONAL SKILLS AND INTERESTS that are
collecting and distributing food in the communities we worked with.
Politics/ Particularly interested in women’s and LGBT+ rights, homelessness and not directly
Organised and produced a Facebook campaign aimed at recruiting more
activism inequality and power dynamics, both globally and locally. With COI, organise and relevant
local volunteers, a promotional video and posters for a local festival.
spread awareness on issues relevant to the Cambridge LGBT+ community are used to
From 04/16 Social Secretary, COI (Trinity College LGBT+ society) demonstrate
Responsible for organising social events for LGBT+ students, such as Languages Near-fluent Spanish. Completed the Advanced Spanish course with the key skills.
picnics and socials with other colleges. We organise informational talks for Cambridge Language Centre. GCSE grade A* in Mandarin Chinese (very basic
incoming students on gender identity and identities under the LGBT+ level), two two-week Mandarin courses in Dali in China
umbrella which new students may not be very familiar with, and address
sexual health concerns affecting the LGBT+ community . Sports Competitive ballroom and Latin dancing as part of the Cambridge University
08/14-08/15 Teaching assistant, Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola, Chile Dancesport Team, including all-round fitness training; skiing; horse-riding
Volunteered full-time through Project Trust as a teaching assistant in
IT/Design Proficient with Microsoft Office and iWork. Experience with Adobe Illustrator,
Valparaíso, Chile for twelve months. Responsibilities included preparing
designing and working with vector files, including converting raster files to vector
activities and lesson plans, marking tests, teaching lessons, assisting formats. Familiarity with Adobe Photoshop; pick up related skills quickly
other teachers with their English, and class management.
08/12 NCS The Challenge
As part of a group, organised an event to raise awareness about mental REFEREES
health in young people and decrease the stigma attached to mental Dr Michael Thompson (Director of Studies) Karl Alesbury (Eat United)
illness, including planning it, pitching it to a panel for funding and carrying Email: met20@cam.ac.uk Email: eatunitednicaragua@outlook.com
it out. Fundraised for the mental health charity Mind and a local hospice. Phone: 01223 767426
38 39
Sample CVs CVS AND APPLICATIONS
e
/pupillag
Barrister
de:
ents inclu
Requirem y
ment is ke
ic achieve
- Academ rofes sion
to the p law
nt to the
nu ine c ommitme
-G e upillages
d e rt ake n mini-p
n
- Have u ills to mix
James Bateman - Well- r
c
o
lie
un
nt
d ed people sk
s, solicito
rs and ot
her
wit h er s
Churchill College, Cambridge, CB3 0DS +447541708026 jb20@cam.ac.uk of Chamb
members
2011-2013
Education School Societies
• Debating - debated internally on pre-set motions with students and teachers
2014-2017 - University of Cambridge, Churchill College, BA (Hons) Philosophy • Philosophy Society (Founder & President) - Gave two 1-hour talks to collection of teachers and
• 1st Year: 2.1 students
• 2nd Year: 2.1 • Economics Society (Founder & President) - Organised and led discussions on pre-arranged topics
• 3rd Year: 2.1 expected
Commercial Experience
2006-2013 - The Gilbert School, Colchester
• A-Levels: 2 A*’s (Maths, Philosophy), 2 A’s (Politics, Economics) 2016 (10 weeks): Citigroup, Investment Banking, Summer Analyst
• GCSEs: 7 A*’s, 6 A’s • Drafted market and industry reports for clients based on recent events and trends
• Worked to strict deadlines under pressure when preparing material for client meetings
Legal Work Experience • Analysed large amounts of data, identified salient points and presented findings clearly
• Developed client-facing skills: responded to client queries and contributed to client conference calls
2016 (Two 1-day events)
Brick Court & Essex Court, Chambers Open Days 2016-2017 (1 year): Churchill College Winter Ball, Treasurer
• Insight into work and life at the Bar • Member of three-person executive committee leading a team of 21
• Discussed practice legal problems and potential cross-examination scenarios with practising • Responsibility for £80,000 budget
barristers • Oversight of the legal undertakings of the committee: contracts, arrangements with local council,
tort and licensing matters
2013- 2014 (6 months)
Her Majesty’s Courts Service, Essex Magistrates Courts, Administrations Officer 2015-2016 Treasurer of Cambridge University Undergraduate Philosophy Society
Clear bullet
points: detail
• Organised case files for hearings and trials
has a high • Coordinated court dates with solicitors, judges, legal advisors and magistrates Interests and Positions of Responsibility Rounded
impact in law • Processed legal aid applications from defendants character – Bar
applications • Communicated outcomes of trials or hearings to the relevant bodies (National Offender will like these
2015-2016 University Boxing competitive
Management Service, Probation Service, etc.)
• Managed academic work alongside 10 training sessions per week and (slightly
• Awarded Full ‘Blue’ for winning at Varsity Match unusual) sports
2013 (2 weeks) – independent,
Taylor Haldane Barlex LLP, Work Experience challenging,
2015-2016 Cambridge Union Speakers’ Committee
• Shadowed solicitors for Magistrates Court hearings memorable and
• Drafted letters to potential speakers and arranged their visit to the Union a talking point
• Shadowed solicitor advocates for Crown Court hearings
• Persuaded Secretary of State for Education to speak
• Attended several client meetings
2015-2016 Churchill College Chess Team Captain
Public Speaking & Debating Experience
Highlighted 2011-2013 Kickboxing at Regional Level
public speaking 2015-2016
and debating…. Cambridge University Debating Team 2010-2013 Essex Chess Team
OK not to have • Competed for Cambridge University Debating Team at UCL, Imperial, SOAS and KCL national
done mooting as
university competitions
a non-lawyer
• Reached semi-finals of Imperial and KCL competitions Referees available on request
lly
• Regularly attend debating workshops at the Cambridge Union especia
Vs, but k
For all C uracy and lac
r law , acc o u nt.
fo ram
Churchill College Debating Society s are pa
of typo
• Previously debated at the college’s society and scheduled to speak later this term
40 41
Sample CVs CVS AND APPLICATIONS
tion to
culative applica
Spe s Team
W om en Campaign
UN 2014 Aid
terest
require in 07944975444
– Would ’s is ues
s • at for of in Cam-
in women the of abused.
ls
riting skil
– Good w
n ning for
CELIA
2014
nce of ru
– Experie aig ns Just the most
ul camp
successf relevant tasks
A CAMPAIGNING
are featured
TIONS
2016 of
EDUCATION Office, Geneva
2014-2017 of
Anthropology • for the WHO website
• for the UN
2015- Society
in my
visually. • in events
of with Q&A from the use
2013-2014 Art, Diploma, of the discussion.
Distinction
2015-2016 for safety
• plans.
• that 2,500 change.org.
HEALTH • CAM FM, CAM ITV, for
Most relevant
experience is 2015-2016
2014-
grouped at the • first at
top of the CV Council to to
2014-2016
Report (EROC).
• for the to trained
in for in of to under- 2014 Newspaper
the of assaulted.
• first of
by the I went to in the CULTURAL
Consent Workshops.
• with both the
the manoeuvres. with CUCRAG
• in with health
to in that to informa- • in the of and
tion advice. CalAid.
• for the of two and • in this in the of
events. displacements.
42 43
Sample CVs CVS AND APPLICATIONS
visers
g Development Ad
Dalber
de:
ents inclu
Requirem
l abilities,
analytica Evidence of
- Strong d qualitativ
e
qualitative
q u an tit ative an
both ation and
nt inform
A bilit y to prese red manner quantitative
- nd structu
Laura James
ht fu l a skills drawn
in an insig lopment RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS out
for deve
- Passion ical
the polit 07/16-08/16 Undergraduate 10,000 word dissertation: Developmental Geography
n d er st anding of ts
-U nme n •A ssessed rural Tanzania Women’s Self-Help Groups through six weeks of qualitative research,
ral enviro
Home Address 82 High Street, Keswick, Cumbria, KW12 8TG and cultu
Phone +44 (0)1859 394220 the work will inform the future work of the charity Tearfund.
