Need to get a part-time job to keep the wolf from the door when you are at uni? You are not alone. Whether you’re aiming to work part time in a bar, a high-street store or in an IT company you will probably need to apply in writing. If you’ve seen your ‘ideal’ part-time job advertised, the chances are that loads of other people will have too, so to make sure you stand out as a bright spark find out how you can make your CV and covering letter shine.
CVs
The purpose of a CV is to attract an employer’s attention and to convince them to offer you an interview. Here are a few basic tips that will help ensure that yours stands out:
• limit your CV to one or two pages
• use a clear, uncluttered font and a point size that can be easily read
• avoid long paragraphs of unbroken text and use bullet points for emphasis
• make sure you include contact details, your education, work experience, skills, interests and references
• use positive, active verbs such as organise, manage or negotiate.
As each job is different it’s a good idea to tailor your CV to reflect this. CVs can be written chronologically (listing your education and work experience in reverse order so that the most recent appears first); skills-led (highlighting your skills first); or even a combination (perhaps putting your work experience first).
The important thing is to make sure that it’s easy for an employer to see how suitable you might be for the job on offer. For instance, if you are applying for bar work then putting your work experience at The Dirty Duck at the top of the page might prove an attraction.
If the job specifies ‘must have good knowledge of Excel spreadsheets’, then starting with your experience of ‘data analysis of information and costing jobs’ for a building supplier could be your unique selling point. Even if you’ve not had a job before, with a bit of thought you should be able to pull out a few skills or aspects of your personality that will be attractive to employers.
Think about teams you’ve been on, clubs or societies you’ve joined and any hobbies you might have and draw out any skills you built through these activities. Having examples and evidence for these will be important if you’re invited to an interview.