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Application process

Introduction.

Your CV will often be your first opportunity to make an impression with an employer and will frequently be used to make a very quick decision about your potential suitability for their organisation and role.

Despite its importance, we know that you won’t have long to make an impact so it’s worth spending some time to ensure you get it right.

For applications in the UK and many international corporates, there are certain conventions we’d suggest you follow; our recommendations on what to include, how to structure as well as tips on avoiding pitfalls are set out below.

Some fundamentals

Getting started.

An effective CV will be clearly structured and make good use of the page, so that it is easy to read and important information is emphasised. Content will be succinct, using vocabulary that suggests action and achievement and, critically, it will be targeted to the particular job in hand.

Deciding on a structure that works consistently throughout is important. We’d suggest positioning dates on the right of the page. Make sure the content of each section is listed in reverse chronological order and avoid personal pronouns. Use bullet points to help guide the reader’s eye and ensure they pick out key information easily.

What does the employer want?

The recruiter or hiring manager will be reading your CV with their particular job in mind, and they’ll be looking for evidence that you have the educational background, skills, experience and general profile they are looking for. This means they’re not necessarily interested in learning in detail about everything you’ve done – they want to know whether you can do their job, will fit into their organisation and whether they should take your application to the next stage.

The recommended length of your CV will vary depending on sector and location as well as the particular requirements of a given employer, so make sure you check that out. Finance CVs are typically one-page, other sectors will often be happy with two,  academic CVs can be longer still – but most employers tell us that you should be as succinct as possible, and if you can get the relevant experience on one page, do so. The less they’re asked to read, the better!

As far as possible, apply the same structure to all sections of the CV – that makes it much easier for the recruiter to read: in general, recruiters will want to know where you worked/studied, the dates you were there (including your future graduation date), the role and degree, and the most relevant things you did. Remember that the first role you list in a particular section and the bullet points you place first will typically be given most attention.

You can use your structuring to help you match your experience to a particular role. You can separate your work experience by type or sector; you can include internships within a general section on work experience or separate them out; you can include a section on extra-curricular activities and a separate one for volunteering or combine the two, you can choose to list all the awards you’ve received, you can use section heads like ‘Leadership experience’ or ‘Research experience’ if you know that this is something a particular employer is looking for.

Changing the sections and order of bullet points will have a very powerful effect in retargeting your experience from one role to another. Just keep in mind when you’re putting it together that it’s about what the recruiter needs to know, not what you want to say about yourself.

Grammar and spelling

As obvious as it sounds, make sure that your grammar and spelling are correct, that your formatting is neat, and sections aligned – many employers, particularly those for whom attention to detail is important, will simply discard CVs that contain any errors or look sloppy. Ask a friend and native speaker to read it through – it can be easy to miss errors when you’ve been focused on something for a while.

What to include

Contact details.

At the top of the page. Keep these to a minimum. Your name, your email, your mobile number (one of each!). Possibly a link to your LinkedIn profile. No need to include ‘Curriculum Vitae or CV’.

UK employers don’t typically want a photo, though this remains the norm elsewhere; make sure you check out what’s expected wherever you are applying.

Personal profile/summary

Optional; can be useful if you have prior professional experience or particular skills that you feel are very relevant to the role and that you want to highlight. Needs to be short, succinct - three or four bullet points - and very specifically targeted. Avoid personal pronouns, anything generic or qualitative judgements about yourself such as ‘hardworking, motivated student’.

• Currently completing a master's in environmental economics with focus on climate change
• Strong data modelling skills, Excel and Stata
• Multilingual with fluent English, Arabic, French and Portuguese
• Two years' experience applying economics to environmental policy research

List formal education in reverse chronological order: institution, degree, start and end dates. Use bullet points to list what would interest an employer: the overall focus of your degree, modules you studied, any particular papers you wrote, your dissertation – topic, research methodology, the marks you received. Very often we see that people don’t realise how relevant and useful some information about their education can be, so think carefully about what you can draw on. That could be content, particular knowledge, results. Remember that you can decide what to include and are free to give more space to whatever is more relevant to a given role. 

• Modules included Principles of Finance, Econometrics and Discrete Mathematics

Any Town High School                                                                                         2008-2015

• 4 A levels: Maths (A*), Physics (A*), Geography (A), French (A)
• 9 GCSEs including English Language (A*) and English Literature (A)

Work experience

…or Professional experience, or Legal experience, or Research experience. Use headings to your advantage. If you can group together a set of experiences to really highlight things that are relevant to the role, do so. If, by grouping experiences under specific headings, you can create a sense of commitment to an area or position a very relevant piece of experience at the top of the section, do so.

If you are applying to train as a solicitor, you could include within Legal experience a mix of related paid work, spring weeks, unpaid internships, volunteering where you’ve used relevant skills. Remember that reviewers will tend to pay particular attention to what’s listed first.

Within each role, use bullet points to describe what you did. Start each bullet point with a verb – and ensure that you are describing things that are related to the job description. Make sure that it’s clear to the reader precisely what you did and, where relevant, quantify what was achieved. The reader needs to be able to quickly understand your specific contribution. At this stage, they need to be able to appreciate what you can do without asking any follow up questions, without spending time thinking ‘ I wonder what this means – did they organise the event entirely on their own, or were other people involved’ . Remember that you have the recruiter’s attention for a limited time, so you don’t want them to be using that time trying to decipher what you mean.

By the end of your CV, the recruiter should have clear specific examples of how you have used the kinds of skills that relate to what they have listed in the person specification and job description. It’s absolutely fine to list more bullet points under one role than another if that experience is more relevant.

• Helped customers assess energy costs and tariffs
• Ensured quality and compliance standards during the switching process
• Met and exceeded sales targets consistently
• Assessed pupils' level of maths and confidence in their abilities
• Prepared and delivered individual lessons
• Achieved 100% pass rate of students

Extra-curricular activities

For graduate roles and where you do not yet have a lot of professional experience, employers are often very interested in the kinds of things that you have done alongside your studies, particularly if they have given the opportunity to develop those broader ‘soft’ skills that are important to them: team working, communication skills, organisation skills, showing initiative.

Some will quite simply want to see that as well as being successful academically, you have been involved in, and committed time to, other things. Including details about your participation in clubs and societies – again being very specific about your particular role - can enhance your overall experience. Describing your sporting, theatre and music activities can be valuable, particularly if you can be precise about your level of involvement. They will also give a sense of what differentiates you from other candidates. 

Volunteering

For some roles, for example in the Third Sector and in organisations which place strong emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility, a history of volunteering will be quite important, so it can be useful to highlight your volunteering experience in a separate section.

• Founded Math Buzz to help younger pupils enjoy and suceed at maths
• Publicised group and recruited over 20 members with waiting list by the endo f term
• Devised programme of weekly activities
• Achieved imrpoved performance in class which was recognised by teachers

Part-time work/vacation work

Students are often surprised to learn that many employers are very interested in part-time or summer work, even when it doesn’t seem particularly relevant to the job in hand. Employers appreciate this exposure to the general world of work, the ‘real world’ understanding it brings, will be particularly impressed if you’ve worked alongside studies, and are keen that you can show you understand how skills developed in one environment can be relevant to another. 

Professional skills

You can include here concrete professional skills – specific IT and technical skills, languages, professional qualifications, giving a clear indication of your competence level. 

Some employers are quite interested in knowing something of your hobbies and interests, so listing a few of these can give a bit more information on your personality, particularly if you have not listed extra-curricular activities elsewhere. Remember that anything listed on the CV is ‘fair game’ for further questioning during an interview, so make sure what’s included is current and you’re happy to talk about it in more detail. For more senior roles, this is generally less relevant. 

• Member of Birmingham University Cricket 2nd XI
• Captain of Anytown School Cricket 1st XI
• Member of Anytown Rugby Club Under 18's XV

It might sound a bit much, but even once you’ve got your CV to the point you are pretty happy with it, you need to look at it again in relation to each new application. Always do your groundwork; get a thorough understanding of the role, read the job description, the person specification, research the organisation and think carefully about which of your experiences you can draw on and what will resonate most. Speak to people in the organisation before you send your CV – this helps with framing your CV and might alert you to an aspect of your experience you would not have realised would be significant. Have another look at what you’ve said about your degree. It might be as simple as deciding to change the order of your bullet points within a particular role or listing different modules. There’s always something that can be tweaked to good effect. 

Alternative formats

We’ve described here the traditional chronological CV which tends to be preferred by recruiters. When you are planning to change career direction or have large gaps in your experience, a skills-based CV can sometimes work well. In this instance, the work experience section will simply provide an overview of your employment history (employer, role, dates). You will then have a separate skills section where you list key skills relevant to the role and group together examples of how you have used each, drawing from across a range of experiences.

