Teaching about CVs can be a daunting prospect for teachers. Some will never have had to write one, and for those who did, chances are that it’s gathering digital dust in an old computer folder.
So where to begin in helping young people create a CV that’s fit for the modern world? In a time of increasing job insecurity and rising unemployment rates among young people, it’s more vital than ever that their CVs stand out from the pile.
“What you want them to have is a strong basic template that they then tailor and add to for each job role or apprenticeship,” says Vicky Woodings, head of careers and aspiration at The Bourne Academy in Bournemouth.
We know that they’re going to be doing jobs that don’t exist yet, she continues, but the key skills that employers want - such as adaptability, communication and problem-solving - will stand the test of time.
Selling skills
A skills-based CV is also a smart option for young people as it places the focus on their strengths and away from the fact that they may not have much formal, professional experience.
Instead, they can share online links to projects that they are especially proud of; this could be via social media channels, blogs or a dedicated online portfolio.
“You’re selling potential more than anything else,” says Steve Nicholls, managing director of career coaching firm Executive Connexions.
As a basic template, Nicholls recommends four sections: the personal statement followed by skills, education and work experience. This CV builder from Barclays Lifeskills uses a similar layout (with detailed explanations on how to fill out each section), which students can download once complete.
Personal statements can be short - Nicholls recommends six to 10 lines - but they are an important opener, says Sarah Harrison, careers leader at Horizon Community College in South Yorkshire, and that means they should be impactful and tailored to the role in question.
Woodings, meanwhile, recommends writing the personal statement in the first person to communicate a bit of personality. She also notes that when she checks CVs for students, she tends to take a light touch.
“I quite often don’t change it if I can feel their character and their personality - as long as the wording, grammar and spelling is correct and it looks professional,” she says.
Transferable skills
Ryan Gibson, careers lead for the Academies Enterprise Trust, says employers will always be looking for core transferable skills including teamwork, communication, problem-solving and creativity.
Nicholls adds that self-management and self-belief (though not overconfidence) are also commonly required, while Jake Armstrong, careers leader at Addey and Stanhope school, says it’s crucial to show a strong work ethic.
So the challenge for students is to be able to demonstrate how they’ve developed these skills through their experiences and any social action or part-time work.
“It’s not enough to just say ‘I’m a team player’,” says Woodings. Instead, she continues, students need to say something like, “I’m a team player, as evidenced from playing rugby every Saturday for this team,” exploring the different roles and responsibilities they have taken on and how these have helped to shape them.
The Duke of Edinburgh programme is a common example. Rather than just saying that they have a bronze award, for example, pupils need to be explicit about what they learned from it, Woodings advises.
As part of the programme, students have to learn a new sport so that shows commitment and resilience, she says, and depending on the sport, they may have joined a club, which shows communication, or they may have volunteered which could demonstrate leadership skills.
Leadership skills
Lucy Martin, a LifeSkills Youth Advisory Council member, says her applications were strengthened by her leadership experience.
“Participating in social action and taking on leadership roles during my time at sixth form allowed me to develop my relationship-building, leadership and teamwork skills,” she says.
“These skills are essential for all working environments and when it came to applying for jobs, internships and university, they made me stand out from my peers.”
Young people can sometimes struggle to see their strengths, Woodings continues, so it is important to offer them time and opportunities to reflect.
This lesson is a useful starting point for teachers as it covers CV basics, as well as helping students to identify and communicate their skills as well as (incorporate the lesson that looks at the wheel of strengths).
Many of the pitfalls of CV-writing remain the same whatever the century, so these common CV errors offer a useful reminder for pupils, as does this lesson on fine tuning CVs.
Ultimately, Nicholls concludes, there are five simple guiding principles for students to follow to create a great CV:
● Clear - is it easy to understand?
● Concise - does it fit on one or two pages?
● Compelling - have you explained why they should they take a chance on you?
● Authentic - are you showing the best version of yourself?
● Accurate - is it truthful, and have you double-checked the details?
Kate Hodge is a freelance education writer
