Career Advice

If you're starting from scratch, our free CV templates and CV examples and samples will help you create a professional CV fast. Whether you're a school leaver, a recent graduate, you want to work part-time, or you're looking to return to work after a career break or redundancy, we have the right CV template for you.

Free CV template

Writing your CV, but not sure where to start? Download our free CV template now and find out what recruiters really want in your application.

School leaver CV template

Looking for your first job after leaving school, but worried your lack of experience could harm your chances? Here’s our school leaver CV template.

Graduate CV template

Just graduated, but unsure how to demonstrate your skills and experience on your CV? Here’s our graduate CV template to help you get started:

Skills based CV template

Not sure where to start? Luckily, you don’t need to spend hours reformatting your CV to create one – because we’ve put together a skills based CV template to help inspire you.

Career change CV template

Looking for a change of direction? Read our career change CV template to help you ace your application.

Part-time CV template

Looking for something flexible, but not sure your CV is up to scratch? Download our free part-time CV template now:

Find out everything you need to know about writing the perfect CV with our expert CV help and CV tips. Whether you're trying to figure out what words to include, if you should talk about your hobbies and interests, or you just need help getting to grips with layout, structure, or length - we've got a range of useful CV writing tips to help you get started.

How to: Write a CV

Writing a CV can be stressful, especially if you’re starting from scratch. To help inspire you, here are our tips on how to write a CV.

Hobbies and interests: Should I include them in my CV?

Not sure whether you should include your hobbies on your CV? Not even sure you have any hobbies? Here’s our advice…

CV examples and samples

Writing your CV from scratch is never easy. To help you consider all the available options, here are some CV examples that might inspire you…

What words should I use on my CV?

It can be tempting to use the same phrases and adjectives when writing your CV. Learn how to say something different, and set yourself apart.

CV layout examples

Writing a CV is tough, but finding the right layout can be even harder. If you’re looking for something a little more unique, here are 13 creative CV layout examples:

How to: Explain a gap in your CV

To help make sure your career break isn’t holding you back, here are a few tips on how to explain a gap in your CV – and examples to suit your situation.

Which parts of my education should I include in my CV?

Confused about which parts of your education you should include in your CV? Here’s our advice…

Six extracurricular activities to add to your CV

Wondering how you can add a little extra to your CV? We’ve already covered whether you should include your hobbies, but here are five extracurricular activities you might want to add to your CV.

CV layout: dos and don’ts

Even the best CV in the world can be let down by poor presentation. To help yours stand out, here’s our list of CV layout dos and don’ts…

Writing a great personal statement isn't always easy. Luckily, we've got a range of useful personal statement tips to help you get started. From personal statement examples to personal statement dos and don'ts - you'll be able to find everything you need to make yours stand out.

Personal statement examples

Not sure if you’re going in the right direction with your personal statement? Here are some personal statement examples to inspire you:

How to write a personal statement

Here are some of our top tips to consider when writing your personal statement – whether it’s for your CV, or to apply for a place at university.

Personal statements for university

Here’s everything you need to know about writing your personal statement for university, and a personal statement example to help you get started.

Postgraduate personal statement example

We’ve already covered how to write your personal statement, but here are some postgraduate personal statement examples to help inspire you:

Need a cover letter for your CV? No matter what type of cover letter advice you're looking for, we've got you covered. From graduate cover letter templates and career change cover letter templates, right through to free cover letter templates - along with a whole host of additional tips, you'll find everything you need to write the perfect job application letter.

Free cover letter template

Feel like your cover letter could do with some work? Here’s our handy free cover letter template to help get you started.

How to: Write a cover letter

Behind every CV is a good cover letter. Here’s our step-by-step guide to help you make yours stand out.

Work experience letter template

Looking to gain some work experience? Our free work experience letter template will help get you started, and learn how to stand out to employers.

Graduate cover letter template

If you’re still feeling frustrated when it comes to the finer details, here’s our cover letter template specifically designed for recent graduates:

Career change cover letter template

Time for a change? Here’s our cover letter template specifically designed for people looking for a career change:

Career break cover letter template

There are many reasons why you might need to take some time away from your career. Here’s our cover letter template specifically designed for people looking to return from a career break.

Part-time cover letter template

We’ve already covered how to perfect your part-time CV, but to help maximise your chances to impress, here’s our cover letter template specifically tailored for part-time positions:

School leaver cover letter template

Looking for help to make your CV shine? Here’s our cover letter template specifically designed for recent school leavers:

What is a cover letter?

To help you understand what they’re all about, and make yours work harder for you, here are a few things you should know about cover letters:

Whether you're an experienced job seeker or you're preparing for your first job interview, we've got a range of useful tips for success. Including advice on how to answer common interview questions, customer service interview questions, competency based interview questions, or anything else, you'll find all the best job interview tips here.

Common interview questions and answers

The inclusion of certain interview questions is inevitable. But, with a bit of practice, they needn’t be anything to worry about…

Customer service interview questions

Important customer service interview coming up? We’ve got this. To help you practice, here are five commonly asked customer service interview questions, and how to answer them:

Telephone interview questions and answers

Telephone interview coming up? Here are some of the most common questions you could be asked (and our top tips on how to answer them).

Competency-based interviews: What you need to know

You might be familiar with certain interview types, for example telephone interviews or group interviews, but have you ever heard of competency-based interviews?

How to: Answer competency-based interview questions

We’ve already focussed on what you need to know about competency questions, but here’s our advice on answering five of our favourites, courtesy of ‘Why You? 101 Interview Questions You’ll Never Fear Again’.

Five career goal questions, and how to answer them

Where are you currently in your career, and where do you want to go next? Here are five our favourite career goal questions courtesy of James Reed’s bestselling book, ‘Why You: 101 Interview Questions You’ll Never Fear Again’,

Second interview questions and answers

So you aced the first interview. What next? Here are a few of the most common second interview questions (and our advice on how to answer them).

