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CVs, Cover Letters and Personal Statements

Imperial College London 1

imperial.ac.uk/careers

This publication contains examples of CVs, cover letters and personal statements to help you understand content and layout. They are to be used as a guide only and not copied directly.

Careers Service Level 5, Sherfield Building South Kensington Campus London SW7 2AZ +44 (0)20 7594 8024 careers@imperial.ac.uk www.imperial.ac.uk/careers Opening hours Monday to Friday (including vacations) 10.00 – 17.00

Welcome Welcome to the Imperial guide to CVs, cover letters and personal statements. This guide is designed to complement the information on our CVs and resumes, Cover letters and Personal statements webpages. These webpages will take you through the specific purpose of each document and recommended approaches to writing each one, along with further information and tips. Using the examples in this guide along with the advice on the webpages will help you to create your own quality applications unique to you.

Using the guide The principles of writing strong CVs, cover letters and personal statements are the same for all students regardless of what you are studying. The example CVs, cover letters and personal statements in this guide are from students across the university, each tailored to a different opportunity, and there will be something valuable to be learnt from each. We recommend you look through the guide at the different CVs and cover letters. Think about what you like, what works well, and what would work for you!

Applying internationally CVs can differ from country to country. The examples in this guide are tailored for work and further study applications in the UK. While much of the advice will apply to international markets, there can be differences. When applying to opportunities in other countries use GoinGlobal in addition to the advice in this guide. We subscribe to GoinGlobal so you can use it for free! It contains lots of examples of application materials from different countries across the world, as well as advice on job hunting, salaries and interviewing internationally.

Contents 5

What is a CV?

6-31

CV examples

32-39 Cover letters 40-47 Personal statements 50-51 Further resources

Watch the CV and Resumes Career Snapshot video

What is a CV? A CV (Curriculum Vitae) shows a future employer or supervisor what skills you have learnt from your education, employment, and other achievements to get you an interview. In the UK, the terms “CV” and “résumé” are used interchangeably, though “CV” is generally preferred. A good CV will be: •

Tailored to the opportunity you are applying for.

•

Easy to read. Consider using bullet points that follow a pattern of skill words followed by what you did to gain that skill to allow the reader to find important information quickly.

•

Consistently laid out and easy to follow. Start each section with your most recent experience first and work back in reverse chronological order to show your timeline.

•

The correct length. Two pages is fine for most industries in the UK, however banking and finance roles generally want a one-page CV unless the advert states otherwise.

What do I include? No matter what stage of your studies you are at, you will have a range of experiences that you can use as a basis to extract skills from. The first step is to understand what skills you are being asked to show so you can tailor your CV appropriately. For help with this, visit our Reading advertisements webpage. The best way to identify your skills is to reflect. There are some good ideas to get you started on our Know your skills webpage, including how to do a skills audit.

How do I structure a CV? NAME Contact details Personal profile (optional) Keep this concise. 1-2 lines that will help the reader navigate your CV. Highlight your most relevant experience to the role and state your career goal. Education Start with your Imperial degree and highlight what skills you’ve learnt. You can include projects here or you can include them in a separate section if they are very relevant to the role. Most relevant experience Find a title that allows you to highlight your most relevant experience to the role here. This could be engineering Projects if you’re applying for an Engineering role, Lab Experience for lab-based roles or Research Experience if you’re applying for a research role. Other experience sections Use other sections to show the breadth of your experience and how you meet the skills the reader needs to see. This could include sections such as Leadership, Volunteering, Extra-curriculars, and Work Experience. Skills List your technical and language skills here. This section doesn’t need to take up a lot of room and can be combined with other achievements that you want to list like awards, courses or interests if you are running out of space. Interests This section shows the reader more about your personality and what you enjoy doing. It doesn’t have to be long and can be combined into other sections if needed.

Use the example CVs in this Guide to help you contextualise this information as you continue reading, and don’t forget, you can find much more information on our CV and resumes webpage.

Not much experience? Creating or updating a CV when you do not have a lot of experience can be difficult. Where should you start? What should be included? The example on the opposite page demonstrates lots of the elements that recruiters look for in CVs, so feel free to use this as a starting point to help.

What can I include? Alongside following the general CV writing rules, here are some tips specifically for people without much experience to add to their CVs: •

Think about the length of your CV. One page may be enough to fit your experiences on. If you do want to move to a two-page format, make sure you can fill the whole two pages.

•

Always tailor the CV for the role you are applying to. Often opportunities like spring weeks, work shadowing and taster experiences do not contain a lot of information about the skills the recruiter is looking for. Use the advert along with the recruiter’s website to help you. The Reading advertisements webpage has further tips.

•

If you have worked on any projects within your degree so far, you could talk about these to show the reader what you have learnt and the skills you have gained. Discuss projects either in your Education section, or include them within a separate Projects section, to help expand your CV. See Alex’s CV for an example of this.

•

Include student society, charity, community or work shadowing experience under section headings relevant to the role. Experience doesn’t need to be paid to demonstrate valuable skills to recruiters. The CVs in this guide use varied section titles, showing how you can tailor headings to suit your experience and the role.

Tailoring to a role The example CV has been tailored to meet the requirements of the advertisement below. Alex used information from both the advertisement and the company’s website to help her choose skills that she thinks will be relevant to the opportunity.

Boult Wade Tennent Vacation Scheme If you are interested in a career in Intellectual Property Law, it’s a great idea to find out as much as you can before you apply. This is a three-day long programme based at our London offices and includes presentations, interactive sessions, and networking. You will either be a first or second-year student in a STEM degree, with strong transferable skills such as presenting, working in a team, communicating, and analysing data. If you have worked with customers or clients, please tell us about that also. To apply for this position, please complete the application form, including a one-page CV via our website.

First year CV example First year CV example

Alex Lee R. 152 Beit Hall, Beit Quad, Prince Consort Road, London, SW7 2BB +44(0)7712345678 | alex.lee00@imperial.ac.uk | LinkedIn: Alex Lee

Expand on your degree to show relevant technical and soft skills.

Education Imperial College London BEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering 2026 - 2029 • Topics include circuit design, computer architecture, group design project. • Preparation and delivery of presentations for seminars, tutorials, and labs. • Developed skills in C++, Python, MATLAB, and Arduino. Garforth Academy, Leeds A Levels • Mathematics (A*), Physics (A*), Chemistry (A*)

To help increase the amount of experience if you don’t have a lot, consider pulling out your university projects.

All work experience is useful. Employers value that you have worked before and the transferable skills, especially customer related skills, that you have gained.

2021 - 2026

Experience Imperial College London, Electronic Design Project Spring 2026 - present • Currently collaborating with 4 students to design an automated device to improve home security for students in halls of residence. • Negotiated and agreed tasks with team to ensure project deadlines will be met. • Developed and presented initial plans to client incorporating all requirements. Imperial College London, Careers Service Work Shadowing Scheme Spring 2026 • Shadowed a Fintech Engineering Manager at Yonder in their day-to-day duties. • Consulted with a team of 4 to brainstorm a marketing related problem, helping to identify a new potential customer group and develop a plan to access them. • Information interviewed staff at Yonder to better understand skills needed for a career in fintech services and how to best use remaining time at university. Thorpe Park Hotel, Leeds 2024 - 2026 Restaurant/Bar Supervisor • Adapted communication style to ensure new staff were trained to a high level after being promoted to supervisor in July 2025. • Liaised with management team including reviewing staff training. • Provided exceptional customer service including dealing with complaints. • Analysed daily takings and followed protocols to balance cash registers nightly.

Extra-Curricular Activities Women in SET (member) 2026 - present • Attended weekly seminars and discussion groups. Planning to run for committee. Online Learning • French speaking skills (Coursera), Arduino skills (Udemy)

2024 and 2025

After writing their CV, Alex is interested in building their experiences. They are exploring the Jobs and experience section of the Careers Service website and further clubs/societies from the Student Union.

Little experience year 2

Mark Adams

75 Greyhound Road, Hammersmith, London, SW6 8NJ +44(0)7712348647 | mark.adams00@imperial.ac.uk | LinkedIn: Mark Adams 2nd year Physics student at Imperial College London, looking to gain more experience and knowledge in the sustainability and climate industry. Experienced in collaborative group projects, including work with Imperial Racing Green, and set to undertake a dedicated module on climate change.

EDUCATION

Imperial College London BSc Physics 2025 - 2028 Relevant topics: computational science and problem solving, mechanics and relativity, measurement statistics and mathematical analysis • Developed a practical analysis of the effectiveness of a water turbine generator • Evidenced good timekeeping to meet multiple conflicting project and exam deadlines • Chose Advanced Electronics as optional Y1 module (89%) • Will be taking part in i-Explore module - Climate Change: Science and Solutions King John’s School Essex A Levels • Mathematics (A*), Physics (A*), Chemistry (A*)

2019 - 2025

9 GCSEs grades 9-8

PROJECTS

Imperial College London, 1st year laboratory project April - June 2026 • Collaborated in team of 5 in labs to create a simulation of bouncing particles in a 2D container • Analysed Python code to ensure no bugs were present while piloting • Adapted communication skills to explain project to visiting high school class • Presented problem solving techniques to peers and course coordinators achieving a final mark of 78% Imperial College London Horizons Professional Skills for Employability Feb - April 2026 • Participated in 8-week employability course • Learnt about creating high quality application documents • Practised networking skills with classmates • Collaborated in a team of 5 to design and present a 10-minute presentation on a company • Conducted research on assigned company to help create content for presentation in a SWOT analysis

INTERESTS AND COURSES Member of Imperial Racing Green 2025 - present • Attend weekly society sessions to learn more about motorsport racing industry • Observe senior members during their work and design process, taking part as appropriate • Assist with any duties in the run up to testing out the car Online Learning • German speaking skills (Coursera) • Effective communication modules (LinkedIn Learning)

2024 and 2026

Top tips for building experience: •

Extract university projects into a separate section and use bullet points to show the range of skills gained.

