Ex-Military Candidate's Resources  

What is a CV?

A curriculum vitae, often shortened as CV, is a written overview of someone's life's work records. It outlines where you excel and shows what you can offer.

 Do
• Make every word count.
• Spend a considerable amount of time refining and improving your CV.
• Get someone you trust to read through your CV and provide feedback.

Don't
• Use poor grammar.
• Make spelling mistakes.
• Make statements you cannot back up.

 Introduction (Profile)

• Explain who you are. Describe your key attributes.
• Highlight what you have to offer and have an impact.
• Capture the reader's attention.
• Your CV is your choice and needs to reflect you accurately in a positive way.
• Consider using 3rd person instead of 1st person to keep your CV concise.

Key Skills (education and qualifications)

Select 4 or 5 keys skills of your ex-military career that are general and transferable:

• Articulate each skill in a short paragraph which builds on the introduction.
• Always provide an example of an achievement that demonstrates the skill.
• When the Key Skills and Introduction are combined the reader should have a clear picture of who you are and what you have to offer.

Don't forget to visit our article with Key Skill examples that employers want!

Experience

• Outline your experience to validate everything you have said in the Introduction and Key Skills.
• Use positive power words. What is a power word?
• Ensure power words have meaning for you and you are confident you know their meaning.
• Use bullets to highlight what you did and when you did it.
• Consider highlighting the start of each bullet point in BOLD.
• Make the experiences chronological putting the most recent first.
• Reduce the details as you go down the list, employers don't need to know about your full responsibilities of peeling potatoes in a cafe in New Zealand on your gap year.

Interests and Achievements

• Use this section to stand out about the type of person you are.
• Highlight what more you can offer beyond that of other candidates, do not just use it to fill space.
• Consider things that are not related to your work such as charity/community work, volunteering etc.
• This section is optional and could also be used for Education and Qualifications.

General Advice

• Add page numbers and your name to the bottom of each page in case they get separated after printing.
• Put your name address and contact details at the top of the first page. (If you are willing to relocate state this as location may be what is stopping you from getting a job).
• Add in social media references such as LinkedIn.
• You do not need to state your age or marital status.
• When adding your Email address have a sensible Email address preferably consisting of your name, Avoid adding email address like the following; the-jagermeister-legend-69@hotmail.com.
• If you are currently in employment or still serving, avoid using your work email in case potential employers try to contact you and you have already left service or no longer employed by that company.

 SOURCE: Career Transition Partnership (CTP)