Term Address Selwyn College, Cambridge, CB3 9DQ Phone +44 (0)7803 692808 •P resented findings via PowerPoint to 30 people and wrote report.
Term Dates 12/01/17 to 17/03/17, 20/04/17 to 29/06/17 • S olved methodological challenges e.g. low literacy levels (made questionnaire into structured
Email lj756@cam.ac.uk Nationality British interview), inexperienced translator and logistical challenges.
04/16 Week long Geography fieldwork in the Nerja region, Spain
EDUCATION •C onceptualised, designed and implemented a quantitative research project assessing the effect
of fire intensity on vegetation regeneration in a pine forest.
Selwyn College, University of Cambridge, BA Hons Geography • Worked in a small team to collect data, analysed in Excel. Wrote independent report.
10/15- 06/17 Second Year Class 2.i • Awarded a 2.1.
10/14- 06/15 First Year Class 2.i
Modules include: Development; Environment, Society and Policy in Sub-Saharan Africa; Historical 01/16 Undergraduate 2000 word project
Geographies of Food, Famine and Power; Geography and Public Policy. • Assessed the water quality of a stream in Cambridge, through team data collection. Analysed
Data using Excel, produced graphs and tables for use in written report.
Keswick High School, Cumbria, England •A warded a First Class mark.
09/12- 06/14 A Levels: Biology (A*), Chemistry (A), Geography (A*), Mathematics (A)
09/10-06/12 GCSEs: 7A*and 4A
LEADERSHIP
INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE 10/15-01/17 City Church Cambridge: Student Team Leader
•O rganised and ran weekly student meetings and social events for 30 people, frequently gave
Use of headings 03/16-Present Cambridge University International Development Society: President talks and presentations.
is evidence of •H eaded a committee (12) in the organisation and marketing of university-wide talks, panel • Mentored first year students, actively contributed in team planning meetings.
ability to present debates and film screenings.
information in • Managed
the publication of ‘Vision’, the society’s bi-annual magazine. 10/15-06/16 Selwyn College Ladies Badminton: Captain
an insightful •C haired events and liaised with key speakers e.g. the former Archbishop of Canterbury •C ollaborated, organised all fixtures, training and team kit order. Achieved a reversal of fortunes
and structured Dr Rowan Williams. for the team: moved four places up the league.
manner. • Negotiated with other teams e.g. over conceding games if their team was incomplete.
12/15-06/16 The 139 project (Tearfund’s Emerging Influencers programme): Supporter and Advocate
• Attended strategic planning meetings: photo petition, call to the UK Government to prioritise 09/12-04/15 Duke of Edinburgh: Gold Award
MDGs progress, photos sent to women’s support groups worldwide. •O
rganised and completed two four day expeditions in Yorkshire, overcame challenges of team
Good use
• Implemented strategy: managed campaign stalls in central Cambridge – 210 photos taken as a injuries and bad weather.
made of
result. •C
ommitted to: 18 months of leading children’s work at Kings Church Keswick, 12 months of
volunteering
• Promoted the project via publicity on social media and posters. Lifesaving (achieved Bronze Medallion), 12 months regular attendance of an exercise class.
09/15 Oasis En Gadi (street children charity in Guadalajara, Mexico): Care Home Assistant 09/12-07/14 Skillsupport Education Centre, Keswick: Assistant
• Taught English and organised activities for the children over three weeks using basic Spanish – • Taught English and Maths to primary-school aged children and assessed their work, twice a
completed a ten-week intensive Spanish course prior to visit. week as a paid part time job.
• Prepared teaching material and activities in advance for church children’s work with 20 children 10/12-07/14 North Inter-Schools Christian Union: Student Leadership Programme
and participated on a team conducting welfare visits in a slum. • L ed youth events e.g. weekly lunchtime club discussing philosophical, ethical and religious
issues and part of the team that organised a youth weekend away.
FUNDRAISING
12/16-02/17 Tearfund charity formal dinner: managing event ADDITIONAL SKILLS/ACTIVITIES
• Delegated tasks between the Tearfund Cambridge Student Society including: entertainment Languages French (GCSE A*), German (GCSE A*), Spanish (Basic)
and publicity. Sold all seats, raised £375.
Sport Selwyn College Badminton Colours (2015, 2016), Selwyn College Orienteering team, second
04/14-06/14 Money raised directly for the charity Tearfund place in inter-collegiate competition (2016), Advanced Skier (2004-Present), National Schools
• Raised £1,300 to extend Afrinspire’s work with Women’s Groups in Tanzania. Sailing Regatta representing Cumbria (2010)
Results
• Wrote newspaper article, designed a leaflet then directed their wide circulation.
• Distributed funds on the ground e.g. allocated £100 to establish a group revolving fund Driving Full clean UK driving licence, passed 30/09/14
quantified
enabling materials for large orders to be obtained. Computing Competent with Microsoft Office, Arc GIS, Nvivo (data analysis package), GeoDa,
01/14-06/14 Money raised to conduct dissertation research in Tanzania Corel Draw, Community Analysis Package (statistics)
• Raised £1,600 through applying to a multitude of different funds. Referees Provided on request
44 45
Sample CVs CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Shine TV d, Associa
te
ss Productions/ ational Lt
Prince Stroud Intern
de:
ents inclu ents inclu
de:
Requirem ry Requirem
eye for a
sto
and am bition
- A keen tenacity
- Good w
riting skil
ls
iasm
MARK ALAN McCOY Ellen McClintock Girton College, Cambridge, CB3 OJG
- Energy,
0751-35163553 emc30@cam.ac.uk
- A bias f
to work
or action ieve
ch
f enthus nts and a
- Bags o with clie lts
ough resu
Clare College
urrent EDUCATION breakthr
rest in c
- An inte
Trinity Lane
ulture
irs and popula c
r Cambridge CB2 1TL 2013 – 2017 Girton College, University of Cambridge
aff a
Mobile: 07792 183584 MSci, Natural Sciences (Physics) – First Class expected
Email: mmccoy@gmail.com BA Hons, Natural Sciences (Physics) – First Class
2011 – 2013 Tytherington High School and Sixth Form College, Cheshire
EDUCATION A Levels: Mathematics (A*), Physics (A*), Chemistry (A*)
AS Levels: Further Mathematics (A), History (A)
2014–2017 Clare College, University of Cambridge, BA Hons English 2009 – 2011 GCSE 12 subjects (all Grade A*) including Mathematics and English
Years 1 & 2: 2.1, papers included 5000-word dissertation on Frankenstein and film
2008–2013 Banstead College, Surrey AWARDS
2013 A Levels: Geography (A*) History (A) English (A*)
2010 GCSEs: 10 subjects, including Maths (9 As, 1 B) 2015 – 2016 Girton College – Elected to a Foundation Scholarship & awarded a College Prize
Relevant Recognition for exceptional achievement in third-year exams
experience is TELEVISION EXPERIENCE 2013 – 2014 Girton College – Dan Rookwood Award, Runner-up
easy to find Award for outstanding contribution to college sport
2016 Production Assistant Channel Four Television, London (4 weeks) 2011 – 2012 Tytherington High School – Numerous Academic and Sporting Awards
at the top of
Selected and edited material for a Promotional Video. Compiled ITV play-out schedule, logging ITV trails.
the CV
Assisted with Trail production and placing. EXPERIENCE
2016–17 Head of Production Cambridge Film and Television Society
Created and developed concepts for programmes, from Documentaries to Comedy. Managed shoots and 2016 – 2017 Engineering Project Director Cambridge Development Initiative
edited videos. Instigated shorts competition. 2016 (8 weeks) Engineering Project Financial Strategist & Impact Evaluator
2015 Advertising Executive Assistant Morrison’s Supermarket, Woking (6 weeks) • Piloted the world’s first vertically integrated simplified sewerage system in Dar es Salaam, including building a team of
Wrote and edited copy. Supervised photographic shoots. Runner during filming of advertisements. 15 UK and Tanzanian students – to date our work has benefitted over 500 people. Active verbs
• Persuaded the local government water board to part fund the project and also created a comprehensive financial plan indicate
RELATED MEDIA EXPERIENCE and contract for the local pilot sanitation loan, including setting interest rates and devising a misuse policy. energy and
• Identified key weaknesses with the previous CDI approach, including alumni engagement and retention of volunteers ability to
2014–16 Radio Royal Charlotte Hospital, Sutton and Cambridge University Radio into committee roles, suggesting solutions that the committee has agreed to adopt.
Produced and presented weekly shows. Reported for local radio station, CNFM. achieve results
• Prepared and agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding with a local NGO to support our project moving forward.
2014–16 Journalism Regular writer of feature articles and arts reviews for Varsity (student newspaper). • Led impact analysis using qualitative and quantitative methods – 97% surveyed believe local health has improved.
2014 Drama Director Managed production team and cast of 30 in Black Sunday at main student venue in Key skills for
Even
Cambridge. 2015 (8 weeks) Programme Assistant Girton-Kings Programme consultancy
though not
specifically 2008–2010 Editor of The Banshee (School Magazine). Selected, edited and proofread entries; designed layout of • Ensured over 250 international students effectively integrated into the Cambridge culture as part of a team of 10.
requested, 100-page publication.
• Organised and led a programme of activities and entertainment for small-group and programme wide participation.
a range of Evidence
technical skills TECHNICAL SKILLS 2014-15 Treasurer Girton May Ball Society of ability to
is necessary work well
for TV/media Cambridge University: Video editing course (one day) • Responsible for a budget of £168k to deliver the college’s annual ball; rated 5.0/5.0 and 4.5/5.0 by student reviews. with others
production Anglia Ruskin University: Writing for the web (twelve hours training) • Managed budgets flexibly across a committee of 16, acting as the decision maker on all financial matters.
Created website for Cambridge University TV www.cutv.org • Performed a leading role in the design of the event and oversaw ticketing operations for over 1200 guests.
Set up vlog for Clare College access programme getintoclarecambridge.com
2013 -15 Founder and Captain of Squash Team Girton College Squash Club
ADDITIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS AND SKILLS • Founded the college squash team; securing funding, running weekly training sessions and building a two team squad.
Live links are • Led the First team to promotion every season of my captaincy finishing in the top inter-college division.
2016 Clare College Ball Managed advertising, publicity and PR for £30,000 event.
useful in a
media CV 2015 Faculty Co-ordinating Committee Negotiated course changes with Senior Fellows
2012 -13 Chair and Ambassador Macclesfield School Sports Partnership
2014 Tennis Captain of College Club; organised teams and special events
• Chaired a committee of peers dedicated to organising interschool sports events as part of the 2012 Olympic legacy.
2013–14 Travel Backpacked around Europe, Australia, New Zealand and USA
Computing Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint • Coordinated events for groups of between 20 and 200; giving presentations and liaising with Olympian guests.
Languages Conversational French and Spanish
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACHIEVEMENTS Extra-curricular
Driving Full current driving licence
activities
Member of British Film Institute Languages Basic Swahili – learnt in 2 months in Tanzania, currently studying for CEFR B1 certificate indicate
Computing Microsoft Office (Competent), Python and LaTeX (Working knowledge), C++ and Matlab (Basic) tenacity and
REFEREES Sports Squash (trained with University teams), Rowing (Women’s College VIII), Football (College team) ambition
Dr D I Shonwell Ms Amanda Root Other University Access Ambassador (2015-17), Stokes Society Speakers Officer (2014-15), Gold Duke
Director of Studies Head of Presentation of Edinburgh (2013), RYA Dinghy Instructor (2012-14), RLSS Pool Lifeguard (2012-13)
Clare College, Channel Four Television
Cambridge rootamanda@channel4.org REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
01223 333200 020 7233 5559
dis3@cam.ac.uk
46 47
Sample CVs CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Analyst
& Environment,
rgy
Delta Ene
ude:
ents incl
Requirem ams and Clear evidence
ively in te LANGUAGE AND IT SKILLS
JAMES PETERSON ility to w o rk effect n initiative to
- The ab ently, and taking
ow
es
of language
requirements
independ overcome challeng t Languages Bilingual in English and Greek, Intermediate French, Basic Spanish
g an exper
Address: 62 Wolfe Court, Cambridge CB4 7SA Nationality: British/Greek , comin
be
esire fo r learning and networks
Telephone: 07803 557668 Email: jp35@cam.ac.uk - A profound d ping new contacts of IT Computer literate: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Qbasic, ProEngineer and Solid Works
and devel
o a variety
itiative to apply face Programming: C++ and Matlab
and in -to -
nfidence uding face ts
- The co ch methods, incl ith industry exper
EDUCATION resear d iscu ss ion w
ls ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS
ho ne ss iona
and telep and other profe uage Side headings
cond lang
in a re levant se reflect job
/cap ab ility nt ag e
- Fluency adva requirements
2014-2018 Selwyn College, University of Cambridge is a strong Working •
President and Captain of the Blues Volleyball Club (2016–17)
in teams Overall responsibility for University Men’s Teams. exactly
BA & MEng (Hons) Manufacturing Engineering Tripos (MET) Oversee the College League (involving 200 people and a £10,000 budget).
2i , currently studying for the MEng qualification. Led the team to Varsity Games victory in 2017.
Represented Cambridge at the National Shield competition, 2017.
Papers include Management Economics and Accounting, Marketing and Business Strategy • Leader of Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award Group at school
and a Major Project in New Product Development and Enterprise Creation. • Group Co-ordinator for Integrated Design Project 2015
This year’s Long Project involves developing a Strategy Diagnostic Tool which will enable Initiative • Blues Volleyball Secretary 2015–16
companies to analyze their business and develop strategic plans. Client is a Cambridge- Organized the Corporate Volleyball Tournament involving companies such as PwC,
based biotechnology firm. IBM and American Express, last December raising £900 for the Club.
Organized Blues trip to Barcelona for the Pre-Olympic Beach Volleyball Championship
First two years - studied Engineering Science and participated in a local Tournament.
2007-2014 Hills Grammar School, Newcastle Confidence with • ESTIEM (European Students of Industrial Engineering and Management) –
industry Cambridge Delegate
A Levels: professionals Overall management of the Cambridge group. Representation at the annual Council
Mathematics (A*) Physics (A*) Accounting (A) Meetings and organization of the European Seminar on Business Cycles in Cambridge
Chemistry (A*) Modern Greek (A) this January.
Qualified for the 2016 T.I.M.E.S Management Consultancy finals, organized
GCSE: by Roland Berger
10 subjects at Grade A/A* (incl. English and Mathematics)
Face-to-face and • College Alumni Fundraising Campaign
WORK EXPERIENCE telephone • Achieved highest number of calls for the week by initiating a spreadsheet of call
communication back availability – now adopted for future campaigns
June – August 2013: EY LLP, London (Corporate Finance – Mergers & Acquisitions) • Secured £15,000 donation to college chapel fund
Summer Intern
• Analysed work of Communications and Entertainment team uisng qualitative and quantative research • Staff-student Joint Committee, Student Representative 2014-15
methods. • Negotiated for 10% rent rebate owing to November flooding
• Gained a solid understanding of best practice methodologies in analyzing and valuing a company.