•

Use the job/course advertising information provided to help you focus on the skills needed for the experience and use a skills audit to help you reflect on where you have developed skills.

•

Explore ideas for building experience on the Work and professional experience and Internships alternatives webpages.

•

Consider part-time work to build skills whilst earning money.

•

Look at our Careers Service experiential schemes.

•

Utilise our alumni schemes.

•

Research people on LinkedIn to explore different jobs and industries and gather ideas on how you could build relevant experiences.

Key skills and active language Writing bullet points that have impact requires you to prove skills that you have gained. Try starting your bullet point with a skill word then give the evidence of how you gained that skill. Using a pattern like this helps shortlisters easily find and assess if you can do the job. It also gives you a formula to create and adapt your CV easily. Try to match the skills you use to the opportunity you are applying to. If the opportunity does not list specific skills to target here are some good words you could use to start the bullet points on your CV: •

Problem solving - analysed, diagnosed, reduced, increased, simplified, evaluated, synthesised, tackled, investigated, reviewed, identified, refined, streamlined, examined, reorganised, solved.

•

Organising and planning - distributed, reorganised, arranged, restructured, budgeted, verified, scheduled, computed, planned, produced.

•

Leadership - created, formulated, designed, established, introduced, devised, started, developed, set up, launched, initiated, enabled.

•

Attention to detail - classified, differentiated, investigated, determined, experimented, equated, searched, developed, surveyed, examined, indexed, compiled, catalogued.

•

Achievement - accelerated, accomplished, achieved, carried out, completed, improved, delivered, enhanced, finished, negotiated, obtained, produced, secured, increased, doubled, implemented.

•

Communication - advised, participated, chaired meeting, wrote, instructed, demonstrated, edited, presented, discussed, promoted, persuaded, recommended.

•

Managing - organised, implemented, established, produced, initiated, attained, maintained.

•

Taking initiative - created, formulated, designed, established, introduced, devised, started, developed, set up, launched, initiated, enabled.

Part-time work CVs As with any role you apply to, you need to tailor your CV for a part-time job. Find out more information about searching for part-time work on our website. The technical skills from your university degree may be less relevant to part-time work than your transferable skills, such as teamwork, communication, customer service, and problem-solving. Experiences from clubs, societies, volunteering, or previous part-time jobs which may have taken up less space on your CV, will now be expanded and moved to a more prominent position.

Zizi part-time front of house staff - Calling all Pizza lovers!! £13.45 per hour plus Tips Highlight the skills to help you tailor your CV. Often skills appear throughout the job advert.

As part of the Front of House team you could be greeting customers at the door, making cocktails on the bar, delivering picture perfect dishes to table or guiding the customer through their dining experience. You love to share what your favourite dish is and to find ways to make every visit personal to every customer. What you'll get: • Treat yourself and your friends with 50% off at Zizzi & ASK Italian (drinks included) and never go hungry with free & heavily discounted menu on shift • Make the most of your time off work with discounts on cinema tickets, travel websites and big brands available • Need some support? We have a free Employee Assistance Programme with access to GPs and wellbeing support. Plus loads of support to grow and progress your career What will you be doing? Here's a taster: • Working in a place that's full of great people and being surrounded by great customers • Working with the whole restaurant team to help deliver Great Times for our customers and taking absolute pride in the service you provide. • Making sure the restaurant and kitchen is looking fabulous at all times. And you do all that through our Zizzi Values - its what matters to us Growth - Be better than yesterday, Individuality - Celebrate the differences, Drive - You make it happen, Togetherness - You want to be part of more and Fun - You enjoy the everyday. We are Zizzi. At Zizzi we are a family. It's never me, always we. Customers included.

Tailored part-time job CV Go to little experience CVs on page 7 and 8

Technical details can be less relevant but relevant transferable skills can be included either here or later as part of a project, like Mark has done.

Create a relevant title to put experiences that are most closely related to role you are applying to. Adapt bullet points to match the advertisement.

Mark Adams

75 Greyhound Road, Hammersmith, London, SW6 8NJ +44(0)7712348647 | mark.adams00@imperial.ac.uk | LinkedIn: Mark Adams 2nd year Physics student at Imperial College London, looking for part-time work in a service environment to support my studies and utilise my communication skills gained through team projects.

EDUCATION

Imperial College London BSc Physics 2025 - 2028 Topics include: computational science and problem solving, mechanics and relativity, measurement statistics and mathematical analysis King John’s School Essex A Levels • Mathematics (A*), Physics (A*), Chemistry (A*)

2019 - 2025

Adapt to focus on part-time work, highlighting most relevant experience to help employers find it easily.

CUSTOMER SERVICE-RELATED EXPERIENCE Imperial College London, 1st year laboratory project April - June 2026 • Negotiated with laboratory technician team to initiate and coordinate a visit of 15 high school students • Liaised with high school head teacher to create bespoke visit for final year students, meeting requested requirements and ensuring all safeguarding and health and safety guidelines were met • Adapted communication skills to explain project to visiting high school class • Worked under pressure to ensure individual student needs were meet during the visit • Collaborated in team of 5 in labs to create a simulation of bouncing particles in a 2D container • Presented problem solving techniques to peers and course coordinators achieving a final mark of 78% Imperial College London Horizons Professional Skills for Employability Feb - April 2026 • Collaborated in a team of 5 over an eight-week period to design and present a 10-minute presentation exploring the current position of an organisation • Conducted research on assigned company to help create content for presentation in a SWOT analysis • Created a visually interesting PowerPoint presentation for final task ensuring top marks from peers • Initiated a team get together after our final presentation to celebrate success Imperial College London Independent project Nov - Dec 2025 • Developed a practical analysis of the effectiveness of a water turbine generator • Followed protocols and safety guidelines to ensure a clean, structured and safe laboratory for all • Negotiated with supervisor for two-day extension due to inaccessibility of the laboratory

INTERESTS AND COURSES Member of Imperial Racing Green 2025 - present • Attend weekly society sessions to learn more about motorsport racing industry • Observe senior members during their work and design process, taking part as appropriate • Assist with any duties in the run up to testing out the car Online Learning 2024 and 2026 • German speaking skills (Coursera) and Effective communication modules (LinkedIn Learning)

Data Science focused CV

Go to Robert's cover letter for data role

Robert Aske Email: RAske23@imperial.ac.uk

Tel: +44(0)771234567

LinkedIn: RobertAske

EDUCATION MEng Design Engineering, Imperial College London 2025 - 2029 • Achieved 64% in first year, on track for a 2:1 • Relevant 1st-year modules: Introduction to Scientific Computing, Computing Applications, Engineering Maths • Second-year modules will include: GIZMO project, Working in Organisations, and Data Science • Corporate Finance i-explore module: Building understanding of macroeconomics and financial markets • Extra-Curricular Horizons Course: Professional Skills for Employability – worked within a multidisciplinary team of five to deliver a business pitch for a new student society J.P. Morgan Software Engineering Online Virtual Work Experience, Forage Summer 2025 • Used Perspective, Python and Typescript to display financial data for an online business case study DATA & PROGRAMMING EXPERIENCE Data Analytics Internship at Mobility Tech Start-up, Karfu Summer 2025 • Selected for competitive Imperial Exclusive Opportunities SME startup scheme • Worked with the founding team to design the specific project outcomes and reported in on a weekly basis • Gathered, verified, and sorted environment impact data on the production and disposal of ICE and Electric cars, eBikes and eScooters and their batteries • Independently undertook additional training in Excel/VBA to develop skillset in this area • Managed time using scheduling tools to create space for additional learning in schedule (Excel, Forage) • Developed visualisation of the data to give users a meaningful guide to green choices First Year Computing Applications Project, Imperial College London Spring 2025 • Programmed an interactive web application using client-server architecture, incorporating both functional and asynchronous programming features • Developed front and back-end elements using JavaScript, HTML and CSS languages • Implemented an effective debugging strategy to identify, analyse and fix code errors and ensure seamless program flow COMMUNICATION SKILLS Student Ambassador Outreach & University Promotion, Imperial College London March 2025 - Present • Discuss university experience and application on panels for prospective students • Mentor groups of school children on campus tours and tutor on summer outreach schools • Involved in content creation for university social media posts and the international student brochure Online Technical Tutor, TechTalk Summer 2024 • Online tutor for young students, delivering technical courses including Python, JavaScript, and AR/VR • Built and maintained positive professional relationships with client tutees and senior teaching team • Effectively communicated ideas and issues to senior team members resulting in significant changes to one course SKILLS • • •

Coding: Python, MATLAB, website development in JavaScript, HTML and CSS Adobe Suite: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro 3D Design: SolidWorks and Fusion 360, including Finite Element Analysis and rendering in KeyShot and Blender

Data science job description Data and Analytics Consultant six-week Internship (London) - Dufrain As a market-leading data consultancy in the Data & Analytics industry, we actively seek people with inquisitive minds who challenge the status quo, are eager to learn, and are ready to dive into a fastpaced, challenging working environment. Successful candidates will be capable of, and motivated by, working across an entire project lifecycle as part of a globally distributed team. A successful candidate will demonstrate the capability to learn novel technologies, strong interpersonal and relationship management skills, and the drive to take on new responsibilities. Qualified candidates must: Be in the process of completing a bachelor’s degree and have a strong academic record in a related business or STEM discipline. Be able to: • Show a keen interest in learning about data and new technology • Work effectively individually, and as part of a project team • Show responsibility in their work and deliver with quality • Develop and nurture relationships (such as with clients, technology partners, and colleagues) • Manage time and commitments in a fast-paced working environment

How has Robert tailored his CV to this advert? •

He has chosen to use modules which demonstrate computational and analytical ability as these are the most relevant to the job role, rather than listing everything they have done.

