A Guide To CVs, Cover Letters And Application Forms

CareersA guide to CVs, cover lettersand application formslse.ac.uk/careers1

WelcomeOur careers consultants have written this guide with input fromemployers and common questions asked by LSE students.The first section focuses on identifying your skills and values andwhat employers are looking for, before starting your job search.The following sections give an overview of CVs, cover letters, andapplication forms.We recommend reading through each section before you startapplying as it will save you time and effort. All examples and advicerelate to jobs in the UK. If you need support applying for roles outsidethe UK or writing a specialised application (like an academic orcreative CV) visit our website (lse.ac.uk/careers) or book a one-toone appointment with a careers consultant.LSE Careers is open all year round and whether you have a clear ideaof what you want to do after your studies or haven’t started thinkingabout it yet, we can help.We offer seminars on CVs, cover letters, and application formsthroughout the year and you can also have your application reviewedin a one-to-one appointment. Browse and book on LSE CareerHub:careers.lse.ac.ukJenny BlakesleyDirector, LSE Careers3ContentsWelcome3Before you start applying4CVs10Cover letters23Application forms27Further resources35

Before you start applyingJob applications offer you the opportunity to expand upon whoyou are and what you have done to demonstrate you fulfil thethree Cs:I am very satisfied with the service and help provided byLSE Careers. I feel that it has already helped me duringmy first months here to develop my career perspective andgoals much further. the competencies to do the job – the skills, qualitiesor attributesLSE student the commitment to do the job – the energy, drive orenthusiasmTips for skills auditing the cultural fit to work within the organisation – a sharedbelief in the values pursued by the organisation. Identify transferable skills, ie, skills that can be taken fromone job, activity or sector to anotherIdentify your skills Think broadly about the skills you have developed through:– academic studyYou need to be clear about the competencies you have to offerthe organisation and job you are applying for. Completing anapplication successfully requires you to do more than simplylist your achievements. In order to persuade an employeryou are the ideal candidate, you need to prove it with specificevidence and articulate this in a succinct way.– previous employment– volunteering– travelling– student societies– other extra-curricular activities eg, hobbies and interestsYou can find lots of useful self-assessment and matching toolson our website (lse.ac.uk/career-planning). You can use theseto navigate the career planning process and find the mostappropriate information and resources for whatever stage youare at. Think about which examples are the most interesting, relevantand illustrative of your abilities to the employer.Conduct a skills auditBelow is an example of how a simple skills audit might look but remember this table is not an exhaustive list of skills or examples.The skills required by this organisation are.Examples demonstrating these skills could include.Communication including: writing essays, dissertations or articles for the Beaver verbal skills speaking to clients and preparing reports at work non-verbal/body language networking at careers events written skills involvement in mentoring. presentation skills adapting style to the needs of the audience listening skills.4

The skills required by this organisation are.Examples demonstrating these skills could include.Teamwork including: volunteering projects building relationships being a member of a sports team or student society supporting others undertaking group projects as part of your degree orat work. negotiation skills setting aims and achieving shared objectives.Leadership and decision-making including: being on the committee of a student society managing conflict making career management decisions in your personal life delegation project management at work sensitivity to others’ needs mentoring taking responsibility. volunteering.Problem-solving including: resolving customer complaints identifying or anticipating problems/areas for improvement modifying methodology used in a research project ordissertation being flexible when faced with challenges using logical or lateral thinking to find solutions. designing a simple database to more effectively manageOrganisation and planning including: planning an overseas trip time and resource management organising an event handling pressure managing a project as part of your degree or at work prioritising activities balancing your study and a part-time job.client contacts for a charity, society or small business. meeting deadlines.IT including: social media using software packages in a variety of contexts Word, Outlook, PowerPoint etc. using the internet and email. analysing data using SPSS, Excel or Stata Dreamweaver, FrontPage, WordPress, Drupal.Creativity including: raising money for charity in an unusual way innovative ideas improving your productivity/motivation, e.g. starting astudy support group with friends making improvements. solving a problem.5

The skills required by this organisation are.Examples demonstrating these skills could include.Numeracy including: identifying patterns in data for academic projects descriptive statistical skills practical experience on an internship inferential statistical skills handling stock or cash at work. budgeting.Commercial awareness including: keeping up to date with the FT, Economist, websites, socialmedia etc. to analyse current affairs and relate them to theparticular organisation or role having an understanding of the marketplace and competitors being able to predict future trends involvement in entrepreneurship ventures, eg, LSE Generate identifying new opportunitiescompetitions and awards: lse.ac.uk/generate effectively promoting products/services thinking strategically beyond the boundaries of the assisting customers and closing sales in a part-time retail job.immediate team.Personal qualities including: demonstrating a “can do” attitude and not being easilydeterred or demoralised reliability proactivity standing in for a colleague at a meeting. self-motivation adaptability/flexibility.Conduct a values auditThis is an example of a simple values audit. Use it as a starting point to identify what really motivates you and whether theorganisation and job you are applying for is a good match.Things that motivate me are.What does the job/organisation offer?Learning new things and variation in-house training courses? opportunities for secondments?Sociable working environment open-plan working environment? coaching and mentoring networks?Working on written projects report writing for senior management and media? opportunity to contribute to professional journals and in-house publications? responsibility for departmental website?Time off to pursue outside interests/spend time with family adequate annual leave? flexible working hours? typical working week of 35 hours?6

What employers are looking forInvestigate the organisation’s main competitors. Also considerdevelopments within the sector, for example changes in thelaw or the merger of two competitors and the potential impact.Most applicants find it relatively easy to complete theirpersonal details and qualifications but lose inspiration whenthey are asked to write about themselves in more depth.Often this is because they don’t know enough about theorganisation, the job or their own skills to begin constructingan answer.Attending employer presentations, careers fairs, and open dayswill provide you with opportunities to network with currentemployees. Speak to alumni through our Meet an Alum eventsand LinkedIn. Try to find out more about their day-to-day work,training and promotion opportunities within the organisation,and typical career development.ResearchTalk to employees from different divisions of the sameorganisation, as well as their competitors, to see how their jobroles and career paths may differ. This will help to ensure youare applying to the organisation or specific division that bestmatches your skills, motivations, and future plans.Researching what the organisation does, what they have tooffer and what competencies they are looking for involvesmore than simply reading the recruitment literature.The LSE Careers website (lse.ac.uk/careers) containsinformation on different employment sectors, ways of planningyour career, and marketing your skills. You will also find a rangeof reference material in the LSE Careers Resource Centre onFloor 5 of the Saw Swee Hock Student Centre.Top tipUse our Resource Centre and library on Floor 5 of theSaw Swee Hock Student Centre for research and ask usif you need help with anything.Visiting the organisation’s website and reading theirpublications are good places to start to find out more about: the organisation’s structure and culture their current projects, campaigns, products or clientsUnderstand the job their long-term strategies.Most organisations will provide you with a job description,which will give you a basic outline of the tasks you will beexpected to undertake. Some organisations will also providea person specification to explicitly identify the skills you willneed to complete these tasks.Find out whether the organisation has received any mediacoverage recently on either social media or the national ortrade press.Use this information to check that you meet their essentialcriteria for qualifications and experience. This will helpensure you are targeting jobs at the right level. For exampleif the organisation asks for a postgraduate qualification ineconomics, do you have one? If not, is there a more appropriateentry-point into this organisation for you? ave a look at the company website and social mediaHincluding LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.Find out about any events, including virtual events suchas live chats, you can attend to ask questions and findout more about the company. If you meet someone fromthe company you are interested in and they give you theirbusiness card, make sure you use that connection andemail them to ask questions and keep in contact.KPMG7