Hello,
Really lost on how to structure a CV for something like a vacation scheme (this is for Cleary's winter VS). I know what a 'normal' CV with bullet points and headings looks like, but more unsure on if I need to include secondary/A-level grades, how many pages it should be, if I should be listing awards from age 16-18 when I've already graduated university, etc.
Thanks!
Hi! I don't know much about Cleary specifically, but will try my best to speak to vac scheme CVs generally. Sorry I can't be more specific!
Secondary / A-Levels: Yes, I would include both GCSEs and A-Levels or equivalents. I know this can feel like a long time ago, but a significant enough number of firms do have minimum GCSE and A-Level requirements and do still look at this information when screening candidates.
Pages: I would aim for 1 if you can, but 2 is usually okay too (my CV was 2 pages, as I didn't want to remove anything).
Awards from 16 - 18: If you have already graduated uni, I would focus more on recent work experience and university achievements. If you have 1-3 entries from aged 16 - 18 because they were particularly impressive / meaningful / unique, or because they connect to something you did at university / later on, I think that is fine! I would be cautious about anything beyond that though - you don't want to give the impression that you lack recent experience / achievements.
You probably know a lot of this already, but just in case it is helpful:
1. Sections
You MUST have:
-
Full Name at the top
- Then your
contact details (MUST have
email, can also include
phone number and
LinkedIn if you would like, I have seen some people add their
home address too)
-
Education(1 entry for
GCSEs or equivalents, 1 entry for
A-Levels or equivalents, 1 entry for
university degree, can add anything following like
masters,
sqe, etc.)
-
Experience (I did 2 sections for this - 1 for
Legal Experience and 1 for
Non-Legal Experience, but you don’t need to do this)
CAN add:
-
Extracurriculars (I think this is important to show you are a rounded candidate, particularly if you are still in school)
-
Other Professional Courses / Training / Certifications (definitely can add if this is relevant to the role or to yourself)
-
Volunteering (some people like to keep this separate, though I always classified my volunteering either under
Extracurriculars or under
Work Experience depending on the seriousness and level of commitment of the role)
-
Languages (if you would like, though for comm law in
London, I don’t think this is too necessary - if you are applying for opportunities in other countries or a role where being able to translate etc. might be a plus, you should add this)
-
References (again, I don’t think this is necessary for comm law in London, as firms rarely ask for references, and when they do, they tend to have their own internal forms which they will ask you to fill out)
STRUCTURE:
- Use section headings and entry headings to separate experiences. Most recent experiences at the top, ordered by end date.
- Write in bullet points and short sentences. Try to be as concise as possible. You can use AI if you’re struggling (’
reword in short phrases to be as concise as possible, for my cv for a vac scheme application to x firm’).
- Use a readable font (I like 11 pt Arial or Times New Roman). Avoid bright colours.
- Make sure all your margins, spacing, etc. are consistent. Some employers use AI to screen for errors and will deduct points if they see sloppy formatting - this is the easiest way to show competencies like attention to detail! Even firms that don't use AI will have Grad Rec to check. You can use a data secure AI to ensure your CV doesn’t have any slip ups, as it’s easy to make mistakes.
CONTENT:
- No SPaG errors for the same reason as above. Again, you can use AI to proofread this.
- Be consistent with spelling (either British or American, I would opt for British if it’s a British role) and punctuation (either always use the Oxford comma or never use it, etc.).
- Emphasise what you did! Use action words (
‘created’, ‘grew’, ‘delivered’, etc.)
- Include outcomes! What did you contribute / achieve?
- Be specific. Quantify! How many? How many times a week? How many people? Where? Etc.
- Personal preference - I like to use numerals since they are easier to skim-read, and full stops, but some people write without full stops.
- Try to include a range of entries (legal, non-legal, retail, volunteering, extracurriculars, etc.) Try to also demonstrate a range of competencies (written communicatoin, attention to detail, problem-solving, collaboration, etc.)
- If you have a gap, that is okay, but just be prepared to discuss it at interview.
Jaysen kindly shared his old CV, which you can refer to as well!
I attach my old one in template form, and a PDF so you can see how it looks in practice. Feel free to adapt - there's some flexibility with CV design provided it looks professional and is clear to read.
As
@Jessica Booker pointed out, just make sure the dashes between the dates are consistent!