•

He has mentioned additional training in Excel/VBA to draw attention to his capability to learn and show commitment and responsibility to the project. This will be expanded upon in a cover letter.

•

Mentioning extracurricular outreach and tutoring skills shows an important ability to develop relationships and balance commitments with studying. This is something that the recruiter is looking for.

•

Project team experience is mentioned twice in internship and Professional Skills for Employability Horizons course – this shows that Robert is comfortable delivering work in different environments.

•

Robert’s keen interest in learning about data and new technology is shown through an online virtual work experience course and the first year Computing Applications project.

•

This CV has been tailored for the role - Robert has grouped together relevant internship and project experience to show how his responsibilities have developed. This makes it easy for the recruiter to read and score the CV against their job description.

Research focused CV

AADYA LAGHARI

Birmingham – a.b.1234@gmail.com – 07846384738 – LinkedIn – Github EDUCATION MEng Computing (Management and Finance) Imperial College London 2023 - 2028 • Modules: Computing Practical, Computer Architecture, Discrete Mathematics, Logic, Mathematics – Analysis and Algebra • Awarded prize for 2nd highest grade in cohort – predicted 1st class honours • Completing online programming tests set by tutor and using continuous mathematics to solve simple problems in applied Computing lab sessions (online) • 10/2023 Imperial College Computing Entrance Scholarship: Awarded £500 as the 10 best Computing and JMC applications in department • Year out 2024-25 due to health condition. Following recovery worked for remainder of year in a technical role for a mental health charity A-Levels Swanshurst School, Birmingham • Mathematics A*, Physics A*, Chemistry A

2016 - 2023

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE Artificial Intelligence Researcher (Internship) Ada Lovelace Institute Jun 2025 - Sept 2025 • Worked with a team of 4 to plan, run and analyse a nationally representative evaluation of how British people view AI • Adapted initial survey to align with feedback received from focus groups in pilot • Researched and wrote a literature review of relevant international studies to provide a baseline for analysis and comparison for reporting • Wrote Python code to clean and check 30,000 individual responses • Created visualisation of the data for use on websites and reports aimed at the public COMPUTING PROJECTS 3rd Year WACC Compiler 2026 • Collaborating with a peer using Scala to develop a compiler for a language stack overflow with a single loop. • Planning project using Gantt charts, developing timelines for 3-month project 2nd Year Vegan Chef Web Application 2024 • Led in a team of 4 to develop a web application providing tailored vegan recipe recommendations with flexibility to be integrated into multiple platforms • Optimised user experience through focused backend development, iterative user testing and feedback obtained through running a peer focus group 2nd Year Pintos Project 2024 • Worked in a team of 3 utilising git to write parts of OS kernel: call handler, virtual memory system and priority scheduler • Implemented the design of page table, page sharing along with copy-on-write, achieving a 1st class grade

VOLUNTEERING Digital Content Volunteer Better Pathways, Birmingham Feb 2025 - Aug 2025 • Directed social media campaign for a mental health charity to promote a social enterprise offering signage, packing and woodwork services • Liaised with management team regularly to provide updates and ensuring project alignment with organisational objectives • Creating impactful content promoting how the initiative can assist small business customers reach CSR goals, resulting in increased engagement by 40% Coding Club Mentor Birmingham Library Oct 2021 - Aug 2022 • Adapted communication to teach computing using Raspberry Pi and Lego Mindstorm to groups of children aged 8-12 and one to one lessons with people aged over 65 • Diversified online learning modules to include basic Python programming COMPETITIONS NASA Space Settlement Contest, awarded by National Space Society 2023 - 2024 • Designed a Space Settlement capable of providing new home for 10,000 people • Independently created digital model of agreed solution using Maya • Collaborated online with teammates to ensure completion including brainstorming new ideas regarding energy sources and infrastructure • Attended the NSS 39th annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC) online, winning an honourable mention for project Microsoft STEM Student Challenge 2022 Winner Oct 2021 - May 2022 • Collaborated in team of 5 to design and submit project for national challenge • Developed a tool (Project keyHue) to assist people with dyscalculia learn to play music • Created a projection-mapping application that displays colour on a piano keyboard and corresponding colours on digital sheet music TECHNICAL SKILLS • Programming languages: Python (preferred), C++, Haskell, Kotlin • Web Programming & design: PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, JQuery, HTML 5, CSS 3, Bootstrap 3/4, Laravel • Other: CISCO Cybersecurity Intro, Proficient in Microsoft Office • Languages: Hindi (native), English (native)

Banking job description example Reading job descriptions: When reading job descriptions, gather as much information as possible to determine the skills and knowledge the position requires. You can then tailor your CV to evidence these giving your application the highest chance of success. For more tips, visit the Reading advertisements webpage.

SPAML - Graduate Trainee – Banking, Risk Management Department SPAML, one of Europe’s largest financial institutions, is excited to offer an exclusive opportunity for graduates to join our renowned 18-month graduate program within the Risk Management Department at our London HQ. This program will provide exceptional individuals with exposure to every aspect of the Risk Management Department, including direct contact with the senior management team and the opportunity to develop a broad and holistic understanding of Bank Risk Management. Program Overview: Our prestigious 18-month graduate program within the Risk Management Department will allow you to gain in-depth experience in risk management within a large investment bank. You will work under the Global Head of Market and Operational Risk Division, with daily exposure to other parts of the Risk Department and team, including the Head of Risk Management and CRO.

Some required skills may be clearly stated, whereas for others, you may have to consider what they will be looking for depending on the tasks or work described.

This program aims to equip you with the skills necessary to analyse, measure, monitor and mitigate, risks facing the bank. What you will learn and do: • • • • • •

Assist in the reporting of market, operational, credit and enterprise-wide risks. Conduct comprehensive risk analysis to help monitor risks the bank faces and contribute to the development of innovative risk mitigation strategies. Work with cross-functional teams, including front office, legal and compliance team, to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and internal policies. Stay updated on market trends, industry best practices, and emerging risk management technologies. Engage in and actively contribute to various projects aimed at enhancing risk management practices within the organisation. Provide support in the development and maintenance of risk-related policies, procedures, and documentation

What we are looking for: You need to be ambitious, bright, with a strong numerical skillset, the ability to problem-solve and a willingness to learn. In addition: • • • •

A strong academic background with a degree from a leading university. Strong analytical and numerical skills with the ability to think critically and solve complex problems. Ability to work effectively in a small team in a fast-paced environment. Take ownership of assigned tasks and projects, seeking opportunities to learn and grow within the risk management field.

Highlighting the required skills described can help you to create a checklist you can work through when tailoring your CV.

CV tailored to banking job description on page 16 CV tailored to banking job description on page 16

Shi En Cheung

Go to Shi En's CV for technical roles

The highlighted terms show how the CV mirrors key skills from the job description, helping recruiters quickalignment and suitability Go ly tosee Shi En's CV for technical roles for the role.

39 James Square, London, SW7 1NN, United Kingdom +44 07123 456789 | secheung20@sample.imperial.ac.uk | www.linkedin.com/in/shiencheungexample Eligible for Graduate Worker Route (GWR) visa in UK for two years after graduation PROFILE Imperial College London finalist with a proven interest in banking, specifically risk management. Experience gained through three finance internships and Imperial Economic society treasurer role. EDUCATION Imperial College London: MEng Aeronautical Engineering London, Sept 2023-June 2027 • Predicted to graduate with First Class Honours – ranked top 5% in first and second year • Modules include: Mathematics, High Performance Computing, and Innovation Management • Global Economics optional co-curricular course to increase international financial awareness • Member of Imperial College London Finance Society PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ChinaGold Asset Management: Summer Analyst, Investment Division Beijing, July 2026-Aug 2026 • Collaborated with a cross-functional team of 8 in a US $3 billion live deal within energy industry • Supported stakeholder negotiations, aligning with regulatory frameworks and compliance standards • Developed a financial model to value a convertible bond, analysing risk-return dynamics and supporting adjustments to transaction structure • Analysed and classified non-performing commodities assets in fast-paced environment • Proposed solutions to problems with assets recovery, producing business plans within tight deadlines Blue Sky Securities: Summer Analyst, Corporate Finance Division Beijing, June 2025-July 2025 • Contributed to the IPO of a high-end laser company, analysing financial, market and regulatory risks • Collaborated in a team of four and composed the industry section of Due Diligence report • Provided integrated financial advisory services to a medium-sized sports company based in Jiangsu • Analysed a major competitor’s finances and identified potential market in sport industry • Reported weekly to senior management team meeting on findings and latest analytics • Trouble shot and discussed issues with clients, amended business plans based on market performance PwC China: Summer Intern, Finance Division Shanghai, June 2024 • Analysed 25+ transactions across all industry, including 25 million deal with Shanghai Electric • Assisted project manager to ascertain client information, and carry out basic audit tasks • Researched and identified potential clients for a value stream project, producing a recommendations report LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Imperial Professional Project: Project Manager June 2026 • Successfully pitched for £1400 project funding to increase local engagement for Kew Climate Café charity • Developed 6-month video campaign continually monitoring performance metrics to inform new content • Increased hits to charity website by 500 a week, subsequently improving café footfall by 45% Imperial College Union Economics Society: Treasurer Oct 2024-Oct 2025 • Created and monitored budget of £15,000 to ensure society was fiscally responsible • Developed assessment tools to provide guidance on all spending, including cost benefit analysis reports • Collaborated effectively in a small leadership team of 4 to implement and fund strategies to grow society membership from 40 to 120 students within the year timeframe SKILLS, ACTIVITIES, AND INTERESTS Languages: Mandarin (Native) and English (Fluent) IT Skills: Python, MATLAB, C/C++, Excel Activities and Interests: Volunteered for London Fashion Week (Sept 2025), and cycling