• Added knowledge on particular industries by identifying the differences between operation layers and AWARDS
focusing on the most relevant targets for clients. Evidence of
• Worked directly with senior members and participated actively with colleagues in other EU offices. wanting to Academic College Scholar 2015
• Communicated my findings effectively, whilst recognizing key issues and information inadequacies. become an Wright Prize 2012 (awarded for best First Year exams)
expert 2015–2016 Mott McDonald Award for Best Structural Design Project.
Key
vocabulary
from the June – September 2016: PDF Research Ltd, Derby (Commercialization of New Technologies) Sports Full Blue for Cambridge Volleyball 2017.
job advert Summer Intern England Under-21 Volleyball Team, 2010.
is used as • Undertook commercialization of a new technology project, analyzing issues related to the market such County Javelin Champion, 2011.
tags for as competition and potential customers, to develop a new bladeless turbine.
• Aided in the preparation of a formal business plan, through identification of the potential market INTERESTS
experience
segment and alternative methods of production.
Diving (Egypt, Bali, Micronesia).
Coaching the Women’s Volleyball Blues squad.
June – September 2015: A&P Pleides, Athens (Electromechanical Services)
Summer Intern REFEREES
• Employed as a trainee Engineer, under the supervision of a senior Electrical Engineer and reporting to
the company’s Technical and Financial Managers. Dr. Paul Smith (Director of Studies) Ms Jane Paulson (Senior Manager, EY)
• Advised on the selection of materials and the evaluation of customers’ quotations, according to Selwyn College 1 Ladbroke Court
specifications received by project consultants. Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9DQ London, SE1 7UH
Email : pss21@cam.ac.uk Email : paulson_j@ey.com
48 49
Group
Sample CVs Flamingo hip) CVS AND APPLICATIONS
research interns
(Marke t
de:
ents inclu
Requirem
to people
to listen
- Ability alks of lif
e
is from all w
ll on th ss
t is sma
The fon level of detail
l awarene
- Cultura
CV but
the e yond the
ssive r iou s and go b
is impre - Being c u the ‘why
’
a t ’ an d discover
‘wh h
ch in wit
ess to pit
Geetha Michalakos - W illing n
all manne
r of proje
cts High School Senior Project, “Zapatista Movement and Feminism” March-June 2011
gmichalakos@gmail.com Chiapas, Mexico
6+ years of anthropological research in India, Egypt, Denmark, Spain, Mexico, Germany, and the US - examining • Executed ethnographic fieldwork to analyze post-revolutionary discourses about gender disparity gap in
sex & gender, political religion, emerging markets, & material culture. Mayan communities. Spent significant time with Zapatista rebel fighters in former training camps.
50 51
Example CVs CVS AND APPLICATIONS
ing)
and Trad
tegrated Supply
BP (In
de:
ents inclu
Requirem
in
interest
- Strong l skills
ommercia ADDITIONAL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
building c sues
mental is University of Toronto 12th Annual Hydrogen Design Contest Toronto, Ontario
sion fo r environ n
- Pas generatio Project Manager & Economics/Marketing Lead Jan 2016 – May 2016
g & idea
Andel Papadopoulos th ink in
gic
- Strate • Facilitated weekly team meetings and was responsible for managing project deliverables.
al rigour
- Technic • Developed a business case for alternative energy applications in a craft brewery.
Christ's College, Cambridge, CB2 3BU
Phone: +44 7376 186353 | Email: ap584@cam.ac.uk • Conducted a full economic analysis supporting the team’s design which outlined market research
EDUCATION findings, revenue forecasts, capital and operational costs, and potential financing options.
• Team won 1st place in the final competition for best technical design and business plan.
University of Cambridge Cambridge, United Kingdom
Canadian result
MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development Expected Aug 2017
RBC Global Asset Management: Final Year Capstone Project Toronto, Ontario
given and UK • Dissertation: A Critical Analysis of Low-Carbon Energy Investment Metrics
equivalent Team Member Sept 2015 – May 2016
• Jointly developed a financial portfolio optimization platform for RBC Global Asset Management.
University of Toronto Toronto, Canada
BASc in Engineering Science with Industry Placement Sept 2011 – Jun 2016 • Conducted a literature review on existing optimization software languages used in industry.
• Major in Nanoengineering and Minor in Sustainable Energy Systems, GPA: 3.54 / 4.0 (2.1 eq.) • Led final platform testing and developed product demo for client presentation.
• Awards: Top Undergraduate Thesis Award (1st out of 202), Hydrogen Design Contest Winner • Demonstrated the merits of the new software environment which were acknowledged by client.
University of Cambridge MoTI Consultancy Project Cambridge, United Kingdom SKILLS & INTERESTS
Interserve DSR Project: Team Member Jan 2017 – March 2017
Languages: English (native), Greek (intermediate proficiency), Mandarin (Donghua University: A1)
• Prepared strategic recommendations for entry into the UK Demand Side Response (DSR) market. Programming Skills: C, Matlab, Python
• Developed market overview which outlined flow of value, market size, and market segmentation. Office Skills: PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Outlook
• Conducted interviews with industry experts to develop competitor analysis of the market. Interests: Entrepreneurship, Rowing, Wind Surfing
• Final recommendation to enter market through partnership was fully endorsed by the client. LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andel-papadopoulos
52 53
Sample CVs CVS AND APPLICATIONS
visors:
ks ide Capital Ad Equity
Pea
l Estate Private ant
- Re a l Consult
No space is Internship yman: Entry Leve
wasted in the ents inclu
de: Oliver W
Requirem de:
lytical ab
ility ents inclu
lay-out of this na Requirem
- Numer
ical and a nd
ion a
al ive, intuit ackground
one page CV
in the re - Initiat
t ro n g interest dust ry stro g b
n
S in y with a
MINA GRUNWALD
-
riv ate equity creativit and analy
tics
estate p estate, m solving
p erien ce in real in prob le
elated ex t banking,
Nan H. Zhang St Edmund’s College, Cambridge, CB3 0BN
- Prior r stmen
+44797888888invenhz@cam.ac.uk
quity pre
ferred Pembroke College, CB2 1RF • +44 7922 043 238 • minagrun@gmail.com
priva e e
t
Education EDUCATION
University of Cambridge (Pembroke College) Sept 2016 - Present
09/16-present ST EDMUND’S COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Cambridge, UK
MPhil Real Estate Finance
Advanced Diploma in Economics
Predicted result: Merit Space not
Papers include: Real estate development, urban economics, housing & regeneration Imperial College London Sept 2013 - June 2016 wasted on
BEng in Materials Science and Management - First Class Honours this one
09/13-06/16 GONVILLE & CAIUS COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Cambridge, UK Awarded Armourers and Brasiers’ prize for best final year design study. page CV
BA (Hons) Land Economy
Final result: 2.1 European School of Brussels 1 Sept 2007 - June 2013
Dissertation: An Evaluation of Development Zones in China
European Baccalaureate - 10 subjects taught in English and French, 87.6% average. Immediate
09/11-06/13 WELLINGTON SCHOOL Berkshire, UK evidence of
A-Levels initiative
Maths – A* Further Maths – A* Economics – A* Physics – A EXPERIENCE
Founder Sept 2015 - Present
Bullet points IRIS Haemodrone, London, United Kingdom
Work Experience
start with • Founded a blood transportation start-up working in third world countries.
active verbs 09/16 CHINA VANKE Shenzhen, China • Formed partnerships with Doctors Without Borders and Hermes Aerospace Ltd.
and focus Summer Intern in Strategy and Investment Department • Built a prototype and currently organising research trips to West Africa.
on relevant • H
elped update data and information for the monthly analysis reports of the real estate market
within the country
details Imperial College London Research Manager Sept 2015 - June 2016
• Participated
in the discussion of a property development project and prepared for the presentation to
senior managers within the team High Fliers Research Ltd., London, United Kingdom
• Gathered data about Imperial College which was published in The Times.
