6/26/12 BMJ Careers Medical CV writing skills

1/4 careers.bmj.com/careers/advice/viewarticle.html?id=3043
MedicalCVwritingskills
Authors:LauraBrammar
Publicationdate:13Aug2008
FocusedandfullofevidenceLauraBrammarfromtheBMAscareersservicetellsyouhowtowriteaCVthatworks
CVsstillneeded?
Althoughrecruitmenttomostmedicalpostsisincreasinglycarriedoutusingapplicationforms,acurriculumvitae(CV)is
stillusedbysometrustsforshortlistingoratinterviewstageandindeedformanygeneralpractitionerposts.Beyondthat,
theactualprocessofeffectivelyanalysingyourskillsandachievementsandthenpresentingthesesuccinctlyonaCVcan
beavaluableexerciseinitself.Itcanalsobeseenasausefulresourcethatcanthenbereferredtowhencompleting
applicationforms.
CVswhatsthepoint?
ThepurposeofanyCV,withinorbeyondmedicine,isessentiallytopresentrelevantinformationaboutyoutoa
prospectiveemployer.Atitsmostbasic,yourCVisyourpersonalisedresponsetothejobdescriptionorperson
specificationforthespecificrolethatyouareapplyingfor.Inotherwords,yourCVisyourpartofthematchingprocess
thatcomplementstheoutlineofthejobprovidedbytheemployer.
ThisiswhyitsimportanttokeepyourCVuptodateandtoanextentflexible.Dependingonthespecificpostforwhich
youareapplying,youmaychoosetoemphasisesomeaspectsofyourexperienceortrainingoverothers.Forthisreason,
itisimportanttoreviewyourCVforeachjobyouareusingitfor,ratherthanattachthesameoldversiontimeandtime
again.
BelowaresomesuggestionstohelpyoutoproducethebestCVyoucan.
EvidencebasedCVs
BeingabletoprovideevidenceofskillsandabilitiesisvitalinordertoproduceanexcellentCV.Tobeselectedforajob
youneedtoconvincetheselectorsthatyouhavethefullrangeofskillsthattheyarelookingfor.Itisnotenoughtosimply
listyourexperienceinsteadyouneedtoprovideexamplesofwhenyouhaveusedthecoreskillsrequiredforthepost.
Manyapplicantsfailtoprovidethebestexampleofthehighlightedskillastheinformationgetslostinalongchronological
recordofpreviousrolesandrotations.Taketimetoassessyourrangeofexperiencefromtheperspectiveofspecificskill
setsforexample,teamworking,andthenusethisanalysistoemphasisecertainskillsonyourCV.
Imagineyouretheselector
KeepinmindthatideaofmatchingyourCVtoanactualpersonspecificationtheselectorsarelookingforX,Y,andZand
youhaveexperienceandevidenceofX,Y,andZ.RememberthataCVisnotjustarecordofyourlifefromyour
perspectiveitisasummaryofhowyoucanprovidetheskillsandexperiencerequiredbytheroleandtheemployer.For
example,ifageneralpracticestatesitislookingforevidenceofmanagerialexperience,thinkhowyoumightemphasise
thatonyourCV.Itcansometimesevenhelptohighlighttheskillsinthesameorderastheyhaveoutlinedthemonthe
personspecification,ifappropriateiftheyhaveprioritisedX,Y,Z,doesitmakesensetoillustrateZ,Y,XonyourCV?
Relevanceisthekeydeterminanthere,sostructureyourCVaroundthatasawaytoattracttheattentionoftheselectors.
Usefulrunningorder
RegardlessofhowyoushapeyourCVtomatchaparticularjobdescription,youwillstillneedarangeofsectionsto
provideenoughinformationonyourexperienceandskills.Belowisanoutlineofthecommonsections,inorder,foundon
amedicalCVaswellassomeadviceaboutwhatyoumightincludeineachsection:
Personaldetails
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Careerstatement
Educationandqualifications
Presentposition
Careerhistory(ensurethatanygapsinemploymentareaccountedfor)
Clinicalskillsandexperience
Managementandleadershipexperience
Referees.