CV emphasising technical skills roles CV emphasising technical skills

Go to Shi En’s speculative cover letter or CV for banking roles or personal statement

Go to Shi En's speculative cover letter or CV for banking roles

Shi En Cheung

39 James Square, London, SW7 1NN, United Kingdom +44 07123 456789 secheung20@sample.imperial.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/shiencheungexample Eligible for Graduate Worker Route (GWR) visa in UK for two years after graduation PROFILE Imperial College London aeronautics student with strong analytical and design skills gained through engineering projects, and experience of working in multidisciplinary environments in both engineering teams and commercial organisations. Looking for a graduate position within the aeronautics sector. EDUCATION MEng Aeronautical Engineering Imperial College London 2023-2027 - Predicted to graduate with First Class Honours – ranked top 5% in first and second years - Modules include: Aerodynamics, Thermodynamics, Advanced Fluid Dynamics, Flight Dynamics & Control, Control Systems, Lightweight Structures, Computing & Numerical Methods, AI for Aerospace Engineers, Materials, Mathematics, Mechatronics and High Performance Computing, and Innovation Management - Achieved Distinction in Imperial Horizons course: ‘Professional Skills for Employability’

Profile highlights a few key selling points and is tailored to the relevant sector.

ENGINEERING PROJECTS Final year project Imperial College London - Simulating airflow and heat transfer in unmanned electric drone taxis - Applying CFD scheme to optimise airflow, reducing oscillations by 85% - Presenting progress through fortnightly meetings with supervisor and PhD students

2026

Aerodynamicist RAeS International Design Team Competition 2026 - Designed prototype aeroshell in a team of 3 for electric 2-seater aerobatic aircraft to a criteria - Modelled aerodynamics using CFD software to develop a better understanding of the flow separation for wings, fins, and fuselage - Coordinated work through continual communication with team-members ensuring project was successfully delivered within required timescales - Presented design to panel of industry experts, successfully placing in 3rd place out of 15 teams Suborbital Aircraft Flight Mechanics Imperial College London 2025 - Conducted a static and dynamic stability analysis of a hypersonic passenger aircraft within vehicle design sub-team, as part of a group of 25 - Discussed technical details at group meetings updated supervisors at weekly progress meetings and delivered final 1.5h presentation and 5-minute pitch to an industrial panel - Awarded best Teamwork and Communication Prize by industrial panel EXPERIENCE Intern Analyst ChinaGold Asset Management, Beijing July 2026-Aug 2026 • Part of multi-disciplinary team working on a large energy industry investment • Took part in face to face and online meetings with key stakeholders • Modelled estimated earnings of bonds using Python, contributing to design of a financial product • Worked simultaneously on several projects, prioritising and organising workload ensuring delivery within tight time constraints

Has expanded on their Engineering Projects to showcase where they have applied their technical skills, whilst also demonstrating transferable skills often

sought after in engineering roles.

Has tailored non-engineering work experience to focus on relevant transferable skills. CV emphasising technical skills

Go to Shi En's speculative cover letter or CV for banking roles

Intern Analyst Blue Sky Securities, Beijing July 2025-Sept 2025 • Conducted research and comparable analysis, contributing to the initial public offering (IPO) of a high-end laser company • Collaborated in a team of four and composed the industry section of Due Diligence report • Analysed a major competitor’s finance and identified potential market in sport industry • Discussed effectively with clients and amended business reports Summer Intern PwC China, Shanghai June 2024 • Organised data of recent large financial transactions using Excel, for weekly update reports • Liaised regularly with project manager to ascertain client information • Researched and identified potential clients for a value stream project, producing a recommendations report LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Project Manager Imperial Professional Project June 2026 • Successfully pitched for £1400 project funding to increase local engagement for Kew Climate Café charity • Developed a 6-month video campaign promoting charity initiatives through social media channels targeting locals • Increased hits to charity website by 500 a week, subsequently improving café footfall by 45% Project Leader Global Engineering Challenge March 2025 • Led a team of four in a one-month project to design a smart mobile hospital programme, for use in developing countries • Identified the main stakeholders such as government, healthcare professionals and patients and designed a feasibility questionnaire • Set up goals, liaised with team to distribute workload, promoted discussions and collaboration within the team Treasurer Imperial College Union Economics Society Oct 2024-Oct 2025 • Created and monitored budget of £15,000 to ensure society was fiscally responsible • Developed assessment tools to provide guidance on all spending, including cost benefit analysis reports and wrote online training course available to all members • Collaborated with leadership team of 4 to implement and fund strategies to grow society membership from 40 to 120 students PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS • Royal Aeronautical Society – Student Affiliate Membership SKILLS, ACTIVITIES, AND INTERESTS Languages: Mandarin (Native) and English (Fluent) IT Skills: SOLIDWORKS, AutoCAD, MATLAB, C/C++, Python, PHP, HTML/CSS, SQL. Activities and Interests: Volunteer for London Fashion Week (Sept 2022 and 2023), and regularly cycle REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

Although adding reference information is not compulsory, it can be a useful way to fill unwanted white space at the end of a CV, ensuring a well-balanced document.

CV targeted to consulting Adam Needham

61 Waldemar Avenue, SW6 5LR Tel: 01234 567890 Aneedham19374example@ic.ac.uk www.linkedin.com/in/adneedhamexample Penultimate year Imperial College London student studying biological sciences seeking summer internship in consulting. Possesses prior consulting internship experience in addition to holding senior role within Imperial College London Consulting Society. Career goal is to build a graduate career in management consulting. EDUCATION 2024-27 BSc Biological Sciences, Imperial College London Predicted degree class: Upper Second (2:1) • 2025: Proactively undertaking I-Explore Business Strategy module to understand why some companies succeed and others fail, using frameworks and tools for external and internal analysis 2022-2024 Brooke House College, Market Harborough A Levels: 3 x A in Biology, Mathematics and Physics, Senior Sports Caption, Top of Class for Biology RELEVANT EXPERIENCE 2025 - present Sponsorship Manager, Imperial College London Consulting Society • Member and Sponsorship Manager for Imperial College London Consulting Society • Collaborated with fellow committee members to construct funding and sponsorship plan • Liaised and negotiated with a range of sponsors to ensure ongoing financial support • Networked with new potential sponsors, adapting communication to sell sponsorship deals, successfully increasing donations last year by 24% • Reported results and learnings at society AGM and to Student Union leadership team • Developed and ran training session to incoming committee members on behalf of the student union to support new sponsorship officers. Currently providing mentoring to two societies June - August 2025 Consulting Intern, KPMG, London • Successfully achieved position on competitive consulting internship • Communicated with senior managers on client briefings and enhanced understanding of frameworks • Reviewed client financial statements and tested transactional processes for accuracy • Additionally met with representatives of a social enterprise • Collaborated in team of five interns to understand and solve the problems facing the enterprise • Presented our recommendations to the social enterprise representatives and senior PwC managers Jan - March 2026 Second year tutored dissertation project, Imperial College London • Researched current uses of AI in supporting urban ecology conservation, producing a 4000-word literature review and report including recommendations for further research areas. • Liaised with Natural History Museum to understand their Urban Nature project redevelopment and provide implementable ideas related to learnings from literature review • Delivered 20-minute presentation to classmates and teaching staff, defending findings TECHNICAL SKILLS • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint and Word) • Competent in use of SolidWorks, COMSOL, MATLAB, Graphviz, LATEX and C++ • Proficient in Japanese, both spoken and written INTERESTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS • Active member of Imperial College Sailing Club, with regular attendance at committees (2024) • Ranked best in year for second year tutored dissertation project

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CV targeted to MRes application CV targeted to MRes application

Go to Aarti's personal statement

Aarti Chopra

Flat 2, 108 Lakeside Road, Hammersmith, W14 0DZ | British Citizen Phone: 09985476256 | email: a.chopra4330@imperial.ac.uk | www.linkedin.com/acph2022 Bachelor of Medical Biosciences student with a strong background in biomedical research looking to build an academic career in a collaborative health-related field to help cure illnesses.