07/16-08/16 SHENZHEN STOCK EXCHANGE Shenzhen, China • Organised and ran 12 research sessions involving 60 students.
Summer Intern in Marketing Department • Recruited, interviewed and managed 18 people working as surveyors.
• Conducted research to familiarize myself with relevant industries and sectors to build rapport with clients
• Worked alongside senior managers and helped educate potential enterprises about capital markets and IPOs Research Consultant Nov 2015 - Mar 2016
• Discussed
with enterprises about their capital-raising needs and provided advice on specific problems
Tectubes, Astorp, Sweden (Largest tube manufacturer in Northern Europe)
during the process of IPOs
• D
eveloped a novel production technique for manufacturing food packaging,
Doesn’t
07/15-08/15 GUOSEN SECURITIES CO. Shenzhen, China cutting costs and production time by 50%.
assume that
Summer Intern in Customer Service Department • Presented the solution to high level managers and executives.
• Overhauled
the customer information database to retain most recent entries and make it easier to retrieve data the reader will
• D
ealt with challenging customers, sought to understand their complaints and directed them to the know who this
relevant department employer is,
VOLUNTARY WORK
so adds useful
THE SOUTHWESTERN COMPANY
07/14 Nashville, USA
Business Consultant 7-20 June 2016
Mash Foundation info
Independent Contractor
• Daily 12-hour door-to-door promotion and sales of educational products to local American families • Worked with 5 local business groups to target areas for improvement.
• Attended a sales course and developed professional sales skills • Presented reports with tangible objectives to each group.
• Familiarizing myself with the company’s wide range within a limited time period
54 55
CVS AND APPLICATIONS
56 57
Write your application CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Avoid phrases such as these Why? “As a child, I always loved reading, and this is where my An example of missing the point: publishing is a
interest in publishing originated.” business. Show that you understand the sector.
Personal opinion – and quite an arrogant one! The
“X and Y make me the ideal candidate for this position.” “Although I have never programmed in Python, I am Why highlight skills you don’t have? And what’s your
employer decides who their ideal candidate is.
confident that I could learn it quickly.” evidence for thinking you could learn it quickly?
The adjective ‘extensive’ is subjective, and the sentence
“I have gained extensive experience of organisation.”
wastes words. Better to say: “I have organised…”
“As a [job/position], I successfully honed my skills in Adverbs (‘successfully’) describe your opinion. Give Bad “I am passionate about helping people to develop their talents.”
X and Y.” evidence of success.
Proof is needed. A good way to demonstrate “As captain of the College’s ‘lower’ boats, I recruited and trained 40 new rowers last
“I have excellent communication skills.”
communication skills is to write a good application. Better autumn. This was the highest number of novice boats since 2009, and more than
50% of the novices decided to continue rowing after the first term.”
“I am capable of working independently and as part of This is like saying “I can do everything” – which won’t
a team.” make you stand out.
• Passion is not the same as success.
“I enjoy finding solutions to problems, and I have been Employers will ask whether your solutions are effective.
Why? • H
aving invested your time in something demonstrates commitment
without needing to say it - trust the employer to understand this.
praised for my creativity.” Passive language can be vague: praised by whom?
Why? • Factual – no adjectives or adverbs being used to ‘big up’ the evidence Rather than just why this job would be good for you (e.g. salary, promotion prospects,
• Quanitifiable evidence of success – numbers have impact the chance to live somewhere you’ve always dreamt of ) show how you would be
good for them. Make positive suggestions, e.g.
I notice that Boardworks requires someone who can explore new multimedia resources
for maths teachers. As a Stimulus volunteer, I helped design an online game for weaker
maths groups, which the school is still using.
58 59
Write your application CVS AND APPLICATIONS
“I am excited about the prospect of working in a creative and Evidence ACTION “I analysed the online feedback: the
Bad dynamic environment such as AAA.” majority of complaints referred to the
This will require the •W
hat did you do? How did you do it?
most words – it needs new layout of the centre as confusing,
• C
hoose your verbs carefully: they
to be concrete. Let and another 40% of complaints described
need to be precise, relevant to the
“I first came into contact with your organisation when I did a voluntary placement the employer visualise the staff as too busy to be welcoming. I
employer and the competency.
with BBB. I have researched your current projects, and your anti-homophobic bullying what you did. recommended changes to the signage in
• B
reak down big ideas, e.g. time
Better initiative closely matches my experience working in schools and with LGBT groups
management = set and meet deadlines,
the centre and introduced a large ‘start
in Cambridge. I am keen to learn more about how you evaluate the effectiveness of your visit here’ banner over the main tills.
these programmes and report on your outcomes to stakeholders and funders.” plan, review, create contingency, etc. I also proposed that, at peak periods, a
• E mphasise your personal member of staff should be stationed at
contribution by saying ‘I’ – even if you the entrance to greet visitors warmly and
• Concrete, tailored – this paragraph couldn’t be used for different applications were part of a team. direct them to the right place.”
Why? • There is evidence of pro-active research into the organisation, and a meaningful
effort to show a match with that employer’s concerns.
Conclusion RESULT “Both of my suggestions were
The essential bit – • What happened? implemented, and our feedback scores
the proof that you improved from 2.0 to 4.0 out of 5 over
• Did you achieve your goal?
achieved something! the course of two months. I was also
• What was your personal impact? voted employee of the month.”
Take a lesson from George Orwell If an employer states they want you to be able to learn from your mistakes/reflect on your performance,
Here – by taking a few liberties with Orwell’s famous • If an adjective or adverb can be cut out, always cut it you could add a second ‘R’ for Reflection:
advice to writers – are some rules for putting together out. Give facts, not opinions. •W
hat have you learnt?
applications with impact:
• Prefer the active to the passive. Be clear who did what •W
hat have you done since? Or what would you do differently in the future?
• Avoid metaphors, colloquialisms, and application to whom. • T his gives you the chance to show your attitude to learning and personal development,
clichés. i.e. you are not complacent, you are continually looking to improve and grow.
• R
esist the urge to sound clever. Use common English
– make
• Don’t use a long word when a short one will do. words instead of academic or scientific jargon.
b al an ce in your stories
ood mic example
s.
• Aim for a g not all acade
at th e y ’re
sure th t, so quantify
e rs h av e more impac
•N u m b ossible.
as much as p
what you say
60 61
Write your application CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Formalities Paragraph 1: • Say what job you are applying for and where you saw it advertised.
Your letter should conform to the style of a business letter. Here are the conventions in the UK: Why are you • Include a few key details, e.g. you’re graduating from the University of
writing? Cambridge in 2019 with a degree in History.
Give the
address you
want the
employer
Your address • S how the research you have done by prioritising the most important
to use, in
etc. the unlikely skills and experience.
etc. event that Paragraph 2: • G ive the employer two or three highlights - i.e. pick your best, most
¶ they contact What do you relevant stories to show where you have had success - especially things
you by post. that set you apart from others
Date bring to the job?
¶ • A dapt your language to the employer’s, e.g. ‘self-improvement’ or
‘continual development’ or ‘growth mindset’. What do they say?
Feel free to
swap these
If you run Employer’s address paragraphs
Try, if you
out of space, • Why do you want to do this particular job, at this particular organisation?
can, to send
put the etc. Paragraph 3:
your letter • H
ow did you find out about them? What makes them different from their
employer’s
address
etc. to a named Why do you peers/competitors? Why does that appeal to you?
person.
level with ¶ want this job? • A
void essay-style clichés, e.g. ‘Our ageing population is having a growing
yours.
Dear …,
impact on society.’ Get to the point more directly.
¶
Paragraph 1
• If there’s anything you need to tell the employer, e.g. dates you can attend
¶ interview, use this paragraph.