Manager interview questions and answers

Want to step up in your career? Here are ten of our favourite manager interview questions, and our advice on how to answer them.

With a whole host of advice on job interview techniques, you'll be able to get interview ready - fast. Whether you're trying to figure out what the most common interview questions are, you want to know how to answer second interview questions, or you've got a competency-based interview coming up - you'll find everything you need to nail your interview training.

What to do after a job interview

So, the job interview is over (cue: sigh of relief)…but what now? To help turn your potential post-interview stress into a positive attitude that could help land your dream job, here are some of our top tips on what to do after a job interview:

Eight signs your interview went well

Figuring out whether your interview went well isn’t always easy. To help you spot them, here are eight signs to look out for:

What to wear for an interview

Not sure what to wear on the big day? Here’s our five-step plan for success, plus two outfits that will help you nail (almost) every interview:

Five good reasons to cancel an interview

Cancelling an interview can be a pretty awkward experience. To make sure you don’t burn any bridges, here are five good reasons to cancel an interview:

Group interview tasks and activities

We’ve already covered what not to do at a group interview, but here’s our guide to some of the most popular group interview tasks and activities.

Group interview tips: do’s and don’ts

If you’ve never attended a group interview before, trying to stand out from the crowd can be a daunting prospect. However, approach it with the right attitude, and you’ll have nothing to worry about…

Telephone interview tips: dos and don’ts

Never had a telephone interview before, and worried about how to impress? Here’s our list of Telephone Interviews tips, covering some key do’s and don’ts…

It's not always easy to figure out which job would suit you. That's why we've put together a section covering how to decide what job to look for, along with advice on finding work in a variety of industries (from accounting to sales). So whether you're looking for tips on how to start work in a certain field, or you just don't know where to start - you're in the right place.

10 of the highest-paying jobs 2018

Using salary averages from jobs posted on reed.co.uk in 2018, we’ve compiled a list of some of the highest paying jobs you could find right now.

Work from home jobs

Want to work from home? Here are some careers to consider, and some of our top tips to help you get there:

How to: Stop feeling nervous about starting a new job

Regardless of where you are in your career, starting a new job can be a scary ordeal. To ease your first day anxieties, here are our top tips to help you stop feeling nervous about starting a new job:

Jobs for 15-year-olds

Not sure you’re old enough to work? Think again. To make sure you pick the job that’s right for you, here are a few things to remember if you’re looking for work as a 15-year-old:

Jobs for 16-year-olds

16 and ready to work? Here are a few jobs you can do – and a handful of helpful hints to get your career off on the right foot.

Resignation letter templates

Ready to leave your job, but not sure how to put it into words? Here are our resignation letter templates to help you get the ball rolling:

Goodbye email templates

To help you say goodbye in the right way, here are our top tips on writing a goodbye email, along with a few goodbye email templates to get you started.

 

Character reference template

Sometimes finding a new role really is a question of character. Here are some of our top tips on how to write a character reference, and a template to help you get started.

How do recruitment agencies work?

Not sure how recruitment agencies actually work? Here’s a quick guide to help you get started, and some tips to help make sure they work for you:

Looking to develop your career? We've got you covered. In addition to a whole host of information on the best courses & qualifications in a number of fields, we've got advice on how everything from internships & apprenticeships, to work experience & volunteering could be great ways to further your career.

What are transferable skills?

Not sure you have the right skills for a role? You just might not be making the most of your transferable skills…

Education levels explained

To help you work out what your qualifications really mean and where to go next, here’s everything you need to know about education levels.

NVQ levels: What you need to know

Looking for a practical route into work? To help you figure out if NVQs are right for you, here’s everything you need to know.

What are the different degree levels?

Considering going to uni? There’s more than one way to get a degree. Here’s everything you need to know about the most common degree levels.

Personal Development Plan template

We’ve already covered the basics of what you need to know about Personal Development Plans, but to help you plan in the right way, we’ve put together a free PDP template to get you started:

A Level and GCSE retakes: Why it’s never too late to resit your exams

If you’re seriously considering retaking your GCSEs or A Levels, here’s a little information to help get you started, courtesy of ICS Learn:

Get clued up on your rights with our informative employment law guide, for both employees and employers alike. We've got a range of employment law advice, from information on employee rights and pensions, to money saving tips and advice on how to deal with jobseeking discrimination.

Second job tax – how much will I have to pay?

Not sure how much tax you need to pay on your second job, or how it will affect your wages? We spoke with The Money Advice Service to find out…

Your rights to working in the UK

Not sure if you’re eligible to work in the UK? Here’s our advice:

Payslip checker – your payslips explained

To help you understand exactly what you should be earning, here are some key things you need to know about your payslip.

Types of employment contracts

Your employment contract could vary depending on a number of different factors. To help find out which one works best for you, here’s our guide on the different types of employment contracts:

Tax codes explained – what you need to know about tax codes

Tax codes can appear nothing more than a random collection of numbers and letters. We demystify their meaning, and explain how you can check that yours is correct.

Voluntary redundancy: What are my rights?

We’ve already covered how to deal with redundancy, but here are a few things you need to know should you be offered redundancy voluntarily:

DBS Checks: What you need to know

To help you understand what they involve (and whether you actually need one), here’s everything you need to know about DBS checks.

What does competitive salary actually mean?

More money, more…competitive salaries? To help you decode one of the most commonly used job ad terms, here’s what competitive salary actually means (and why employers use it):

What is the minimum wage in the UK?

Not sure about current minimum wage rates? Here’s a quick guide to the minimum amount you can expect to earn in your industry: