Electronic Success Limited - Search and Selection specialists to the semiconductor industry

CV checklist

Your CV should include the following sections, see below for what to include in each section.

Personal details

Put your name at the top (not Curriculum Vitae or any other heading)and make it stand out (bold, larger font, etc.)
Address – if possible, just one reliable address. Multiple addresses are confusing. Include telephone, fax and email address (if you have them)
If either your e-mail address or telephone answering message is inappropriate for a potential employer, change them
If the employer cannot guess your gender from your name, state it
If necessary include nationality and clarify the need for a work permit

Education

Put most recent qualifications first
Name of university, title of course, degree achieved and date.If relevant you can include projects or dissertations, e.g. title, topic and length and/or details of modules studied. List work-related skills gained (e.g. design, programming, project management, report writing, etc.)
For UK qualifications, give years of A and S levels with results. If recently finished University/College, can also include GCSEs, summarizing the results (e.g. 8 GCSEs, including maths, english and subjects relevant to the employer – 5 at grade A)
If non-UK qualification, explain the level or give equivalents (e.g. highest level achievable). Include languages spoken/written and proficiency

Work experience

List most recent employment first
Give name of employer, your position and dates
State what you did in the role, providing measurable achievements where possible and focusing on things which match the position you are applying for
Show the level of your responsibility and relevant skills gained
Do not forget to include placements, part-time, holiday or voluntary work, particularly if these are relevant to the position applied for and you have sufficient space.

Skills and Other information

Activities and Interests

If you have recently completed full-time education, this section can be used to bolster work experience
Group activities into relevant sections, e.g. Communication, Skill development, Getting on with others, etc.
Do not just list interests, give some information about them. Give most detail to those matching the employer’s interests
Include positions of responsibility and indicate level of activity. Suggest you aimed for and achieved results (quantified if possible)
If you carried out lots of similar activities, describe the overall category and say ‘including’ … Pick out the most impressive or obscure
If the title/name of the activity isn’t obvious, explain it, e.g. President of the Newtonians (society for mathematicians)
Do not list too many passive pursuits, e.g. cinema, reading, pc games
If you have travelled, indicate the countries visited and the context in which you visited them

Referees

It is usual to name two referees, one work experience or academic (if straight from University/College) and one from elsewhere, e.g. work experience or a family friend, who can comment on your suitability for this particular position
Make sure you have your referees' permission before including them on your CV, give them a copy of your CV and update them on positions applied for, so they can be ready to answer questions about your suitability
Give the position of the referee and their relationship to you. You can either give their full contact details (including fax and e-mail if possible) or state “References available on request”