Personaldetails
Name
Contactdetailstelephoneemail
GeneralMedicalCouncilregistrationnumberandnationaltrainingnumber
MedicalDefenceUnionnumber
Althoughofcourseitisyourchoice,thereisnoneedtoputpersonalinformationsuchasyourdateofbirth,maritalstatus,
orgenderonaCVasthisinformationisirrelevanttowhetherornotyouareshortlistedforapost.
Educationandqualifications
University(medicaldegree,awards,prizesandscholarships,intercalateddegree)
School(AlevelsandOlevels/GCSEs)
Careerstatement
Thisshouldbeashortstatementofthedirectioninwhichyouwanttodevelop,whichisexplicitlylinkedtothepost.Tryto
avoidgenericstatementsaboutwantingtobecomeaconsultantorgeneralpractitionerprincipal,orvagueassertionsof
yourskills.Focusonthegoalsthatyouhaveforyourselfincertainaspectsofyourprofessionallifeandkeepitshortand
simple.
Currentappointment
Stateyourcurrentrole,includingdatestarted.Considerincludingsomebriefinformationonyourcoreskillsor
responsibilitieswithintherole,againillustratingtheminanorderorsequencethatismostsuitableforthenewrole.
Previousemployment
Includealldates,roles,andabriefsummaryofskillsorachievements.
Evidenceofexperienceandachievements
YoumaysometimesfinditusefultodivideyourexperienceintotwosectionsRelevantexperienceandAdditional
experience.Aslongasyouincludethedatesandaccountforeachyear,youdontneedtolisteverythingin
chronologicalorderremember,relevanceiskey.
Furthermore,itisoftenusefultoorganiseyourexperienceunderappropriateheadingsteaching,management,
research,publications,audits,presentations
Interests
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ThewordhobbiesisusedlessandlessonprofessionalCVssosticktointerests.Trynottojustlistyourinterests
randomly.Youmaybeabletobatchyourinterestsundersubheadingsforexample,music,travel.Alsotryto
demonstratehowtheyenabledyoutodevelopqualitiesthatwillimproveyourabilityasadoctor.Leisureactivities,
particularlyorganisedoneswhereyoutookamajorpart,canoftendevelopthequalitiesyouwillneedforyourclinical
roles,whichmayincludeleadership,forexample.
Referees
AlwayssecureagreementfromyourproposedrefereesbeforelistingtheirdetailsonyourCV,andprovidethemwithajob
descriptionandrecentCVtohelpthemtowriteafocusedreference.
Additionaladviceoncontent
BeyondthedetailoftheCV,remembertousepositivelanguageandaimforaconfidenttone.Takecarewithdatesand
makesureanygapsareaccountedfor.Aswellaslistingfacts,consideraddingsomeinterpretationoftheskillsthatyou
havedeveloped.Whendescribingapparentlynonrelevantexperience,trytopointouttherelevanceofthenonclinical
skillsyouhaveacquired.Theamountofspaceyouspendonatopicindicatestheweightyouwanttheemployertogiveit.
Devotemorespaceifthetopicisimportant:ifitisntasrelevant,dontdwellonit.
Trainedoverseas?
Essentially,thestructureofyourCVshouldfollowthatoutlinedabove.YoumaywishtoprioritiseyourUKmedicalwork
experience,however,andincludedetailsoftheInternationalEnglishLanguageTestingSystem(IELTS)andthe
ProfessionalandLinguisticAssessmentBoard(PLAB).Thinkcarefullyabouttheskillsyougainedinpostselsewhereand
howyoumightpresentthesesuccinctlytofutureemployers.
Additionaladviceonlayout
Usingawordprocessormakesiteasytotryoutdifferentlayoutsandfonts.Remember,fontsizeshouldbebetween10
and12forclarityandreadability.TraditionallytherehasbeennolimittothelengthofamedicalCV,buttheyare
becomingincreasinglymorefocusedandthereforeshorter,toanextent.RememberthattheaimofaCVistoconvincea
recruiterthatyouhavewhattheyarelookingforsopagesofirrelevantinformationwillbelesslikelytoimpressthana
concisepresentationofyourachievementstodate.
Equally,yourCVshouldlookneatandtidywithalltheinformationeasytofind.ThereareconventionsforamedicalCVas
outlinedabovesodontbetoocreativewithstyleandlayout.Whenusingawordprocessor,useCAPITALSandboldprint
toseparateoutdifferentsections.Boldprintanditalicscanbeusefultohighlightimportantpoints.Underliningshould
probablybeavoided,asitcangiveaCVaratheroldfashionedlook.
Takeastepback
OnceyouhavedraftedandredraftedyourCVandafteryouhaveexperimentedwithdifferentmarginwidthsandfonts,
makesureyouleaveitforawhileandgobacktothejobdescription.Onceagain,putyourselfintheselectorsshoesand
tryobjectivelytocompareyourCVwithajobdescriptionforthepost.Bebrutalandaskyourselfifyouhaveeffectively
shownyoursuitabilityfortherole?IfyouwerelookingattheCVwhatmightbethefirstquestionyoumightaskthe
candidate?Haveyoudemonstratedyourabilitytodothejobandhavealifeoutsideofmedicine?Isitneatandtidy?What
impressiondoesitgive?Isitclearandlogical,sothatinformationiseasytofind?Ifnot,reflectonwhatelseyoucouldadd
oremphasisetoachievetheseaims.
Finally,giveyourCVafinalspellcheckandreaditthroughcarefullyyourself.Thespellcheckerwillnotpickoutmistakes
thatarerealwordsintheirownright.
Coveringletter
Unlessexplicitlytoldnotto,itisbestpracticetoaccompanyyourCVwithabriefcoveringletter.Usethecoveringletterto
brieflyintroduceyourselfandsummarisethemainpointsyouhopewillattracttheemployer.
Wantmoreindividualhelp?
TheBMAcareersserviceworkswithmedicswhoarelookingforindividualonetooneadviceonwaystostrengthentheir
CVorapplicationstoparticularposts.Wealsoworkwithdoctorsonimprovingtheirinterviewtechniquesbyprovidinga
tailormadepracticeinterviewservicewithquestionsfocusedonyourapplicationandexperience.Alternatively,someof
ourindividualclientsvisitustodiscusstheirlongtermcareerdirectionwithinmedicineorexplorealternativesbeyondthe
6/26/12 BMJ Careers Medical CV writing skills
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ISSN17528526 BMJPublishingGroupLimited2012.Allrightsreserved.
medicalfield.VisittheBMAsiteathttp://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/Content/Hubcareersadvicefordoctors.
Toptips
Beconcise.Toomuchinformationisoffputtinganddifficulttoassimilate
Beconsistent.Adoptaformatandsticktoit.Ifyouputonejobtitleinbold,alljobtitlesshouldbe
inbold
Thinkaboutthejob,andwhowillbereadingtheCV.Whatwillthereaderbeinterestedin?
Personaldetails:sticktocontactdetailsyoudonotneedtogivegenuinelypersonalinformation
suchasdateofbirth,maritalstatus,etc.
Alwaysincludedates,andaimformostrecentfirst,butrememberyoumaydivideintorelevant
experienceandadditionalexperience
Avoidbland,genericstatementsaboutskills
Giveevidenceoftheskillsthatyouwanttohighlight.Makeitclearwhatyouachievedineachjob.
Competinginterests:Nonedeclared.
LauraBrammarC2CareersTheCareersGroup,UniversityofLondon
laura.brammar@careers.lon.ac.uk
CitethisasBMJCareersdoi: