{"id":2909,"date":"2024-11-25T14:00:55","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T14:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/?p=2909"},"modified":"2025-10-22T15:13:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T14:13:35","slug":"careers-matrix-2-recent-and-relevant-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bath.ac.uk\/careers\/2024\/11\/25\/careers-matrix-2-recent-and-relevant-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Careers Matrix #2: Recent and relevant experience"},"content":{"rendered":"

In my last blog, I wrote about creating a matrix to help narrow down your career options, thinking not just about your experiences but how much you enjoyed them. This week, let\u2019s create a new matrix to consider how recent and relevant experiences intersect on your CV.<\/p>\n

Anything that is both recent and relevant to your chosen role should take pride of place on your CV, while dated items should be removed. But what do you do when your experience falls somewhere in the middle \u2013 relevant but not recent, or vice versa?<\/p>\n

Well, grab a pen and draw another plus (+) in the centre of a page. We\u2019ll use the horizontal line to look at relevant<\/strong> experiences, and the vertical line to look at recent<\/strong> ones.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Not recent, but relevant<\/h2>\n

(Top left)<\/h3>\n

Let\u2019s start by thinking about what \u2018recent\u2019 could mean to a student. If you\u2019re in your first year, you might have completed a Duke of Edinburgh award while you were in school the previous year. That\u2019s fine to have on your CV for now. However, once you approach graduation, that DofE might feel like a lifetime ago! I\u2019ve suggested before that DofE can be knocked off a graduate CV<\/a> to make space for the modules, projects and experiences you\u2019ve gained from your degree.<\/p>\n

But what should you do if your older experience is relevant to the role you\u2019re going for? What if you completed a week\u2019s work experience at a bank, and now you\u2019re aiming for an internship at the same place?<\/p>\n

In these cases, I would say keep it. These experiences have medium priority.<\/strong> They should come before things that are not as relevant, while leaving space for your more recent achievements.\u00a0<\/strong>Consider splitting your work experience into two sections \u2013 \u2018Relevant experience\u2019 and \u2018Other experience\u2019 \u2013 to showcase older, relevant experiences as needed.<\/p>\n

Recent and relevant<\/h2>\n

(Top right)<\/h3>\n

Was that last quadrant a bit of a headache? Don\u2019t worry, this one\u2019s easy. If you have recently completed a module, written a report, or carried out a role that is relevant to your next steps, this is the holy grail of your CV.<\/p>\n

Whether you are studying a Bachelor\u2019s, a Master\u2019s, or a PhD, make sure your current or most recent studies get the attention they deserve. Within your education section, work in reverse chronological order as you would with experience, putting the most recent thing first.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been on placement and want to do something similar in a graduate role, your placement is relevant experience. But remember it is fine to move away from that if you didn\u2019t enjoy it or want to pursue something different.<\/p>\n

Employers want to know what you did during your time at university. And if it relates to their role, company or sector, it\u2019s relevant as well as recent. These experiences have high priority.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not recent and not relevant<\/h2>\n

(Bottom left)<\/h3>\n

If you need to cut your CV down, this might be the best place to start. What could you easily remove to make space for other things? This will all depend on your individual circumstances, but it could include:<\/p>\n