Education 2024 - 2027 BSc Medical Biosciences, Imperial College London, United Kingdom • Relevant modules: Statistics, Microbiome of Health and Disease, Immunology and Inflammation, Genetics and Genomics, Molecular and Cellular Biology • Dean’s list for Year 2 (Top 10% of cohort), predicted 1st class honours • Collaborated with a multi-disciplinary team of five students to present an investigation into the professional ethics of the science of genetics in a 2nd year I-Explore module 2020 - 2024 Central Board of Secondary Education, Delhi Public School, India • 12th Grade: 92% (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, English and Biology)

Research Experience Oct 2026 - present Research Assistant, Data Science Institute, Imperial College London • Working in a team of four to conduct a cost-utility analysis of TARGIT-IORT Vs EBRT database for treatment of early breast cancer in the UK using R to analyse large data sets • Carried out a one-way sensitivity analysis with multiple parameter variations and a budget impact analysis which will form the basis of a presentation to Cancer Research UK on completion July 2026 - Sep 2026 Research Intern, Imperial College London & Revolo Biotherapeutics • Collaborative research placement in Imperial College London’s Allergy and Immunotherapy Group in partnership with Revolo Biotherapeutics • Investigated the immunomodulatory properties of a novel therapeutic agent IRL201104, derived from M. tuberculosis, and its ability to establish allergic tolerance • Recorded all data in alignment with trial protocols, analysed results using FlowJo and reported back to weekly team meetings through a written report and oral presentation • Liaised between trial coordinators and researchers to ensure operational elements of the project were in place and all timelines were met Dec 2024 - June 2026 Part-time Research Assistant, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital • Voluntarily assisted a research project investigating the impact of music on effect of vital signs, anxiety, and pain in the Intensive Care Unit • Adapted communication style to recruit a range of patients including children and the elderly, administered the music and collected data • Ran follow up interviews and analysed using thematic analysis techniques Laboratory Experience: Nov 2025 - April 2026 2nd year Lab Pod Project • Collaborated with a group of six to utilise CRISPR-Cas9 technology to generate a TLR2-KO monocytic cell line for further investigation. Created a poster presentation for display • Developed a unique hypothesis, created a research plan and work through problem solving processes to ensure the project was delivered on time and within budget

To highlight clearly that she has the skills required, Aarti has used specific titles for her sections and separated out her experiences. This allows the reader to easily find the evidence that she has the key skill sets required.

CV targeted to MRes application • •

Go to Aarti's personal statement

Wrote a mock grant application to apply for resources required to carry out research plan Negotiated with other student groups to secure use of limited laboratory resources

Jan 2025 - April 2025 1st year Lab Pod Project • Worked in a team of five to investigate the effect of Bisphenol A treatment on AKT expression on the breast cancer cell line. Completed a full laboratory report • Followed established protocols for Western Blots, PCR, Cell Cultures and Crystal Violet Assay and accurately recorded results. Ensured all Health and Safety requirements were met • Delivered a group presentation, defending outcomes to peers and tutors

Work Experience July 2025 - Sep 2025 Intern, Directorate of Health Services, Delhi Government, India • Responsible for monitoring more than 100 patients under home isolation with tuberculosis (TB) through data management and regular telephone contact • Completed regular reports to meet government-mandated information guidelines • Worked in a team of four to ensure a high standard to all testing conducted on incoming swabs, including PCR and Southern blot techniques to meet ISO 9001 quality standards Volunteering and Extracurricular Experience Oct 2026 - present Imperial Lawn Tennis Club coach, Imperial College London, UK • Cooperated with a team of 30 other coaches to ensure all club members have access to free coaching throughout term time. Implemented coaching techniques for all levels of ability Oct 2021 - Sep 2025 Member, coach and junior social secretary, Delhi Tennis Club, India • Planned, promoted, and executed, along with the board of ten junior members, social events to ensure club members enjoyed and learnt during their time with the club • Coordinated feedback and club days to ensure junior members’ voices were heard • Coached small groups of children aged five to seven years old on the basics of tennis Mar 2022 - Sep 2024 Health Citizen, St Johns Ambulance, India • Advocated for good health and sanitation practices across Delhi within schools, at public events and through local charities and authorities. Often online due to Covid-19 pandemic

Skills Computing skills: R Studio, Basic Python coding, MATLAB, Microsoft Office, bespoke database development and usage Laboratory skills: PCR, DNA sequencing, Southern blot, titration, and basic lab procedures Languages: Bilingual - Hindi and English, French – Intermediate Other Certifications: Basic resuscitation, Managing Project Risks and Changes, Maths for artificial intelligence, public speaking, AITA level 3 – tennis coaching Interests • Keen tennis player, enjoying playing, watching, coaching and all associated social elements • Participated in 2023 Careers Mentoring scheme with a Research and Development mentor • Enjoy trying food from different countries and currently taking a Vietnamese cooking class. • Member of the Imperial College Origami society 2022 - 2024

Showcasing society work shows transferable skills and that Aarti is an engaged member of the student community outside of her studies.

Adding lists of relevant technical or lab skills can be useful when applying to technical courses or roles.

CV for public health industry role CV for public health industry

Kyrie Gataki

Action, Greater London Phone: 09985476996 | email: k.gatakiexample@imperial.ac.uk | www.linkedin.com/kgatakiexample Current Master of Public Health student with a strong background in public engagement and coordination, looking to continue a career in coordination to ensure everyone has the best chance of good health at an international level.

Education 2026-2027

Master of Public Health, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

Relevant coursework: Research Methods, Environmental Epidemiology, Health Economics, Global Health Governance, Statistics and Health Impact Assessment Thesis topic to be confirmed: Collaboration with the NHS to explore inequalities in cancer treatment 2022-2025

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science, Harokopio University, Greece

CGPA: 3.7/4.0 (Equivalent to a UK First) Relevant Courses: Advanced Biostatistics, Introduction to Epidemiology, Statistics and Probability, Principles of Health Management, Advanced Biochemistry, Cancer and Intermediate programming Awards: Dean’s Honor List 2020-2022 and Best Essay 2021 2018-2022

17th High School of Athens, Greece

Certificate of Graduation, General Lyceum, Grade:19 8/11, Excellent in subjects of Chemistry, Maths, Biology and Physics

Public Health Experience Jan 2025 – Aug 2025 • • • • • •

Collaborated with the management team of five to train and coordinate over 200 voluntary health citizens across Athens, ensuring support of weekly social and sporting events Adapted systems for dispersing of volunteers to support local needs in vaccination centres across Athens, coordinating with the national centre regularly Liaised with public authorities to schedule event attendance and ensure correct communication with public services (such as emergency facilities) were in place Created new internal and external communication pathways, including a social media presence, to boost recruitment and understanding using volunteers’ stories Conducted welcome sessions and organised coaching workshops for new Health Citizens Developed an understanding of public health issues and concerns around a large diverse city such as Athens and the challenges involved in supporting public health projects

Oct 2024 – Dec 2024 • • •

Health Citizens Coordinator, St Johns Ambulance, Athens, Greece

Evaluation of TARGIT-IORT for breast cancer, Imperial College London

Worked in a team of four to conduct a cost-utility analysis of TARGIT-IORT Vs EBRT for treatment of early breast cancer in the UK using Excel to produce a report Carried out a one-way sensitivity analysis with multiple parameter variations and a budget impact analysis which formed the basis of a presentation to Cancer Research UK Won funding through Greek Cancer Association future researcher mobility fund

July 2023 – Sept 2023 Intern Caller, Hellenic Hope outreach programme, Greece • •

Responsible for monitoring more than 100 patients under home isolation for a range of reasons through data management and regular telephone contact Completed regular reports to meet any government-mandated information guidelines

Research Projects Jan 2023 - June 2023 DNA sequencing of Tuberculosis, Harokopio University, Greece • • • • •

Part of an international collaboration led by the CRyPTIC consortium aiming to sequence over 10,000 TB genomes to better understand transmission and develop effective cures Performed a literature review on Greek TB research over the past 50 years to be included in the international review paper and building on the current TB knowledge Followed strict protocols to PCR and DNA sequence over 200 samples and report results Analysed output to quality assures correct coding, including calibrating sequencers weekly Negotiated with other laboratory uses to ensure access to equipment to meet tight deadlines

Sept - Dec 2020 • • •

St Johns COVID-19 response, Annual Report, Greece

Created a bespoke database to collect and analyse Health Citizens reports from over 300 events covering both qualitative and quantitative feedback, incorporating analysis using R Analysed budget for both staffing and equipment to develop a cost benefit analysis Wrote report for the annual report receiving praise from the national management board

Volunteering, extracurricular and work experience Oct 2024 – present •

Cooperated with a team of 30 other coaches to ensure all club members have access to free coaching throughout term time. Implemented coaching techniques to all levels of ability

Oct 2016 – July 2023 • • •

Health Citizen, St Johns Ambulance, Greece

Advocated for good health and sanitation practices across Athens within schools, at public events and through local charities and authorities

Jan 2020 – Dec 2021 • •

Member, coach and social secretary, Athens Handball Society, Greece

Planned, promoted, and executed, along with the board of ten members, social events to ensure club members enjoyed and learnt during their time with the club Coordinated feedback and club days to ensure members’ voices help shape clubs direction Coached small groups of children aged five to seven years old on the basics of handball

Mar 2020 – Dec 2021 •

Imperial Handball coach, Imperial College London, UK

Maths Tutor, Self-employed, Greece

Tutored 16–18-year-old students on a one to one basis to fit with high school curriculum Liaised with teachers at 17th High School in Athens to provide pro bono support if needed

Skills Computing skills: R Studio, MATLAB, Microsoft Office, Chemdraw, SPSS, bespoke database development and usage Laboratory skills: PCR, DNA sequencing, Southern blot, titration, and basic lab procedures Languages: Bilingual - Greek and English, French – Intermediate Other certifications: Basic resuscitation, Managing Project Risks and Changes, Maths for artificial intelligence, public speaking, AITA level 3 – handball coaching Interests Very keen handball player, enjoying playing, watching, coaching and all associated social elements. Enjoy trying food from different countries and currently taking a Vietnamese cooking class. Member of the Imperial College Origami society.

