{"id":1620,"date":"2019-11-26T12:30:15","date_gmt":"2019-11-26T12:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/?p=1620"},"modified":"2025-10-22T15:16:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T14:16:47","slug":"three-steps-to-cv-heaven","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/2019\/11\/26\/three-steps-to-cv-heaven\/","title":{"rendered":"Three steps to CV Heaven"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/82\/2019\/11\/photo-1444359917174-44daf23d2137.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-1622\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/82\/2019\/11\/photo-1444359917174-44daf23d2137-169x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"169\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/82\/2019\/11\/photo-1444359917174-44daf23d2137-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/82\/2019\/11\/photo-1444359917174-44daf23d2137-121x215.jpg 121w, https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/82\/2019\/11\/photo-1444359917174-44daf23d2137.jpg 564w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 169px) 100vw, 169px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Last time I wrote about the most common questions we are asked\/advice that we give here in CV-Land at the Careers Service<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"hPzh0qUzFB\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/2019\/11\/12\/cv-advice-rinse-and-repeat-part-one\/\">Not-so-secret tips for your super CV<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Not-so-secret tips for your super CV&#8221; &#8212; Careers Perspectives from the University of Bath Careers\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/2019\/11\/12\/cv-advice-rinse-and-repeat-part-one\/embed\/#?secret=Z5kwdO2Vdi#?secret=hPzh0qUzFB\" data-secret=\"hPzh0qUzFB\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Today I just wanted to give you one short and snappy tip. It\u2019s the tip that I give to almost every student coming in for CV help. It\u2019s the tip that is written on many a post-it note, phone notes app and even, once, on the back of someone\u2019s hand when the student left the CV appointment room.<\/p>\n<p>And here it is\u2026..<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022 What?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022 So what?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2022 And what?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This is a model that I use when I have my Executive Coach hat on. It\u2019s great for ensuring that clients build on what\u2019s worked and avoid repeating mistakes. But I also know that the approach is just as relevant for you when you are wanting to make an impact in your CV and describing your work\/volunteering experience.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how it works.<\/p>\n<p>When you are constructing your \u201cbullet point\u201d sections to showcase your relevant experience, <em>every bullet point needs to incorporate these three elements:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>What?<\/strong>...... Did you do? This is the task, the job, the project, the activity that you \u2013 <em>not \u201cwe\u201d<\/em> - actually did.<\/p>\n<p><strong>So what?<\/strong>...... So what was the impact\/outcome\/success\/achievement which resulted from your action. This is where you should also be presenting the scope\/size of the project and ideally any quantifiable results.<\/p>\n<p><strong>And what?<\/strong>.......And what is the transferable\/technical skill demonstrated in that activity which you now have in your toolbox? (And potentially also what is the lesson learned).<\/p>\n<p><em>If you wanted to use approach this in an interview situation to ring the changes with the much loved STAR model, you could also add here \u201cNow what?\u201d\u2026. now what is your action plan going forward to build on the lessons learned?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Here are a couple of examples of how this structure can be used:<\/p>\n<p>1. Successfully delegated key tasks to store checkout team <strong>(what)<\/strong> enabling us consistently to surpass weekly sales targets <strong>(so what)<\/strong>. Used listening and coaching skills to ensure that staff were engaged with team objectives <strong>(and what)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>2. Initiated, designed and delivered<strong> (what)<\/strong> 15 evening events for the society during 2018. Generated over \u00a32k in income<strong> (so what)<\/strong> by negotiating bulk discounts for food supplies and persuading suppliers to deliver for free <strong>(and what)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t feel the sentences have to follow this exact order each time \u2013 you want to avoid being too formulaic. Ring the changes and just make sure each bullet somehow addresses each of the three elements. If it doesn\u2019t it probably means that you should replace it with an example that does!<\/p>\n<p><em><span style=\"text-align: left;color: #333333;text-indent: 0px;letter-spacing: normal;font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif;font-size: 16px;font-variant: normal;font-weight: 400;text-decoration: none;cursor: text;float: none;background-color: transparent\">Generally speaking employers don\u2019t expect undergraduates or even Master\u2019s students to have tons of relevant high level professional experience \u2013 after all that\u2019s the whole point of placements, Spring weeks, insight days and even grad. schemes. However, they do want you to demonstrate that you have some relevant transferable skills. In using this three step model effectively you will ensure that yours are presented with clarity, impact and pride!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p>See also:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"5UHZRcJ316\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/2018\/10\/22\/cv-tips-writing-effective-bullet-points-part-1\/\">CV tips: Writing effective bullet points (Part 1)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;CV tips: Writing effective bullet points (Part 1)&#8221; &#8212; Careers Perspectives from the University of Bath Careers\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/2018\/10\/22\/cv-tips-writing-effective-bullet-points-part-1\/embed\/#?secret=MvoutzlkbP#?secret=5UHZRcJ316\" data-secret=\"5UHZRcJ316\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"Fd8wO6Uyn1\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/2018\/10\/30\/cv-tips-writing-effective-bullet-points-part-2\/\">CV Tips: Writing effective bullet points (Part 2)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;CV Tips: Writing effective bullet points (Part 2)&#8221; &#8212; Careers Perspectives from the University of Bath Careers\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/2018\/10\/30\/cv-tips-writing-effective-bullet-points-part-2\/embed\/#?secret=irmuljrKKb#?secret=Fd8wO6Uyn1\" data-secret=\"Fd8wO6Uyn1\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Last time I wrote about the most common questions we are asked\/advice that we give here in CV-Land at the Careers Service Not-so-secret tips for your super CV Today I just wanted to give you one short and snappy tip....<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1220,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[748],"tags":[4,385,22,41,120,251,296],"class_list":["post-1620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archive","tag-advice","tag-bullet-points","tag-cv","tag-skills","tag-top-tips","tag-volunteering","tag-work-experience"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1220"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1620\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}