Employers are likely to skim read your CV so you have approximately 20 seconds to make a good impression and to entice them to read more. It is therefore essential that your relevant skills, experience, achievements stand out. Try using Wordle - you can upload your CV and it will create a word cloud showing you which words stand out more, and are mentioned more on your CV.

Top graduate employers say what makes a poor CV:

• Spelling and grammar - there is no excuse for mistakes.
• Submitting applications in the last few hours of an online deadline. Many candidates do this and they could end up getting less time and attention from the employer.
• Unusual formatting - keep it simple so it is easier to read.Length of CV and relevance - we don't have time to read multiple pages about every module you studied.
• Keep it relevant.Poor copy and paste and stating an incorrect company name.Submitting a generic CV and not even stating the company name that you are applying to.
• Bulk text that makes it hard to find key achievements quickly.
• Just listing responsibilities from previous jobs - the best candidates tell an employer what they achieved, how and provide evidence either with figures or examples.
• Still focusing on what they want to learn in the career profile - graduates should get the balance right and focus on the contribution they could make to the organisation.

Think about creating a unique look that will help to further demonstrate your creative flair or creative skills. Don't over clutter though and don't let it interfere with the actual content of your CV, the employer still needs to be able to read the text.

• See Creative CVs section in our CVs and applications booklet PDF  (1.18MB)
• Creative CV guides written by professionals and employers from the creative industries - reference copies are available in the Careers and Employability Service to view.
• See also the following Creative CV examples that have been posted online by Business Insider Creative CV examples
• Creative Living Creative Careers has more examples of creative CV's.

Use your time wisely at University to develop your skills, gain a wide range of experience which will ultimatley enhance your CV.

Employers will expect you to be able to clearly articulate your range of skills and experience throughout the entire application process.

Complete a Self-awareness  plan to identify what skills you currently posses which will help you to identify any skills / experience gaps that you may have. You can then discuss how you can fill these gaps with a careers adviser.

The section Work experience and volunteering offers advice on how to enhance your skills and gain more work experience.

Further resources and support available from the Careers and Employability Service:

• Examples of CVs and covering letters.
• Creative CV guide.
• Graduate Prospects Applications, CVs and Interviews.
• Careers workshops - on everything from a beginners guide to writing a CV, marketing yourself effectively, to career planning, career matching and more.  
• Visit our Events section to view our calendar of events or contact us for further details on the right session for you.

The aim of your covering letter is to impress the employer and encourage them to read your CV, to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role / organisation and say why you want the job and also highlight points on your CV / application that prove why you are the most suitable candidate.

However, you can never be sure that your covering letter will be read so you have to prepare for every eventuality and ensure that your CV/application and covering letter are of the highest standard, tailored to the position you are applying for and highlight your relevant strengths.

See the CVs and applications booklet PDF (1.18MB)  for advice on how to create a covering letter and to see an example covering letter.