CV for mature student Masters

BASS ANDREWS London, UK | Right to work in the UK via the Graduate Visa Route bass.andrews@ic.ac.uk | +44 7700 062 850 | www.linkedin.com/in/bassandrews

Analytically driven sustainability professional with 5 years’ experience in energy and manufacturing, currently pursuing an MSc in Sustainable Energy Futures at Imperial College London. Skilled in process optimisation, emissions reduction, and supporting the transition to low-carbon energy systems. EDUCATION Imperial College London, UK •

2025 – 2026

Key modules: Energy Policy & Economics, Low-Carbon Energy Systems, Energy Infrastructure, Climate Change Mitigation

Columbia University, USA • •

MSc.Sustainable.Energy.Futures

BSc.Industrial.Engineering

2015 – 2019

Focused on operations research, optimisation, and systems engineering Relevant modules: Data Analytics, Engineering Management, Probability & Statistics, Sustainable Systems Engineering

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Siemens Energy, London, UK • • • •

• • • • •

2022 – 2024

Led analysis of operational emissions across multiple business units, identifying opportunities for a 12% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions Supported development of corporate sustainability strategy aligned with net-zero targets Collaborated with engineering teams to integrate energy efficiency measures, contributing to reduced operational energy consumption across key projects Produced data-driven reports for senior stakeholders, translating technical ﬁndings into actionable recommendations

General Electric (GE), USA •

Sustainability.™ .Operations.Analyst

Operations.™ .Engineering.Graduate.Scheme 2019 – 2022

Rotational role at NJ plant supporting manufacturing and operations for industrial equipment, including gas turbines, power generation components, and grid infrastructure technologies Implemented process improvement initiatives within turbine component manufacturing, improving yield and reducing material waste Contributed to projects involving digital monitoring systems for energy assets, supporting predictive maintenance and performance optimisation Delivered lean process improvements resulting in a 10% increase in production efficiency Collaborated on early-stage sustainability initiatives, including energy usage tracking and waste reduction programmes across production sites Developed dashboards to monitor operational performance, equipment efficiency, and energy consumption trends

KEY PROJECTS Dissertation: Industrial Electriﬁcation Pathways (Imperial College London) (ongoing) • • • •

Analysing the role of electriﬁcation in reducing emissions across energy-intensive industries Developing models to compare alternative low-carbon technologies, including hydrogen and direct electriﬁcation Assessing infrastructure constraints, grid impacts, and economic viability of proposed solutions Producing policy and investment recommendations based on modelling outcomes

Industrial Decarbonisation Roadmap (Imperial College London) • • • •

Designed a comprehensive decarbonisation strategy for a mid-sized manufacturing organisation Evaluated electriﬁcation, renewable integration, and energy efficiency options using technoeconomic analysis Modelled emissions reduction pathways, identifying opportunities to reduce carbon output by ~30% over a 10-year horizon Conducted cost-beneﬁt and feasibility assessments to support strategic decision-making

Supply Chain Optimisation Project (Columbia University) • • • •

Developed an optimisation model for a logistics network to improve efficiency and reduce costs Applied operations research techniques to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in distribution ﬂows Achieved a simulated 15% reduction in operational costs through route and inventory optimisation Presented ﬁndings and recommendations to academic and industry stakeholders

SKILLS Technical: • •

Energy systems modelling, Carbon foot printing and lifecycle assessment Data analysis and optimisation (Python, Excel)

Software & Tools: • •

Python (Pandas, NumPy), Power BI MATLAB (basic), Advanced Excel

INTERESTS • •

Sports – Former goalkeeper in Long Island Suburban Premier Division (Old Plymothians) Climate & energy – Strong interest in global energy transition and net-zero policy developments References available upon request

CV targeted towards a postdoctoral application CV targeted towards a postdoctoral application

Go to Alain's CV for STEM consulting roles

ALAIN MARTIN

15a Devonshire Court, London SE1 7QT, UK + 44 7788 234567; amartinsampleXX@gmail.com; www.researchgate/profile/alainsamplemartin EDUCATION PhD in silicon nanowires, Department of Materials, Imperial College London

Include technical details about your research achievements.

‘Pressure-induced structural phase transformations in silicon nanowires’ Supervisor: Professor Samuel Smith Planned thesis submission: Sept 2026 • • •

You can include publications that are ‘in preparation’, ‘submitted’ or ‘under review’.

2022 - 2026

Developed an innovative linear-scaling DFT code UNITEP and co-developed MONOTEP technique with supervisor, including troubleshooting, piloting and documentation of process Applied tools to simulation of behaviour of silicon nanowires after application of pressure, achieved highest accuracy predictions to date, resulting in published paper Initiated ongoing collaboration with University of Manchester, Nanomaterials Research Group, UK resulting in submitted paper and funding for new PhD project

MSc in Theory and Simulations of Materials, Imperial College London, UK 2021 - 2022 • Distinction • Co-authored linear-scaling code MIS-TEP on group programming project, created code from scratch within 8 weeks, code successfully agreed with prediction from commercially available code to within the target of 0.01 Angstrom (0.2%) MEng, Materials Science (1st Class), St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, UK • Entrepreneurship course (business plans, raising capital, starting a company) • Final year project (8 months): Computer modelling of carbon nanotube spectra

2017 - 2021

PUBLICATIONS • •

Martin A., Montani N., Smith S. Modelling anomalies in nanowires, under review at Applied Nanomaterials Martin A., Jones P.M., Smith S. 2024, Iridium anomaly in silicon nanowire and bulk crystal transformation sequence, Applied Nanomaterials, vol 24, issue 11, p. 132-1388

AWARDS

Experience relating to winning grant money is great to add to your research or academic CV.

• • •

Poster prize awarded at European Association of Nanomaterials conference Won 3rd prize for Three Minute Thesis Competition at Imperial College London Prize for top examination result on MSc degree at University of Oxford

2024 2022 2021

RESEARCH FUNDING AWARDED • • •

Awarded EPSRC Studentship for MSc and PhD Obtained £500 travel grant to attend European Silicon Nanowires Union Assisted PhD supervisor with a successful collaborative bid for £1 million EU funding: did literature review and wrote first draft of proposed work plan

2021 - 2026 2024 - 2025 2024

CV targeted towards a postdoctoral application

Go to Alain's CV for STEM consulting roles

CONFERENCES / INVITED TALKS • • • • • •

European Silicon Nanowires Union European Association of Nanomaterials DYF Conference in Vienna EPTHG meeting in Edinburgh ESHG meeting (online) Invited to give a Thomas Giddon Centre lunchtime seminar and posters at CESSNI local orbital conference (best student poster prize)

2024 & 2025 2025 2024 2024 2022 2021

In your research area these acronyms will be understood, but not outside your research area.

SUPERVISION & TEACHING EXPERIENCE • • • • •

Graduate Teaching Assistant, MSc, numerical methods for materials science Day to day supervision of two master’s students’ projects per year Lunchtime seminar for new PhD students on X-ray diffraction techniques Science Tutor at King’s Academy, Leeds: weekly after school science lessons Volunteer Maths Tutor on Pimlico Connection scheme, taught Maths to small groups of pupils in secondary schools in London, assisted with marking

2022 - ongoing 2024 - ongoing 2025 2023 - 2025 2021

POLICY AND OUTREACH EXPERIENCE • • • • •

Contributed to Government policy paper on nanomaterials and the environment written by PhD supervisor Wrote and presented 3-hour interactive Royal Institute master class on Nanowires to 5 groups of school students aged 12-14 Won 3rd prize for Three Minute Thesis Competition at Imperial College London Ran a Café Scientifique talk and answered questions from audience Spoke at ‘careers in materials research’ event at University of Oxford

2024 2023 2023 2023 2023

Activities like teaching, policy contributions and outreach are also valued in academia.

LANGUAGES AND TECHNICAL SKILLS • • •

Experimental: High-resolution lithography; chemical etching; laser beam ablation; VLS growth; electron microscopy; X-Ray diffraction Computational: DFT; Gaussian; CFD; C; Python; C++ French (native); English (fluent)

INTERESTS • • •

Member of the Imperial College Energy Society, attended regular talks on energy-related topics including geothermal and storage technology Member of Imperial 600, the Imperial LGBT+ staff and postgraduate student network Participate in wide range of sport activities such as athletics, basketball, yoga and Pilates

REFERENCES • •

Professor Samuel Smith (PhD supervisor), Department of Materials, Imperial College London s.smith@imperial.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)207 594 1234 Dr Nicos Montani (project collaborator), University of Manchester n.montani@manchester.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0)312345 6789

CV targeted to STEM consulting roles CV targeted to STEM consulting roles

Go to Alain's CV for postdoctoral roles

ALAIN MARTIN

15a Devonshire Court, London SE1 7QT, UK + 44 7788 234567; amartinexample@gmail.com

Less technical than on an academic CV, but still conveying relevant skills.

Highlighting relevant experience for this role on the first page by using a relevant heading.

Pulling out specific elements of PhD to show consultancy related skills.

