Creating a good CV and finding a job/internship

Shaun Harris

LSE Careers

Today’s session

• How to get your CV to the recruiter’s YES pile• Four key ingredients of excellent cover letters• The best places to look for jobs and

internships• Using creative techniques to track down jobs

and internships

CV and covering letter: key principles

Layout: easy on the eye

Content: relevant & specific

Language: concise & positive

CV content in a nutshell

• Personal details• Education/Awards• Work experience• Extra-curricular• Additional skills• Referees

Assistant Qualitative researcher

• Educated to degree level• Ability to work in a team• Ability to manage projects and work

independently• Research experience• Understanding of main qualitative research

techniques

CV Quiz

1) A CV should never be more than one page?

2) Do you need to state your marital status or gender on your CV?

3) Should you should always give your personal tutor as your referee?

4) To stand a realistic chance of success you need to send out at least 100 CVs?

5) The average time a recruiter spends looking at a CV is…

a. Less than 30 seconds

b. 1 minute

c. 2 minutes

Covering letter – ICME!

• Introduction – who you are, what you want• Competence – what you will bring to job, why

you• Motivation – why you want job, organisation• Ending – upbeat• Faithfully, sincerely• Grammar, spelling, appropriate language

Finding a job or internship

• Where are the best places to look for jobs and internships?

• What creative techniques can you use to track down jobs and internships?

Where Are All The Jobs ?

Adverts

Agencies / Head hunters

Contacts

Internal moves & promotions

Networking – what is it?

• Good networking is making the most of the people you meet to your mutual advantage

• Networking is using connections with others intelligently

• It offers both support and a resource to help you achieve your goals

From “Brilliant Networking; Steven D’Souza

Don’t forget

• Professional bodies• Specialist associations• Attend talks and

networking events• Speculative approaches• On-line networks

Why use it?Facebook for Business: Your Online CV

• Build a professional presence online• Connect in a meaningful way with alumni and

other “warm” contacts• Research companies and career paths• Explore opportunities with organisations who

don’t recruit on campus• Learn professional networking etiquette