Welcome to the very first blog post on navigating the world of careers support at the University of Sussex!

When I first began looking into the many support services our university offers beyond my course, I honestly didn’t know where to start. Workshops, meetings, online checkers – it can be a little overwhelming. But whether you’re set on a specific career path, or simply keen to build some experience in your areas of interest, I’ve found that it’s best to begin with the basics – your CV. Let's delve into how Sussex can assist you in fine-tuning your CV for whatever lies ahead.

Allow me to walk you through my own journey. I kicked things off by attending an online workshop titled 'CVs and Applications,' a gem I discovered through the Career Hub. Armed with the same dry, one-page Word document that had served as my CV for the past four years, I joined the call ready to take action.

The workshop proved hugely successful – in less than an hour, I managed to take down several pointers on how to improve my CV. From using action words at the beginning of each bullet point, to learning how to structure my personal statement, I absorbed a wealth of valuable information. The qualified individuals who lead these sessions often have personal experience in recruiting, so I was quick to apply each tip to my own CV.

Once my CV was looking more alive, I ran it through CV360. This is an automatic tool that any Sussex student can upload their CV to, and it’ll flag any changes or improvements that could be made. Once I felt as if I had made as many independent upgrades as possible, I decided to book a one-to-one meeting with a careers advisor, once again through the Career Hub.

The one-to-one meeting was extremely helpful; I delved into specific details, right down to the wording of certain phrases in my CV. Every advisor I have spoken to at Sussex has been friendly and supportive, so don't shy away from asking even the seemingly obvious questions. My favourite tip was to use Canva, an online graphic design tool that provides free CV templates; this had my CV looking eye-catchingly slick in a matter of minutes.

Finally, my advisor emphasised the importance of tailoring a CV to the job or internship you’re applying to. Advisors can guide you through this process during one-to-one meetings, where they’ll help you by reading through the job description, then shaping your CV to showcase your matching skills.

After completing this process, you’ll be sure to have a CV that would make anyone proud. Stay tuned for more blog posts on the exciting possibilities that await you with your shiny new CV!

Useful links

• CVs and Applications Workshop
• CV360, online CV checker
• Canva, online design softwarew
• Sussex Careers Advisors one-to-ones

Amina studies International Relations and Development. When not studying or blogging, she likes reading and going for morning runs.