Materials PhD with strong analytical skills from completing a PhD and communication skills developed through consultancy, policy and outreach experience. High level of interest in the energy sector and keen to have a direct impact on the energy transition in a consultancy role. EDUCATION PhD in silicon nanowires, Department of Materials, Imperial College London 2022-2026 Planned thesis submission: Sept 2026 • Developed an innovative method to predict behaviour of silicon nanowires under pressure, resulted in highest accuracy predictions to date, work published in an international peer reviewed journal • Reviewed expert literature in fields related to project • Wrote code in C and Python to run simulations of proposed model, code now being used by research groups in Manchester and Durham • Confidently presented work at 6 conferences in the UK and Europe, to audiences of experts in the field, took questions MSc in Theory and Simulations of Materials, Imperial College London, UK 2021-2022 • Distinction • Group programming project, in team of 5 created code from scratch within 8 weeks, code successfully agreed with prediction from commercially available code to within the target of 0.2%, featured in student newspaper MEng, Materials Science (1st Class), St Catherine’s College, University of Oxford, UK 2017-2021 • Entrepreneurship course (business plans, raising capital, starting a company) • Final year project: Rapidly learned new research field and how to use technical commercial software packages, wrote report, awarded mark of 83% CONSULTANCY RELATED EXPERIENCE PhD in silicon nanowires, Department of Materials, Imperial College London 2022-2026 • Initiated, planned and project managed a new project with researchers in University of Manchester, paper submitted for publication • Co-wrote a strategy paper to secure funding for a funded PhD to continue research • Collaborated broadly with experts in the field to ensure project included the most innovative and practical approaches based on research-informed data Infotec Consulting, Summer Intern 2021 Analytics-based consultancy specialising in the retail sector • Analysed raw data and identified promising trends that could be implemented by major online retailer in the future, ideas used in final presentation to client • Improved search engine optimization, resulting in 10% higher conversion rate to online sales • Worked on 2 concurrent projects, providing data analytics, online research, written briefings and graphics for presentations

A broad title which is relevant to job description to show a range of experiences and draw the reader’s eye.

CV targeted to STEM consulting roles

Go to Alain's CV for postdoctoral roles

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Supervisor • • •

2024 - ongoing

Supervised 2-3 MSc student projects, developed mentoring and communication skills Challenged and supported a range of technical topics to ensure students consider the full range of solutions and options enabling understanding of academic rigour Organised regular meetings to ensure training on project management skills

Policy related experience • •

2024

Contributed to Government policy paper on nanomaterials and the environment written by supervisor. Researched and analysed large data sets using R to support recommendations Developed knowledge of areas of science unrelated to PhD and how they could impact society; improved ability to write for a non-technical audience

Science Outreach • • •

2022-2024

Developed and presented 3-hour interactive Royal Institute master class on nanowires to 5 groups of school students aged 12-14 in collaboration with Imperial Outreach team Ran a Café Scientifique talk and answered questions from audience with wide ranging backgrounds. Invited to talk at ‘careers in materials research’ event at University of Oxford Volunteer Maths Tutor on Pimlico Connection scheme, taught Maths to small groups of pupils in secondary schools in London, assisted with marking

LANGUAGE AND IT SKILLS • • •

Programming languages: C, Python (expert); C++ (intermediate), R Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) French (native); English (fluent)

AWARDS AND PRIZES • •

Assisted PhD supervisor with a successful collaborative bid for £1 million EU funding: did literature review and wrote first draft of proposed work plan Prize for top examination result on MSc degree at University of Oxford

INTERESTS • • • •

2024 2021 2022-present

Member of the Imperial College Energy Society, attended regular talks on energy-related topics including geothermal and storage technology Member of Imperial 600, the Imperial LGBT+ staff and postgraduate student network Active member Acapella Society performing in shows Participate in wide range of sport activities such as athletics, basketball, yoga and Pilates

Employers are interested in what you do outside of research because it lets them get a better understanding of you.

References available on request

Cover Letters 32

Cover letters What is a cover letter? A cover letter can be sent with your CV as part of your application. The purpose of a cover letter is to complement your CV by explaining your motivation to work within the role you are applying for and why you want to work for that particular organisation. Your CV focuses on your skills and experience, but it doesn’t explain why you are applying for the opportunity, so the cover letter is your chance to do this.

Layout Your cover letter should typically be no more than one page for student and graduate level opportunities; however, it can be up to two pages if the advertisement asks to answer specific questions or address specific themes. A cover letter is a formal business document so should follow the layout of a professional letter*. This reassures the recruiter that, when you work for them, you will represent them professionally. *If you are applying in another country, find out what a professional letter looks like there by using GoinGlobal (available on the Careers Service website).

Content The core content of your letter will be two to three paragraphs of prose. It is best to avoid bullet points and sub-headings in your final version. Each paragraph should have a clear message. You can choose the messages and the order of your paragraphs. For example:

Technical role relating to your degree subject: Paragraph one: motivation (why this role and company) • Usually, you have at least one paragraph describing your motivation to work for them. • Be specific, recruiters want to see evidence of your interest in them. • Try to link your reasons for working for them back to yourself, as this is more authentic. Paragraph two: subject specific technical skills and abilities • The rest of your cover letter can be organised into one or two more paragraphs evidencing the skills required for the opportunity from the advertised description. • Pick any recent and relevant examples of skills as evidence where possible. • Be specific and describe situations you have used the skills to avoid being generic. • It is OK for there to be overlap between your CV and cover letter; your cover letter elaborates. Paragraph three: transferable/non-technical skills mentioned in the job advert e.g. teamwork • You can use evidence from inside university and outside university. • If you have limited experience, you can use non-relevant experiences to evidence skills.

AVOID • • •

Unprofessional language. Your letter should be formal in style but keep to language that you would use in your day-to-day speech. Avoid pretentious language such as: moreover, henceforth, hitherto etc. Being negative. Stay positive throughout. Sometimes it’s tempting to mention some gaps in your experience or something you don’t know. However, you don’t need to highlight this in your letter. Being vague. Including specific information will make your letter more persuasive. For example, if you worked in a team, say how many people were in it. If you raised money, say how much.

Job description for science communications role STEM Future Learning Co-ordinator at Glasgow Science Centre (GSC) Are you committed to seeking excellence, creativity and innovation? Do GSC’s mission and values excite you? Do you want to work in a positive, vibrant and collaborative environment? We are recruiting for a STEM Futures Learning Co-ordinator to develop and support delivery of activities and experiences for all our audiences including education, family and community. A particular focus of this role will be to develop content for, and to support delivery of the STEM Futures Programme. We are looking for someone who is motivated to inspire and challenge others with science, has a passion for learning and experience of developing STEM learning content for a range of audiences. The successful candidate will have an enthusiasm for STEM with a high degree of commitment to GSC’s mission and values. If this sounds like you then we would love you to get in touch!

Job requirements: (E = Essential, D = Desirable) • • • • • • • • •

Degree level education in any STEM subject (E) Experience of developing STEM content for learning (D) A passion for sharing and engaging people in science (E) Strong communication skills (E) Ability to work within a team in a hybrid working environment (E) Experience of working with external partners (D) Experience of working on and managing projects (D) Strong computing skills including Microsoft packages (E) Demonstrable respect for equality and diversity and the ability to promote equal opportunity practices (E)

Cover letter for science communications Go to private sector personal statement

Flat 2, 41 South Africa Road White City W12 7RW Glasgow Science Centre 50 Pacific Quay Glasgow G51 1EA 15th November 2025 Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to apply for the role of STEM Futures Learning Coordinator as advertised on the Big Stem Communicators Network website. I am currently a final year MSci student studying Mathematics at Imperial College London and I have discovered, through my experiences, that I would like to use my knowledge to inspire others about the science around them. I would like to be the STEM Futures Learning Coordinator as the role encompasses many elements that I know I would enjoy. Through my tutoring role at Mathnasium, I was able to work with year 1012 students, which are similar in age to S3-6 and I very much enjoyed being able to help them better understand the often quite complex teaching content. I frequently had to find creative ways to explain the content, including developing a simple computer programme to explain probability. Looking at the Futures Learning programme, I am excited about the diverse range of subjects and teaching methods used. I also very much enjoy collaborating with others to achieve a goal. While working for Gatwick Airport I was responsible for developing a programme to help secondary school students understand the environmental impact of air travel. Firstly, I had to speak with teachers and students so I could pitch the content correctly, then communicate my lesson plans with the online developers and the trainers (who taught the teachers to deliver the session). I see your role as an opportunity to combine these two elements of education and collaboration that I know I enjoy and that I want to form a large part of my future career. I have spoken with Stuart Meiklejohn after an interaction on LinkedIn and through this conversation and by researching GSC online, I know I would like to work for you. Your vision and values that focus on engagement, learning and collaboration, align with what I know I enjoy doing. I’ve always put myself forward to get involved in helping the community I am part of, from developing the social media strategy for the Engineering Change society to being an active participant in the social club during my internship. Throughout my degree I have been able to work on many group and laboratory projects with teams from a highly international background and I enjoy how different perspectives always improve the outcomes for a project. For example, as we were building a scale garden in my iexplore global challenge module, one of the contractors suggested including a sensory garden for children with different abilities. Researching this I found that not only would the garden support a wider range of the community, but we could lay it out to also provide added environment diversity and stability for the construction, improving the design for everyone. In a similar way I see by working for you with GSCs focus on inclusivity and accessibility I’ll be able to continue to learn and support the impact understanding science has on everybody. Thank you for this opportunity and I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours faithfully, Chris McErine Final year MSci Mathematics Student at Imperial College London

Data analyst cover letter

Go to Robert's CV for data roles

This cover letter is paired with the CV and job description on pages 12 and 13.