• Colloborated with project team to plan Summer Dig and ensure each day ran smoothly
• Devised and facilitated annual programme of events and talks for Archaeology Society
• Edited and published newsletter for South West Branch of Council for British Archaeology
• Combining study, part-time work, volunteering and extra-curricular activities
• Coordinating well-received archaeological events for Dig NW and the university Archaeological Society

Negotiation

• Negotiated changes to the seminar timetable to enable better use of available rooms and IT as staff student liaison for course
• Agreed event programmes with colleagues and staff, booking speakers, agreeing terms and budgets

Written communication

• Wrote articles for non-archaeologists for local Archaeology Branch newsletter 
• Drafted report of summer dig for Dig NW 
• Producing essays, reports, seminar papers for university course

Employment and volunteering

Shift leader, Starbucks Exeter                                                                             2017-2019

Staff student liaison officer                                                                                 2017-2019

Related pages

Watch our latest session on how to write an effective cv, use careerset to develop and get feedback on your cv, book a one-to-one appointment to discuss your cv.

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Statement of academic purpose

While all programmes require you to submit a statement of academic purpose, a few programmes require you to follow a specific format when writing your statement. these specific requirements are detailed below., statement of academic purpose – all programmes, excluding those listed below.

You must upload a statement that explains your academic interest in, understanding of and academic preparedness for the programme(s) you are applying for. You should also explain the academic rationale for applying to the programme(s) you have chosen. If applying for two programmes, you are strongly encouraged to write a separate statement for each programme. The statement of academic purpose is an important part of your application, and selectors are looking for evidence of your academic suitability and motivation, and of what you can contribute academically to the programme. We expect statement(s) to be between 1,000 - 1,500 words. 

Please address the following questions/prompts in your statement(s) 

Academic Motivations  

• What prompted your interest in this particular field of study? Perhaps you have unanswered questions from your undergraduate studies or professional work, or you would like to further explore issues and ideas raised in your curricular or extra-curricular reading? 
• Why would you like to study your chosen programme? Perhaps it offers a particular approach, or there are specific modules that will help you develop necessary skills or knowledge. Perhaps the research interests of the academics teaching on your programme, and/or the wider research culture of the department align with your own interests and academic/professional aspirations? 

Suitability 

• What makes you suitable for this LSE programme? Perhaps you have taken relevant undergraduate modules, or have relevant professional, voluntary, or other experience that has prepared for postgraduate study in this area? 

Purpose and Objectives  

• What do you hope to get out of this particular LSE programme? How would this particular programme help you to achieve your personal, academic, and professional goals? Take the time to explain your academic or professional  aspirations and goals, and how your chosen programme will impart the necessary skills and knowledge. Please avoid general statements about LSE’s performance in global rankings, and  generic statements about London being a global/cosmopolitan centre of excellence. 

If there are circumstances that have disrupted your education/significantly interfered with your learning (for example, health problems, displacement, long-term caring responsibilities), please feel free to let us know about them in a separate document added to your application (you can upload this document via the ‘Additional Item’ upload option). If appropriate, please also consult the advice we give to applicants from a forced migration background here , and from a care-experienced background here . 

Please ensure that your statement(s): 

Are all your own work. If we discover this is not the case, your application may be cancelled

Are well-written, well-structured and specific to the programme(s) applied for

Are proofread before being uploaded, and the final correct versions are uploaded

Only include that which is relevant to your programme choice(s). Additional information regarding unrelated extra-curricular activities, personal achievements or work experience should be included in your CV

Have your name and the title of your chosen programme in the header or footer of every page 

MSc Health Data Science

In addition to following the general guidance, please be sure to clearly outline your background in mathematics, statistics or other quantitative subjects. If your background is outside of mathematics or statistics then you should provide further explanation of how your experience is relevant to the programme applied for, as well as further details of your current studies. 

MSc Media and Communications (Data and Society)

If you are applying for this programme, please note the following specific requirements for your statement of academic purpose.

Write a short statement (up to 600 words) about why you want to do the programme. This might cover, for example, what suits you to the programme: your experiences and skills in relation to the analysis of data and society; what attracts you to this particular programme and where you see yourself in ten years after the programme.

In addition, please write a response (up to 400 words*) to  one  of the following questions. You might do so by relying on relevant authors and concepts from previous courses or independent study, as well as on professional experiences.

• What is the most pressing social, political or ethical issue related to data and society? Why should we study it?
• How useful is the concept of "big data"? What are its limitations?
• What consequences do data-based systems have for individuals? How should we address these?
• If you could invent a data-based product or service that would change the world, what would it look like? What would be its best feature and what would be its biggest risk?

