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Sometimes you just feel like you need... something else

The sections below are 'optional', but for some applications they can be just as essential as the education or work history section - it depends on what you're applying for, and who you're applying to. Include whichever is most appropriate, as appropriate...

Personality/Personal Attributes

Many people like to include a section in their CV which describes their personality and traits explicitly - a description of the sort of person they are in a professional environment. This section can be very helpful to an employer, as it helps them to decipher how you would fit in with their existing team or, indeed, with them.

The secret behind a good "Personal Profile" is to keep it brief and succinct, and maintain your hierarchy of ideas according to what the employer values the most. If it's not immediately obvious what they might value the most from the job description, your best resource is media that describes their "company culture"- this could be online, in brochures, or in mainstream advertising (how they'd like their clients/customers to see them is a very good clue).

Once you know what you want to say about yourself and in what order, you need to focus on how to say it. Expression is important throughout your CV, but perhaps even more so in this section as it will probably be the first thing (apart from your name, of course!) the employer reads. If your grammar and syntax is clunky and you've made a spelling mistake, it could get you chucked straight in the 'NO' pile, so take the time to perfect your sentences (we can help you with this in a CV consultation if you're unsure).
Top tips:

  • Keep it short - remember, employers are unlikely to read a block of text thoroughly, especially on their first skim read, so if you want your personal profile to help you stand out from the crown, limit it to three or four perfectly crafted, cunningly ordered lines.
  • You personal profile should be personal, but not too personal - stick with the aspects of you that are most relevant to the employer
  • Remember, you can pack a lot of info into your sentences simply by choosing your vocabulary carefully

Career Goals

Some employers are looking for career-driven people to help grow their business, or employ in a 'vocational' field like teaching or health sciences/medicine. They might like to know where you'd like your career to go - what your long-term goals are - to get a sense of the level of dedication they can expect from you.

This section is especially useful if it's not obvious how your degree and/or background fits with the job or field you're applying for.

If you decide to include this section, limit it to one or two sentences.

Achievements/Awards

This is where you can include stuff like Dux, scholarships, first place in the ???? competition and so on. If you've received scholarships or awards for your academic and/or community work, or have been recognised for your performance in positions of responsibility (like as a prefect) this section could be very valuable, especially if your work experience section is a little light.

List your achievements in date order, but remember the rules of hierarchy - put the most important bit (WHAT you did/were awarded) on the left in bold, and the dates on the right.


Training/Professional Development

If you've done any short courses or skills development, such as first aid certificates, food safety certificates and so on, which the employer might find relevant, list them in this section.

Lay this section out the same as you did your education section:

Qualification/Course > > > Institution (where you carried it out) > > > Date


Publications/Conferences

If you're writing an academic CV, this category is essential - assemble a bibliography (in an official bibliographic style) of all your research publications and conference presentations, in date order beginning with the most recent.

If your list is still a bit short, you might consider adding a brief annotation to each entry, summarising the content of the article/presentation.


Academic Record

Your potential employer may ask you to include your academic record in your CV. If they do, they could be looking for a number of things in this section, including but not limited to:

  • How capable you are of achieving well under pressure and multitasking
  • The range of professional skills and knowledge you've acquired (especially in professional degrees such as accounting)
  • How you've broadened your horizons during your degree


If they haven't specifically asked for an official transcript, you can write this up yourself.

  • Begin with the most recent year
  • Cover all your bases - name the papers in full (leave out codes and semesters) and, if the paper is especially important to the position, add a very brief description of the content IF the paper name doesn't do that for you
  • List your papers in a logical order: alphabetically or by grade, a year at a time


Now on to the last step: Putting it all in order.

Previous – Step 9: List your referees
Next – Step 11: Arrange your CV to meet the employer's needs

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