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CVS & APPLICATIONS
You‟ve found the job or course that you want to
apply for. Now it‟s time to market yourself
successfully and maximise your chance of
obtaining that all-important interview. This
Information Leaflet gives a brief guide on how to
put together great applications. For moredetailed
help, have a look at the Getting a Job section of
our website, www.careers.ox.ac.uk.
Research and target!
Carefully tailoring your application to the
organisations that you are applying to is far more
likely to be successful than firing off many nearidentical
applications. Research the organisation
thoroughly, and use the information you gain.
Demonstrate your understanding of thejob, the
employer and the sector in which it operates in
your application, and allow your motivation and
interest to come through.
Research the organisation and sector
at the Careers Service
 Employer (red) Files and Career Briefings.
 Oxford Careers Network – there may already
be an Oxford graduate working for the
employer, whose brains you can pick. Use the
online database to getcontact details and read
what they have to say about their job, and
perhaps contact them personally,
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/students/ocn.
Elsewhere
 Employers‟ websites – read them!
 Annual Reports – some are published on
employer websites, some are held on file at the
Careers Service, others you will need to
request from the organisation itself.
 The online LexisNexis news service is auseful
way of researching companies and accessing
recent press reports. Access via
http://solo.ouls.ox.ac.uk/ with Oxford Single
Sign-on.
 www.rocketnews.com is a five-day international
news archive, available free of charge. Useful if
you are away from Oxford and cannot use
LexisNexis. Searches 6,000 news services.
 Attend presentations. Many recruiters visit
Oxford in Michaelmas Term –don‟t just go and
listen; talk to them afterwards. See the What‟s
On section of our website for details; log in to
the password-protected area of the website.
 Read the AGCAS Industry Insights,
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/SectorBs .
Work out what they are looking for … take
stock of your skills and experience
Analyse the vacancy information and other
employer literature to discover theskills,
competencies and experience required for the job.
Make sure that your application contains evidence
that you have these qualities (or at least the
potential to acquire them!). A useful tactic is to list
their requirements, and jot down which areas of
your life provide evidence that you meet each
requirement. Keep this to hand when you are
completing your application, and make surethat
you have everything covered.
The OXFORD Effect
There is no doubt that an Oxford education is appealing
to many employers. They will assume that you are
academically gifted, with excellent A-level scores. Don‟t
forget also to highlight the other benefits your time at
Oxford has given you:
The tutorial system:
 Ability to see both sides of an argument
 Thinking on your feet
Explaining your views to others
 Presenting information
 Coping with pressure
Personal study:
 Time management
 Research skills
 Analytical and critical thinking
 Identifying key points
 Summarising/synthesising information
 Structuring arguments
Oxford also presents a wealth of opportunity to get
involved in college societies and to take on positions of
responsibility – allpotentially application-enhancing.
Addresses –
this needs to be
clear, but can be
compact. Give
your term and
vacation
addresses.
Font – stick to
one clear font
throughout (eg
Arial, Times
New Roman);
11pt minimum
for main text.
Any academic
awards could go
here. Put in
grades or
expected grades,
if available. Add
course detail, if
relevant.
There’s no need to
list all those GCSE...