*The total length of your statement of academic purpose, including the answers to the above questions, should therefore be between 800-1,000 words.

MSc Media, Communication and Development

Write a short statement (up to 800 words) about why you want to do the programme. This might cover, for example, what suits you to the programme: your experiences and skills in relation to social justice, development or communication; what attracts you to this particular programme and where you see yourself in ten years after the programme.

Also answer the following questions (your answers should be approximately 250 words each)*:  

• What should a developed society be like according to you?
• How will studying theory help you to understand development and communication practice?
• Why do you think we need to be critical of aspects of contemporary communication and development?

  *The total length of your statement of academic purpose, including the answers to the above questions, should therefore be between 1,000-1,500 words.

MSc Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Write a short statement (up to 600 words) about why you want to do the programme. This might cover, for example, what you will bring to the cohort, and what your particular strengths are.

Also, you should answer the following questions (your answers should be approximately 500 words each):

• Tell us about an experience you had with social innovation /entrepreneurship/ a project with high social impact. What role did you play and what did you learn about yourself?  
• How will your past experience, combined with this LSE masters, help you to achieve your goals?

The  total length   of your statement  – including the answers to the above questions - should therefore be  between 1,100 & 1,600 words .

Department of Statistics - MSc Programmes

MSc in Data Science - G3U1

MSc in Statistics (Social Statistics) - G3U2

MSc in Statistics (Social Statistics) (Research) - G3U3

MSc in Statistics (Research) - G4U1

MSc in Quantitative Methods for Risk Management - G4U2

MSc in Statistics - G4U5

MSc in Statistics (Financial Statistics) - G4U6

MSc in Statistics (Financial Statistics) (Research) - G4U7

Your statement should explain why you are pursuing your selected programme and why you have chosen LSE's Department of Statistics. Brief details of your academic background and aspirations are also useful. If your background is outside of mathematics or statistics then you should provide further explanation of how your experience is relevant to the programme applied for, as well as further details of your current studies. 

Your statement should be concise and should not exceed 500 words .

Executive MSc in Health Economics, Outcomes and Management in Clinical Sciences

Your statement should be typed and no longer than three sides of A4 paper and should address the following questions:

• What are your career goals over the near (2-3 years) and medium term (5-7 years)?
• In concrete terms, how will your career benefit from completing this programme?

In addition, you may wish to discuss the following:

• Motivation for undertaking the programme
• Academic interests, strengths and background relevant to the programme
• Areas of specific interest within the programme
• Academic ambitions and/or research interests related to the programme
• Any professional aspirations, and how academic work within the programme might help you realise such aspirations
• Other relevant information, such as additional reading or research, work or other relevant experience that has informed your decision to apply for the particular programme

Please ensure that your statement:

• Is all your own work. If we discover this is not the case, your application may be cancelled
• Is well-written, well-structured and specific to the programme applied for
• Is proofread before being uploaded, and the final correct version is uploaded
• Has your name and the title of your chosen programme in the header or footer of every page

Executive Global MSc in Management

Your personal statement should be a maximum of 2 pages long, and highlight why you want to do the programme.  Make sure you address the following points:

• details on your suitability for the programme
• your motivations for choosing this programme in particular and what you hope to get out of it
• any career highlights to date, in particular any leadership or international experience
• future career objectives and how you think the programme will help you achieve them
• what you think you can bring to the classroom learning environment that makes you stand out from other applicants

Executive MSc in Social Business and Entrepreneurship

The Academic Statement of Purpose consists of two parts.  The total combined word count for both parts should not exceed 1,200 words.

• A personal statement: Your personal statement should persuasively explain why you want to do this programme. This may include your personal suitability such as career achievements and ambitions, what you hope to get out of the programme, your particular strengths, and what you will bring to the cohort.  600-700 words.
• For the second part, please submit your thoughts on the following statement.  400-500 words. “The business of business is social improvement. Describe briefly the role of markets in social progress.”

Atlantic Fellows Residential programme with MSc Inequalities and Social Science

Your statement(s) should be typed and no longer than two sides of A4 paper. There is no fixed word limit, but we expect statement(s) to be no longer than 1,000 - 1,500 words. 

In your statement(s), you should address the following:  

• Why are you interested in joining the AFSEE programme and what do you hope to gain by being part of it? In your answer, please:  

 o   Describe what area of socioeconomic inequality you engage in and the type of work you have done.  

o   Please give examples of how you have meaningfully contributed to collective endeavours to address inequalities.  

o   Explain why you would like to learn more about social and economic equity and how this will contribute to your social change work.  

o   Explain, in one to two paragraphs, the MSc dissertation you plan to undertake as part of the requirements of the MSc in Inequalities and Social Science. 

