Second Post

Updating your CV-Structure and content


When applying for their second position after graduation, many candidates make the mistake of sticking with their original graduate CV, merely deleting a few hobbies to make room for their recent work experience. This doesn’t go far enough and will almost certainly result in failure. Your CV, good as it may have been at the graduate stage, requires a major overhaul if you wish to impress a future employer.

Whereas your education was probably your best selling point when searching for a graduate position, most employers are no longer particularly interested in whether you managed a 2:1 in your degree. Instead they are looking for skills and abilities proven in the workplace. What have you learnt in your present or previous job role? How does that relate to the job you are now applying for?

In order to best convey this information in an eye-catching manner you will have to relegate your education to the second page. The first page is now going exclusively comprise your contact details, achievements and work experience.

Work Experience

This is the most crucial area as it details everything you have accomplished since leaving full-time education. Ultimately, the recruiter wants to know what you are capable of in the workplace so give it careful consideration.

Organise your experience chronologically by company, starting with the most recent. If, over the course of your time at one particular company, you changed roles / gained promotion, you may want to use sub-sections. You should also list significant achievements here, or these could have their own sub-sections should you feel it is warranted.

It is important to make these sections highly relevant to the job role for which you are applying (each time you make an application, your CV will need some tweaking). Study the job description very carefully and ask yourself the following questions:
What skills and experience are the company looking for? What have I done in my previous job/s that match these requirements?

Don’t forget the high number of applications the recruiter is likely to receive. There will be plenty of CVs brimming with relevant information – these are much more likely to be short-listed than one that is full of work experience unrelated to the job role. Present your work-experience in short, accurate statements.
Make sure you don’t leave any glaring gaps that might leave the recruiter guessing as to what you were up to for six months. If you did have a long period of unemployment then highlight the positives –training for example.

Other Sections to incorporate

Training & Skills: If you have received any professional training, include it here, along with any related qualifications. You should also add your IT skills, if any are required for the position (Include level of proficiency). Languages should also be mentioned here.

Education: The full title of your degree and University and any significant exam results should suffice, although any modules of projects of particular interest could be included. You should also list your A level results.

Relevant interests: Be careful with this section. Try to include any interests that are relevant to the position. If this is not possible, aim for some which highlight qualities that most recruiters are interested in, such as communication skills, leadership qualities, organisational ability etc.

References: Unless requested, references need not be given at the initial application stage and a simple "references available on request" should suffice. Employers will ask for references if and when they need them