CVs, cover letters and applications

PhD students and researchers wanting an academic career will need an informative and detailed CV, different from CVs in other sectors. Our advice is to draw on four areas of expertise which tend to meet the requirements of most academic job specifications: Research – yes, that’s your PhD thesis, but it’s also: going to and presenting at conferences, publishing in […]

We know that at LSE some of you, once you graduate, will be at the start of your career whereas others are looking to change careers and/or have previous work experience. And of course we have PhD students looking for roles in and outside academia. Whichever group you fall into (and we know there are overlaps!) it’s important to make […]

Have you ever been to see a film that you have waited what seems like an age for, heard masses of hype about, then you’ve been phenomenally disappointed by? Or queued for hours to buy something in the sales (Boxing Day anyone?) then found you can’t get in or everything you want has gone because there were so many other […]

As someone with a few years of work experience, you’ll already have had some success with writing CVs. When rewriting your CV as an experienced hire, it’s important to take a step back and consider the parts of your CV that are still relevant to include for a new audience/level. Rewriting your CV can be a very helpful exercise in […]

Resources We have many resources available to help students make great applications to all employers throughout the year. For example, our How to write CVs and cover letters and How to complete application forms guides (available online and in our Resource Centre) are a great starting point. We’ve also updated our bank of CV and cover letter examples which are […]

Many of us will change career if not once, then many more times over the course of our working lives. But what does that mean for your CV, one of the most important elements in your job search toolkit? The challenge for any career changer is to show how your previous experience is relevant to your new role. The trick […]

Writing a master’s application is very similar to applications for most jobs. Generally you will complete a form with your basic details, and then write a personal statement detailing why you should be accepted. For that reason, master’s applications should be considered as seriously as an application for a job you really want. It can be hard to know where to start, […]

Having gaps in your CV can be very common and there are many reasons why this happens. Employers are not concerned by gaps – you just need to account for them so they can follow a logical timeline on your CV. The first thing to consider is – is it actually a gap? Sometimes students will suggest they have a […]

Many recruiters tell us they get hundreds of applications per vacancy so have to shortlist CVs very quickly. It’s important therefore to keep your CV concise, on one or two pages (unless it’s an academic CV) and tailor it to the role you’re applying for. We often see students who need help with what to cut out of their CV […]

You’ve probably been told time and time again to tailor your CV for application success. But what does that mean and how can you do it? Tailoring your CV means altering it to show that your experiences are relevant to the knowledge and skills required in a particular role, with a specific employer. When your CV is specific to them, […]