• Within 5 years of completing the AFSEE programme, what do you hope to achieve in your work/field? How do you see participation in the AFSEE programme contributing to you achieving those goals? 
• What academic knowledge would you like to gain via the MSc in Inequalities & Social Science and how do you plan to apply this knowledge to your future work on social change?
• Please indicate any research interests.

Atlantic Fellows Non-Residential Programme

In your statement(s), you should address the following: 

Why are you interested in joining the AFSEE programme and what do you hope to gain by being a part of it?  In your answer, please: 

Describe the area of socioeconomic inequality you engage in and the type of work you have done. 

Please give examples of how you have meaningfully contributed to collective endeavours to address inequalities.   

Explain why you would like to learn more about social and economic equity and how this will contribute to your social change work. 

What is the project you are planning to undertake as a part of the AFSEE programme?  Explain it in two paragraphs. 

Within 5 years of completing the AFSEE programme, what do you hope to achieve in your work / field?  How do you see the AFSEE programme contributing to you achieving these goals?

FAQs The Knowledge Base will provide you with answers, and allow you to email us

How to apply Information on the application process, and our video guide

Available programmes Check if your chosen programme is currently recruiting

Current processing times See which date we are currently processing and find out when you are likely to hear from us

News and events Current processing dates, holiday closures, events on campus and around the world

Contact Graduate Admissions Our Knowledge base and getting in touch with our team by Zoom, email, and Live chat

Sample cover letter for Full Time position at London School of Economics

Got the job yes.

Pressured on becoming more dynamic, the business world has created prevalent modus operandi based on interpreting data processed through information technology. However, making advances requires handling the intricate and delicate balance at play, which entails Economics, Mathematics and Computer Science but also leadership, management, entrepreneurial skills, as well as understanding of business. Declaring my fascination about the complex world of decision-makers would certainly be an understatement on my part.

What kindled my interest for this course was a combination of extracurricular and academic activities. While preparing for the national stage of the Economics Olympiad (after having won 1st place at the regional stage) I became a voracious reader of various business publications. Some of the materials I went through were truly illuminating in my choice of a university course: ‘Introductory Management Science’ by G.D. Eppen, ‘Information Technology and Organizational Transformation’ by R.D. Galliers and Dr. Hossein Arsham’s ‘Success Science’. Consequently, my urge to learn more on the subject was unleashed.

My academic achievements and high school studies come only to reinforce my suitability for this course. I have a penchant for Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics, and I could not possibly imagine not incorporating them into my future activities. What gripped my attention was the applied and critical way of thinking required as well as the constant novelty. Though I have participated in many contests for all three subjects, the American Mathematics Competition, in which I won the 4th place at the regional stage in 2009, was the most tantalizing and demanding. Due to my high scores, I was awarded a monthly merit scholarship starting with 2006.

Under the impetus to find my element and change something in my community, I involved myself in various extracurricular activities, of which the project nearest and dearest to me is Science Week. I initiated and developed it when I was in the 10th form; it represents a fair for five areas in the sciences for over 2500 students, involving about 25 national institutions. The whole experience of initiating and coordinating it not only taught me how to make use of time efficiently but also what it really means to be the leader of a diverse team. In addition, it gave me the insight in motivating people and having the responsibility of creating a success with them, being open and creative to solve problems easier and incorporating closure.

When I started volunteering for the British Council Centre 2 years ago, I did not expect that this experience would make me want to work with multinational organizations once I graduated from university. I am confident that the knowledge and skills such as responsibility and professionalism gained in this multicultural environment will help me in my future studies.

Having received two accolades (3rd prize in a Junior Achievement leadership contest and participation in the “Economics for Leaders” Summer Camp which helped me discover the world of Economics; the Romanian Student of the Year Award, offered by the ‘Dinu Patriciu’ Foundation) as public recognition of the impact of my involvement in the community as well as my academic achievements, made me even more self-confident and aware of the role I can play.

As far as my plans are concerned, I intend to apply for an internship in the planning department of a multinational corporation. Once I graduate, it is my desire to complete a master’s degree and eventually work in operational research as analyst.

Overall, I feel that the analytical side of the management world suits me best and I believe that my previous academic and extracurricular activities and aptitudes I have gained from them, as well as my enthusiasm, creativity and tenacity are backbones for pursuing this undergraduate course, which I perceive as an exclusive door-opening chance of personal and professional fulfillment.