Print this page

Hints and Tips for Producing a Non Medical CV

The Basic Principles

  • Like an application form, your CV is used for the purpose of providing basic information about yourself, and showing how you meet the requirements set out by the employer. For this reason, it should be tailored for purpose and targeted in its design. 
  • Most jobs have a person specification which sets out what is required of you. If this does not exist you will need to do some research. Use the person specification and/or your research as a guide to demonstrate your suitability to the reader. Go through it and highlight key words and phrases.
  • There are no definitive rules for CVs, and it needn’t look the same as everyone else’s. You won’t have much time to impress the reader so it needs to be well thought out. It can take time to get it right, but it’s worth it.
  • Competitive areas see a high volume of CVs. Consider what it is about you and the things you have done that make you different. Expressing your motivations for the organisation and job are an important part of engaging the readers’ interest.

Moving out of Medicine?

  •  
    • Personal details - Name, address, e-mail, phone numbers. Nationality is optional. Age and marital status should not be included. 
    • A Career Aim or Objective can be added at the beginning beneath your personal details. It is a useful way to focus the reader on your aims if you are changing careers. It should be short, sharp and purposeful, demonstrating your direction – not a list of adjectives about you. Explaining your reasons for your change of career does not have to included here, but if you feel a brief statement would be helpful (always emphasise the positives) then it is acceptable to include this. Keep it brief!
    • Education and qualifications – with dates and results. For undergraduate studies onwards, include the institution where you studied. Include additional information on units of study or research if they are relevant. Only use one line each for A-levels and GCSEs – they don’t need lots of space.
    • Employment/Work experience – Include work, paid or unpaid, however unrelated to the job. Expand a little – describe the duties, skills and what you learned even for basic jobs and include significant achievements and instances in which you ‘added value’ to the activities or the organisation. You could divide this section into ‘related’ and ‘other’ work experience.
    • Volunteering – any voluntary work that you have done will be highly regarded (demonstrating motivation and commitment) by employers. You can arrange the information in a distinct section, or incorporate it into your work experience or responsibilities sections.
    • Skills should be fed into your CV within your examples in the other sections. For example, “managed and motivated a small team of people…..” Some people choose to include a skills profile (usually on the first page. A short evidenced list that focuses the reader on your main skill areas) or to produce a skills based CV (see Styles below).
    • Responsibilities, Achievements and Interests – everyone arranges this differently depending on what they have done. Interests are often separate. Your interests are important to show the reader how you have contributed outside of work/study, and how you have developed. Don’t just list them – put them into a meaningful context. Responsibilities can include roles within clubs and societies. But don’t just list ‘treasurer’ - treat them like a job and show the skills you have used and developed. Your achievements may overlap into either of the above. Ensure that you demonstrate why it is an achievement by showing your development as a result of the activity and adding a context for the reader to understand. Take care not to confuse the reader with abbreviations of acronyms they may not understand.
    • Additional Skills – such as IT and languages. You should name the packages and/or languages and describe your level of proficiency.
    • References – Identify two referees, ideally one academic and one from employment. Always get permission first. Make sure they haven’t moved and provide their name, title, address (including postcode), phone numbers and e-mail addresses. ‘References available on request’ is fine if you lack space, haven’t finalised them yet or are submitting a CV on spec.
    • Put your information in reverse chronological order (most recent first) 
    • The recommended font size is 12 in a plain font style. This is easier for photocopying and, as 12 is one of the most commonly-used font size in publications, does not ‘jar’
    • Limit the effects you use. Be consistent with font size and style. Excessive use of underlining can be untidy and distracting to the eye but is perfectly acceptable for headings, for which you can also use bold type.
    • You can use bullet points to break up information. Avoid long paragraphs or poorly headed sub-sections as this is hard for the reader to follow
    • Use the tab key, rather than the space bar, to get your alignment right and be consistent throughout.
    •  
      • Targeted – to some extent, all CVs should be targeted for their purpose. This style hard to define, but it is based on a candidates’ ability to understand the requirements of a particular job and arrange their information in the most appropriate way. 
      • Traditional or chronological CV - probably the most common style of CV, and includes the information outlined above, usually in the order it appears. It can be useful if you have relevant experience, but it is also the simplest format to produce and it is easy for the recipient to see what you have done.
      • Skills-based - focuses on the skills developed through a range of activities (that are not necessarily relevant). To highlight these, the information is arranged within 4 or 5 subheadings relating to the main requirements of the employer. This is helpful if you have lots of transferable skills but no directly relevant experience, or if you have lots of directly relevant experience that would appear repetitive if demonstrated in the traditional style of CV.
      •  
        • Get it checked – by a friend, colleague or a careers adviser 
        • Your research, on the company and the role, and demonstrate this
        • Pay attention to spelling, grammar and presentation – otherwise it will find its way to the bin
        • Ensure the CV is in a format the reader can access if you e-mail it
        • Use positive language that will enthuse the reader – they need to know you are interested and confident
        • If you are printing hard copies, use good quality white paper
        •  
          • Use a CV unless asked. If you are asked for an application form, don’t send a CV! 
          • Expect the reader to make assumptions. If you omit any information, they cannot give you credit – e.g. they will not know that you can use Excel unless you say so
          • Use the same CV for every application you make. Maintain a standard copy and adapt it for each application
          • Spend less time on your covering letter
          • Play down your experience or achievements. Show how transferable they are and consequently how employable you are!
          •  
            • Styles of CV – look at Prospects (use the search facility) 
            • To see examples of CVs; search any University Careers Service website, see Prospects (above) or do a Google search

            • 'Based upon information produced by Peninsula Deanery: Hints and Tips'

          • Useful Resources

        • Don’t:

      • Dos and Don’ts

      Do:

    • Half of all graduate jobs are open to graduates of any discipline…….

    If you are making the transition away from medicine you may feel as though the things you have done to date bear little resemblance to the requirements for careers outside medicine or health. The truth is that there is a huge cross over between the skills you have gained to date and the one that other sectors look for.

    Remember that transferable skills fit into any context – and as a student of medicine you will have a great combination of skills: team working, interpersonal skills, communication, problem solving, decision making, planning, and the ability to manage your time, assess data and work under pressure, not to mention those skills and experience you have gained beyond your studies.

    Content and Structure

    The way you set out your CV should be driven by what the employer is looking for. Strictly speaking it is up to you how you organise your information and the level of detail you include, but don’t go back too far.

    A non-medical CV should be no longer than two pages. Ensure the emphasis is on the first page by placing the most relevant information there. You should design it to be as easy as possible for the reader to get to the information they are looking for within a short space of time.

    Basic content should include:

    Presentation

    The appearance of your CV will influence how interested the reader is, and whether they can glean the key information that they are looking for:

    Styles

    CVs can be formatted in a number of styles: