Preview Med CV Writing Guide (PREVIEW) Medical CV Writing Guide_19092017RA | Page 8

judge your application, to compare you with others and to rank you accordingly so that
the best candidates may be invited for interview.
1.02 Who is more likely to be invited to a medical interview?
Who is more likely to be invited to a medical interview - an outstanding performer
with an average CV or an average performer with an outstanding CV?
The CV may be the first and in certain circumstances, the only contact the interview
panel has with an applicant. If your CV is not up to scratch then you may not be ranked
appropriately and therefore may not be invited for interview. It is important to understand
that your CV is the key to your future career progression and should be thought of as a
personal one-to-one marketing document. Medical CVs are unlike any other form of CV.
We will present the categories and sections that the assessors will be looking for. If
these are not present on your CV you will not score marks and your application may be
harmed.
It is important to remember that the NHS is structured differently in the four home
countries of the UK and this will influence the nature and title of the employing
organisation. For example in England the employing agency is likely to be an NHS Trust
while in Scotland it will be a Health Board. Always ensure that you establish the correct
name and nature of the employing authority and reflect this as necessary in your CV and
in any accompanying letters or documents. Going forward, we will use the generic term
‘employer’ for simplicity.
There is a growing tendency for employers to use standardised application forms in
addition to the CV and sometimes even as a replacement for the CV. This gathers a
small but consistent amount of information but includes a “Statement in Support of the
Application” in which you have the opportunity to sell yourself specifically for the job in
question. When composing such a supporting statement it is important to reference the
job description and in particular the person specification which typically outlines a
number of essential and desirable criteria for the post. In writing your statement you
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