Greig Malpass (Batten, 2006) and Megan Hunter (Allenby, 2020), joined Kari Wright, our Head of Futures, for a valuable discussion on what really makes an early career CV stand out. Their message was reassuring – your CV doesn’t have to be perfect; it just needs to make it easy for someone to invite you for an interview.
“Your CV’s only job is to get you an interview. It’s not necessarily to get you the job,” highlights Greig. In other words, clarity and structure matter more than perfection. It’s important to use clear headings and bullet points instead of long paragraphs, to make key information stand out.
As Megan added “While you’re still at School, aim to keep it to one page, as it keeps everything concise.” She emphasised focusing on soft skills and potential, rather than listing every job or activity completed.
Megan and Greig shared their insights on key items to include in a CV as well as things they would recommend leaving out. Pupils left the webinar with a positive mindset – both alumni encouraged them to recognise that they already have more to showcase on their resume than they think.
If you’d like to watch the webinar to gain further advice, please head to Haileybury Connect where the recording is available.