Paragraph 4: • M any people thank the employer for considering their application or say
Paragraph 2
Conclusion that they hope to be invited to interview – this is not bad, but nor is it
¶
strictly necessary.
Paragraph 3
Formatting
¶ • Write the correct amount for the page.
Typically, the Paragraph 4 Equally, shrinking the margins to
alternatives
are:
1. Yours
¶
Closing formula,
squeeze in more text looks chaotic and
makes the letter hard to read. “The cover letter is your opportunity to distinguish
sincerely
(to a named ¶
• U
se a font size that is easy to scan.
yourself from the other applicants, and give an
person)
2. Yours
Signature Generally, pt 10 or pt 11 is about right. impression of your character.
faithfully (to a ¶
job title)
Your name (printed) • A
sans serif font (like Calibri, Arial,
Helvetica, etc) is the most readable for
Be positive. Show that you are aware of our business by
employers who are skim reading. giving relevant examples of how you have used your
If you don’t have an
• D
on’t use justified alignment – it creates skills with accounts of what you’ve done.”
uneven spacing, which is harder to
e-signature, just leave a Senior Manager R&D – Scientific External Liaison, MedImmune
line break between your skim-read. Use left-aligned text.
closing formula and your
printed name.
62 63
Write your application CVS AND APPLICATIONS
64 65
Write your application CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Selwyn College
Rowland Chesterton Cambridge
Trinity College CB3 9DQ
Cambridge CB2 1TQ
rec73@cam.ac.uk 14 January 2017
4 May 2017
Ms H Caseman
Dalberg
Recruitment Manager
Social Finance Ltd London
131-151 Great Titchfield Street
London W1W 5BB Dear Ms Caseman,
position
University of Cam bridge, and I would like to apply for the
Dear Recruitment Manager, I am a final-year undergraduate at the
of Analyst at Dalberg.
through the lopment projects is
ct Incubator internship as advertised Aligns her
ality through long-term sustainable deve
I am writing to apply for the Impa The eradication of poverty and inequ I have really enjoyed the
Cambridge University Careers Serv
ice. values with lopment consultancy appeals to me as
those of the something I am passionate about. Deve ghou t my degr ee and also the regular
g innovative solutions I have undertaken throu
Drills down
als to me because of its focus on findin analytically rigorous project work that International
rs as President of Cambridge University
employer,
into the detail The Impact Incubator internship appe datio ns. Whil st I was working for interactions with a range of stakeholde
lopment for charitable foun you offer to work with both
to social problems and scalable deve
using her oppo rtuni ty
of the challenges that to Dalberg because of the
of a project he
ity tackl ing food wast e and pove ,
rty one Development Society. I am attracted seeking first to
Eat United, a Managua-based char
own words comp any’s etho s of
we expanded. This gave esses. I also like the
re our model stayed sustainable as development agents and corporate busin
knows about
we faced was finding a way to ensu t seco ndar y to this.
est in the problems the Impact Incub ator seeks to address. the world, with the making of profi
and connects
me a particular insight into and inter
improve the lives of the poor around
this to his what I want in my care er: focus ing on the experience
ly with ing with Tearfund prior to
The ethos of Social Finance fits close l impa ct, and evalu ating them based on with the charity Tearfund. Through work
experience and of achieving socia In 2014 I spent six weeks in Tanzania
of beneficiaries, exploring new ways ate the difference that new lacke d a strat egic visio n for the future. In Strong
Impact Bonds in particular demonstr self-help grou ps
interests
outcome and evidence. The Social itable efforts by moving the visit I identified that most women’s fund a three -day strategic
t can have on the susta inabi lity of char 0, choosing to allocate £750 to quantitative
thinking and models of investmen tly the kind of proje ct I would love to addition to the trip costs I raised £130 p. I activ ely parti cipat ed in the conference evidence of
rammes, and that is exac planning conference for the leaders
of an 1800-strong grou
away from strictly grant-based prog a furth er £250 to the group.
. and so therefore decided to give success plus
contribute to through this internship and was impressed by the plan produced fund s unify ing a diver se rang e of people to come an instantly
allocation of the
d helped me develop I directed the discussion over the best the strategic
and communications with Eat Unite Lady of Tanzania heard about the prog ress of memorable
Being in charge of external marketing skills , inclu ding how to address particular Explains
to a solution. In January 2017 the First fund ing.
ionsh ip-bu ilding er £125 0 of detail ensure
excellent communication and relat both writing and graphic what the
plans and has visited the group herself
and donated a furth
to a broad range of audiences using that this
stakeholders, and how to appeal by Cam bridge Hub, further built team was
vation Programme, organised titative and qualitative
design. Taking part in the Social Inno opportunities to undertake both quan applicant
ts for WOU P, a local non- profit producing soup trying to
My Geography degree has provided
nal cons ultan five women’s self-help
on these skills. My team acted as exter asse ssme nt of stands out
le for comm unica ting with WOUP, making achieve, his
research. During my time in Tanzania
I conducte d a deta iled
r, I was responsib rtation). Through the
from surplus vegetables. As team leade takin g final responsibility for personal form the basis of my unde rgrad uate disse
and managing the team, as well as groups in the Dodoma region (this will groups as a vehicle for
sure that we were fulfilling our brief contribution rmined the func tions and limita tions of such
our written report and presentation
of our findin gs. coding of interview transcripts I dete tion is to provi de NGOs as well as
Applicants to it, and d that one very important func
Gives an NGOs to achieve development. I foun of finance for
on, is prison reform and ities, inclu ding the provi sion
l impact in the UK today, in my opini
were then the orm for their activ Precise and
The greatest opportunity for socia have ample evidence that the example of government organisations with a platf
specifically reduce rates of reoff endin g. We outcomes factual –
efforts to rehabilitate prisoners and highe r rates of incarceration among analytical savings and credit schemes.
instructed to given disproportionately produced attributes
current system is not working, and existing system serves to skills by over the last year
answer this illnesses and victims of abuse, the International Development Society I have which the
ethnic minorities, people with mental inalis ed peop le, as well as failing to reduce describing As President of Cambridge University ts in Cam bridg e. These have involved
disenfranchise marg een 15 diffe rent even employer is
perpetuate inequalities and further
question
ce. Prov iding support to people one of her organised a number of projects and overs I have led a team of 12 in
cial burden on the prison servi Traidcraft UK Senior Strategic Advis
or. looking for
crime rates and placing a huge finan g rates , along with a host of other social problems research liaising with key speakers, such as the ent at shor t notic e of a panel
ce reoff endin example was the postp onem
leaving prison can significantly redu ty for social impact. the taking of strategic decisions. An days before
tion, which makes it a huge opportuni
outcomes, spea ker a few
such as homelessness and drug addic resignation of the main organiser and
relevant discussion following the unexpected anise the discu ssion prop erly and accept
ing for around for the society to reorg
September, and am interested in work to this the event. I deemed it more beneficial ailab le.
I am available from 26th June to 27th the time to pt to run the event with key people unav
work in the UK. Than k you for takin g employer’s the initial disappointment than to attem
three months. I have full rights to invite d for inter view.
consider my application, and I hope
very much to be interests the work of Dalberg and I
e to make a valuable contribution to
I feel that I have the skills and experienc
regards to an interview.
look forward to hearing from you with
There was no Yours faithfully,
specified word Yours sincerely,
Rowland Chesterton
limit, but he hasn’t
used that as an Laura James
excuse to waffle:
his answer is 120
words, and the
letter still fits on
one page
66 67
Write your application CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Oliver Wyman
55 Baker Street
W1U 8EW
Caroline Trommler
Future Policy 35 Bicester Road
26 October 2016 Samuel House Cambridge
6 St Albans Street CB4 4AJ
London caro line.t romm ler@ outlo okm ail.com
SW1Y 4SQ
Dear Ms Porter, 8 September 2016
nded a presentation
portunities at Oliver Wyman when I atte
I was pointed towards the graduate op had previously read
ain at Cambridge on 24 October 2016. I
by Ms Smith, Mr Christofi and Mr Pearm was impressed by the Dear Shama Patel,
Brexit through the Financial Times and
the report by Oliver Wyman regarding the global reach of , which was recently
as written. These experiences, alongside arch Volunteer with Future Policy
concise and convincing way in which it w l Con sulta nt, as I can see I am writing to apply for the role of Rese Explains
apply for the position of Entry-Leve announced on the W4MP website.
transition
Oliver Wyman, have motivated me to from
The opening ding.
the work is both stimulating and deman sophy at the University of Cambridge, I a
m now looking to Philosophy
paragraph is
ollege London, and I Having just completed a degree in Philo in socio-political
ence and Management from Imperial C rch. This decision is gro unde d in m y int erest to social
completely I hold a First Class BEng in Materials Sci f Cambridge. I have Deft segue develop a career in public policy resea re Policy offers this
targeted to iploma in Economics at the University o ytical skills to an applied context. Futu research
am currently enrolled in the Advanced D y thr ough weekly lab from academic issues and in my desire to bring my anal ally c halle nging approach
this one firm, lem solving skills, developed partl h a research-driven, intellectu
strong analytical, presentation, and prob expe rienc e. Fo r example, experience to combination of a practical orientation wit both the gene ratio n and the
showing that mostly through professional ng to me. Your stress on
the letter has experiments and reports at Imperial, but rther n Eu rope , I presented professional and is, therefore, exceptionally appeali .
st plastic tube manufacturer in no more attra ctive
been carefully when working with Tectubes, the large utive s. Th anks to this
achievement, implementation of ideas makes it all the Focuses on
ng costs and time by 50% to se nior exec showing relevant
tailored a practical solution to cut manufacturi ignificant changes r belief that businesses can be successf
ul in the long term
ngside senior executives to implement s how both are More specifically, I am interested in you
aspects of
experience, I am confident working alo work and leadership ty not only for their own employees, b
ut also for society and her studies
ccess. I have also developed strong team germane to
only if they take up social responsibili
quickly, a key part of Oliver Wyman’s su y rol e as Research the firm’s core degree, I studied the relationships bet
ween ethics and which may
eneurship projects at university, and m the environment. During my Philosophy untability. Given
skills through my participation in entrepr veyo rs. Despite an competencies questions about justice and trus t, an d acco not be
e, I recruited and managed a team of 1
8 sur organisations: corporate responsibility, app roach to the
Manager for High Fliers Ltd. In this rol e the e issues, I am keen to le arn m ore a bout your obvious
imately met their targets as I was quick to p rovid my philosophical perspective on thes but a m als o eager to
initial struggle for some, everyone ult ckey , societal well-being and sustainability,
alongside my studies and capt aincy of th e wo men ’s ho relationship between economic success hin y our o rgan isation,
necessary guidance. Balancing this work deepen my economic understanding. W
orking as a Research Voluntee r wit
ctively and prioritise tasks. morr ow’s Own ers’, pres ents an
team, I learned to manage my time effe Evidence assisting with projects such as ‘Tomorrow
’s Force for Go od’ o r ‘To
xper ience
n ha nds- on e
orous analysis with original perspectiv
es to create an eory into a practical dimension and gai
The fact that Oliver Wyman combines rig
of careful
exciting opportunity for me to take th
d a s tart- up (IRIS research into
motivation for me. Having create in policy research.
entrepreneurial environment is a great ortin g bio haza rdous material the kind of
eveloped a method for transp y, my studies have
Haemodrone) at university, which has d ovative projects the ledge that I would bring to Future Polic
ow that I am ready to ta ckle chall enge s wit h inn In addition to the philosophical know , and clear and concise
in developing nations using drones, I kn erienced employer evelopment of original, creative ideas
been exposed to ma ny fa cets of bu sines s, an d exp Unpacks her trained me in analytical thinking, the d arch es. This allows me to
solutions. Through this work I have also is currently conducted systema tic lit eratu re se
usiness strategy and adapt to changing e
nvironme nts. F or experience communication. Likewise, I have often to penetrate unfamiliar
first-hand the need to create a strong b
undertaking tter and ask the key questions, but also
s in Spain dropped out for personal re
ason s, I w orke d in relevant ‘burrow down’ to the heart of the ma revio usly worked in several
example, when one of IRIS’s key partner tters in accessible ways. Having p
ateg y tha t still achi eved our goals . This taught me to terms and fields quickly and discuss complex ma oject s to c omp letio n, I can balance
quickly with my team to formulate a ne
w str demonstrates akeholders to deliver pr
pproaches, a skill customer-facing roles and liaised with st lls and adaptability.
rent pers pect ives and be considerate of a variety of a a willingness of academic study with teamworking ski
view prob lems from diffe
omis ed so lutions as Oliver the independent, self-motivating style nfere nces, working to
which I feel is crucial if one is to create
truly comprehensive and cust to learn been vital in my co-organisation of co
Finally, good organisational skills have
eavy work-loads.
Wyman does. deadlines and coping efficiently with h
agement. Working in
ad understanding of business and man be a valuable member of your team. P
lease note that I am
Through my work I have developed a bro globe and experience how I am confident, therefore, that I could
hat I want to explore more of the close a copy of my CV.
different countries has convinced me t lls I h ave g ained to further impact Turns a available to work immediately, and I en
use the knowledge and the ski
different cultures function. I hope to an.
possible
ld as part of Oliver Wym
and explore businesses around the wor negative Yours sincerely,
(being
Yours sincerely, unemployed)
Caroline Trommler
to an asset
Mina Grunwald (available
immediately)
68 69
Write your application CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Speculative applications Draft your speculative application likely to be on the move, reading on their smartphone,
The structure you use will depend on the kind of as they are to be sitting at a desk. In other words: get
Not all jobs are advertised, and some roles are created for the right person. If speculative approach you’re making, what you’re their attention (in the right way) and get to the point.
asking for, how you found them, and so on.
you limit yourself to applying for advertised positions, you might be missing What to say
out on an unseen job market. In fact, it is the norm in some sectors for Email is probably the most common medium. On pages 72-73, overleaf, are some sample speculative
Remember that most people get far too many emails, emails. They all address the same three points:
applicants to contact potential employers speculatively. so they are often reading in a hurry, and they’re just as
There are lots of ways to do this. Here are a few ideas for you to consider:
Why them?
Ask around Find Cambridge alumni Be interested in the employer.
What do they do (how do they do
(widely) GradLink enables you to search for friendly Cambridge alumni, it) that makes you want to work for
Do you know anyone all of whom have voluntarily registered. Ask whether they can them? Are they needing anything
who can help you? help to introduce you to someone in your chosen sector. that you know of?
70 71
Write your application CVS AND APPLICATIONS
Cambridge
Request for work shadowing following your talk at s Offer of help for speech synthesis project
To: a new
Subject: Subject:
caster h firm
Dear Ms Takane,
broad
Dear Shona,
To: a tec
d by the firms
careers panel on journalism last week. I was inspire in touch with you after a recent conversation about
Thank you very much for the talk you gave at the for journalists to have coding skills to Your contact Tom Appleby recommended that I get
outlining and the need natural language processing.
new developments in data journalism that you were specialising in speech recognition technology and
extract data for news stories. linguistics and
Linguistics, where I specialised in computational
and have had I just graduated from Cambridge with a degree in self-study in machine
g English. I have already started writing for Varsity my progra mming skills in Python and doing
I am currently in my first year at Cambridge, readin to Coding course with the University NLP. Alongside my course I’ve been improv ing
up for an Introd uction
two articles published. Following your talk, I signed to write some simple code on graduate learning and statistics.
enjoye d it and I have manag ed
IT training department. I thoroughly help. In
the moment, and might be looking for some extra
destinations for English students. Tom mentioned that you are in a growth phase at ct, which is an application area that
a new speech synthesis produ
appreciate particular, he mentioned that you are developing
ing in your team at Channel 4 News, as I would greatly final-year project.
Might it be possible to undertake some work shadow betwe en 20 March and 15 April 2017. I’m especially interested in, and researched for my
I am free any time
the opportunity to learn more about data journalism? g you on a
le at the moment, but if there were scope for helpin
s Service last week. I appreciate that you may not have any roles availab ber. I feel I could add value immed iately,
for taking the time to come and talk at the Career in Cambridge until Septem
Thank you once again short-term project basis for a few months, I’ll be g speech synthe sis products. I’m now keen to
tandin g of the issues in buildin
given my relevant skills and my unders
With Kind Regards, see how this is done in reality.
Marina Arnaud
summer.
Please let me know if I can be of help to you this
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& CU LTU RE
MP HIL IN EU RO PEA N LIT ERATU RE
TION UNI VER SITY OF CAM BRID GE
MSC IN SCIENCE AND COMMUNICA The MPhil in European Literature & Cultu
re is especially attractive to me because,
as a taught
IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON course, it is expressly geared towards
providing the core critical and theo retic al tools needed
ication
e that advances and towa rds their appl
Sciences degree, I have come to realis for detailed study of particular elements
in European litera ture, Succinctly
After three years studying for a Natural y making if r that I unde rtook
tive communicatio n and infor med polic directly on the twentieth-century pape sets out
in scientific research require both effec UK estimate in a specific research project. It builds theo ry; the self-
on society. For exam ple, Canc er Rese arch the consequences of postmodern reasons for
they are to have a meaningful impact translating in my final year: there, I was struck by our notions of
Summarises ented by lifestyle changes but, in prac
tice, natu re of language, and how this decentres choosing
in one that 40% of UK cancers could be prev prov ed very hard to deconstructing, self-betraying er and sexu ality, and the ways this course,
changes in the general publ ic has n of this theory to gend
sentence her this knowledge into positive lifestyle Engl and) has recently truth. I am fascinated by the applicatio and desir e. Havi ng looked into intellectual
Davies (Chief Med ical Offic er for ns of sex, gend er,
motivation achieve. Similarly, Professor Dame Sally ess because Shows that this has problematised our conceptio (Chri sta Wolf ’s aims, and
but, thus far, has had little succ German-language women’s writing
for studying focused her attention on reducing alcoh
ol intak e
a epidemic,
contextual constructions of ‘femininities’ in 1980s to look now at depictions career
this course ic simp ly aren’ t listen ing. This cont rasts with her message during the Ebol knowledge Cassandra and Medea; Elfriede Jelinek’s
The Piano Teacher), I want aspirations
the publ for all pass enge rs arriving le auth ors, and issue s of alternatively
pulsory temperature checks and personal of male identity, both through the eyes
of male and fema
when new travel restrictions and com rstanding to pursue a career
good grace by the publ ic, as there was an unde insight
gendered roles (e.g. Lightning out of
a Blue Sky). In the longer term, I intend
from West Africa were accepted with be teach students how to
ples illust rate how scien ce can I believe that it is still critical to
of the dangers Ebola posed to the UK.
These exam
inter vention in academia, in a teaching role, because gical norm s.
mun icate d eithe r well or badl y, and that the long-term success of a scientific explore and pressurise so many of our
powerful cultural and psyc holo
com keen to learn how and
munication strategy. I am my academic
can often depend upon an effective com ides maximum opportunity to develop
, with an interest in maki ng my long -term caree r in The taught framework of the MPhil prov ngst othe rs, the
why science communication succeeds ry provides an over view of, amo
interests. The core course on Critical Theo relat e direc tly to my
scientifically informed global polic y. , and quee r theo ry – all of whic h
ved me in: writing philosophy of Jacques Derrida, feminism in Rena issance
tional laborator y scientist. This has invol Shows courses, I intend to take ‘Text & Society
To date, I have been trained as a tradi ication, proposed dissertation. Of the optional ame ntal gend er issue s
ct, preparing an academic paper for publ detailed
Europe’, which, although less modern,
deals none the less with fund
Emphasises the a 35 page report on my 3rd year lab proje Com pany of knowledge Refo rmat ion). I will also stud y
h was published online on The en’s writing about the
communication
and writing a ‘science access’ article whic gists’ annual of the course (e.g. the querelle des femmes and wom ions of narra tive using
aspects of her ,
’ and in the British Society for Developmental Biolo ‘Memory & Subjectivity in the German
Novel’, looki ng at cons truct
Biologists’ website, ‘The Node science’ structure ide a broad-
laboratory I have presented a 5 minu te slot on ‘enga ging
(e.g. Freu d, gend er theory). My course options thus prov
newsletter. Outside of the laborator y, for the science and specifies theories from the cour se
tion the func tion of
training and on Cam FM, and have written articles proposed dissertation: I will ques
makes good within my hour-long week ly radio show oppo rtuni ties which base knowledge which leads into my ernis t auth ors such as Franz
enthusiastically embraced these ctivity in the work of mod
use of extra- section of the student newspaper. I have ivity that
optional gender as defining a distinctive subje that the conc ept of true,
years , as I enjo y the marriage between science and creat courses he Kafka and Thomas Mann. In Gender Trou
ble, Judith Butle r sugg ests
curricular during my undergraduate d , as well as
ding the Radio Inde pend ents Grou p even t “Goo plans to take repeated gender acts can clash with
experiences to communicating science requires. Atten ; it was a great biological sex is a cultural myth, and that ry canon, so
red my inter est in scien ce on the radio simil ar patterns be seen in the modernist litera
demonstrate Science: Great Radio” in 2015 further foste skills required to affirm, gender identity. Where can gy itself start s to break down,
genuine of inspi ratio n and led me to train and to pass a course on the technical frequently a site of conflicted, fractured
psychologies? Whe n biolo
sourc e an? Where, in
such as the neat binary of man and wom
enthusiasm present a solo radio show. what is left of once -comforting ideals
nking, reshaping, and refiguring?
me to the MSc in Science Communicatio
n at Imperial other words, is the body in all this rethi
These recent experiences have drawn e of media, l research
t how to communicate effec tively over a rang training in how to go about an individua
College London. I want to learn abou enable me My undergraduate degree provided solid are used . My year-
science com mun icatio n indu stry. This wou ld primary text when secondar y sources
and to gain real life experience in the a profe ssional project and how to keep sight of the per se, but on his vernacular
the experience to enter the field as abroad dissertation focused on Martin
Luther: not on his theology
to acquire the skills, the confidence, and is to beco me invol ved in the for his follo wers , as a guar anto r
-term focus of my interest way that he served,
science communicator. The current long ent and glob al health.
Addresses translations of the Psalms and on the In my optio nal pape rs, spanning
ext of both internatio nal deve lopm the skills and r of the bibli cal text.
creation of effective polic y in the cont and something approaching a co-autho alise my
training he
the Rena issan ce all the way to the modern day, I always tried to contextu
from and theo retic al background.
Avoids glib brings to the ing widely in the historical
course understanding of chosen texts by read the end of my final year, so I have
statement of the Faculty Library at
career aims, Moreover, I worked for a few weeks in Leaves just
how to acce ss it. enough space
instead explaining useful knowledge of the collection and
re is the for a proper
how science the MPhil in European Literature & Cultu
Both in terms of content and structure, degr ee towa rds a PhD that brings conclusion
communication my unde rgrad uate
right next step for me, as a bridge from
forms part of a emporary gender theory.
bigger career plan German modernism together with cont
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