Go to Robert's CV for data roles Dufrain 93 George Street Edinburgh EH2 3ES United Kingdom

Dear Recruitment Manager,

Robert Aske 36 Pilgrims Square London SWZ 8HT

16th November 2026

I am a second-year MEng Design Engineering student at Imperial College London, looking to work in the area of data and analytics after I graduate. I am applying for the Data Analyst role as advertised on your website. I have been reading on your website about the case studies of clients you have worked with, particularly clients from the finance industry, including impressive projects such as helping St James’s Place transfer £69bn of assets to new systems. I have been keen to get experience applying my data analytics skills to finance-related topics which is why I have opted to take the Corporate Finance optional I-explore module this year and I feel this would complement my experience at Dufrain. Additionally, I see that you are expanding your client industries into life sciences and technology which includes your previous work with a medical device company, and I think my degree will complement this as it has a focus not only on design, engineering, data, but also applications for medical interventions. In summer, I succeeded in gaining work experience at the Well-being Tech Lab in the Natural Language Processing team focusing on the extractive question-answering part of the asthma chatbot, specifically enhancing dataset quality for improved user interactions. My duties revolved around optimizing NLP models for asthma-related queries, ensuring precise and accurate user responses. I was responsible for the dataset preparation and training process of the model, collecting and evaluating the information from websites and generating a comprehensive dataset for model training use. My biggest contribution was scripting various data augmentation methods used for our dataset to achieve a large enough dataset of the niche topic for better training performance; I used my computing, data science, research, problem-solving skills and technical knowledge of NLP. This project was working to a tight deadline of 8 weeks which required a fast pace of work from everyone whilst communicating on a weekly basis with colleagues to obtain useful insights and with users to receive feedback on areas needing improvement, and this helped us to collaborate more effectively. In my role I utilised a project management resource to manage my time effectively and to deliver my elements when required by colleagues. During my first-year computer applications project I collaborated in a team of four to develop an interactive web application. In addition to developing my skills in JavaScript and HTML I needed to consider the user experience and report back to the team on ways to make our app more streamlined in this respect. Acting as the user’s ‘champion’ in the process allowed me to consider our project from a novice end user perspective and helped me to consider the future client’s perspective, enabling me to have experience of taking responsibility for decisions in a project and to ensure we provided a high-quality outcome by being userexperience-focused. In addition to these experiences and my highly collaborative, coursework-based course, I’ve also been dedicating extra time to self-learn Excel and VBA using LinkedIn Learning in case this is of benefit to this opportunity. I am looking forward to the chance to work in Dufrain, where your organisation says it cares about everyone being able to ‘be themselves, be pioneers at heart, thrive in work, succeed together and do the right thing’. Yours faithfully, Robert Aske MEng Design Engineering

Has a specific and well-researched motivation paragraph.

The student has paid attention to the skills required for the role and has tried to reflect these: •

Mentioning data multiple times;

•

Giving example of teamwork;

•

Giving an example of managing own time;

•

Taking responsibility in a project;

•

Working with colleagues (relationships);

•

Working in a fastpaced environment;

•

Continuing to self-learn including Excel.

Watch the Career Snapshot Cover Letters video

Speculative applications

Go to Shi En's CV for technical roles

When applying speculatively, the recipient will not be expecting applications since they will not be actively advertising a role. To maintain the reader’s attention, keep your email concise - ideally under 300 words. Use the email body as your cover letter instead of attaching a separate document and include your CV as an attachment. Speculative applications should still demonstrate an understanding of the organisation and its work while briefly highlighting your relevant skills and experience.

Subject line: MEng Aeronautical Engineering student seeking engineering position Dear Hiring Manager, I am a final year Aeronautical Engineering student at Imperial College London keen to enquire about working for PLD Space, following my graduation in June. The innovative strides that PLD Space is making in developing flexible reusable rocket technology for launching small satellites into space resonate deeply with my passion for space exploration. I am particularly impressed by the unique design of your Miura micro-launchers and their modular payload adapter, which positions PLD Space as a leader in adaptability and efficiency within the industry. At Imperial, I have built a strong foundation in aerodynamics, thermodynamics, flight dynamics, control systems, and lightweight structures, along with advanced fluid dynamics. For my final-year research project, I simulated airflow and heat transfer in unmanned electric drone taxis, refining my expertise in computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This experience in optimizing propulsion systems and thermal management aligns directly with PLD Space’s mission to advance space transportation technologies. I am keen to discuss how my skills and experiences align with PLD Space’s goals and could contribute to your innovative projects. I have attached my CV and would be more than happy to provide a more detailed cover letter upon request. Thank you for considering my application. Best wishes, Shi En Cheung MEng Aeronautical Engineering Imperial College London

At the end of the letter make sure you state what you would like to happen.

The nature of speculative approaches is that the reader is not expecting to receive it. Make it engaging from the start by showing you have thoroughly researched the organisation and their work.

Make links throughout the letter between your relevant skills and experience, and how they fit in with the work you might do in the organisation you are speculatively applying to.

When applying for research positions such as PhDs or Undergraduate Research Opportunity Placements (UROPs), speculative applications can be a valuable way to express interest and inquire about potential openings. Since these roles are not always advertised, it is essential to demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for the professor’s research, highlighting relevant academic achievements and research experience. Your email should be concise, professional, and tailored to the specific research group, showing an understanding of their work. Below is an example of a well-structured speculative inquiry for a PhD opportunity.

Subject line: Enquiry about the potential for a PhD Dear Professor Smith, I hope you are well. I am writing to ask about the possibility of pursuing a PhD in your research group, potentially starting in summer 2027. I am currently in my third year of an MSci Chemistry degree at Imperial College London (CV attached), with a 2:1 achieved in both my first and second years. This summer, I will be conducting a research project with Professor Jones on cathode development and optimization. During my degree, I have developed a strong interest in battery technology, particularly sodium-ion batteries as a cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion. Reading several of your research papers deepened my understanding of recent advancements in this field. I find sodium-ion batteries especially promising due to their safety and cold-weather performance advantages, and I would love the opportunity to contribute to advancing this technology. To build relevant expertise, I have chosen a third-year project focused on experimental techniques commonly used in battery research, including X-ray and neutron diffraction and electrochemical methods. I have also started a literature review in preparation for this project. Would it be possible to arrange a short video call or visit your lab to learn more about your research group and potential PhD opportunities? I look forward to your response. Best wishes, Arijit Acharya

Personal Statements 40

Personal statements If an organisation is using an application form, you may be asked to provide a personal statement as part of that. The statement needs to convince a reader that you have the skills and motivation to be successful at what you are applying for. Personal statements are structured differently, depending on the type of organisation you are applying for.

Before you begin: •

Public sector organisations: Roles that are publicly funded must advertise and shortlist in a very structured way. The job advertisements will often have a pack of information attached which includes a full job description and person specification. They will also often ask you to show that you meet the criteria specified in the job description. This means you will need to structure your personal statement to give evidence of all the criteria you meet.

•

Private sector organisations: Less structured than public sector organisations. Structure in a similar way to cover letter however you will need to include more evidence to prove you have the skills to do the job. Unless otherwise stated, you should focus on answering three overarching questions:

• Why do you want to do this job? • Do you have the skills to do this job? • Why do you want to work for this organisation? •

Further study applications: Could also be called a “statement of purpose” or a “motivation statement”. Unless other instructions are given you should focus on answering these three overarching questions:

• Why do you want to study this subject? • Do you have the skills to study this subject? • Why do you want to study at this university/in this research group?

Before you begin: Your statement should have a clear structure, with each paragraph addressing a different topic. You could cover the following areas: •

Check instructions – Are there any specific questions or areas you are asked to cover?

•

Research the role or programme – just like a cover letter, you will need to link yourself to the job/course and organisation. Try to be as specific as you can.

•

Reflect on your motivation – why do you want to do this job or specific course? What have you done in the past to evidence this?

For more information on personal statements for further study, see our Personal statements webpage.

Postgraduate Personal Statement Go to Aarti's CV for research opportunities I would like to apply for the MRes Biomedical Research, general stream at Imperial College London. During my time[GR1.1] studying BSc Medical Biosciences I have experienced a wide range of medically-related research and laboratory skills, which has helped me to understand the impact more knowledge in this area can have on people’s health. I have enjoyed many elements of my study and internships, and I wish to continue onto do a PhD in this area. I have not yet been able to narrow down the specific area I would like to create new knowledge in. The general stream of the research programme, where I can undertake two five-month projects, would allow me to do this. Originally from Delhi, India, I have been involved in health-related projects in both the UK and at home. This has helped me to understand that while the specific problems faced by these two countries are different, research is the answer to many of the issues. For example, during my first internship at the Directorate of Health in Delhi, I helped support patients who were suffering from Tuberculosis and were isolated at home. Through weekly phone calls, I built relationships with my patients, which allowed me to help them to understand what they were going through by explaining complex research findings in different ways. It was the research that gave these patients hope and from this experience I learnt that I want to be part of those research teams, to help deliver new cures and treatments to suffering patients. While studying in the UK I experienced research from the other side of the bench, undertaking an undergraduate research opportunity (UROP) in a collaborative trial between Imperials Allergy and Immunotherapy Group and Revolo Biotherapeutics. In the laboratory I was part of a team that investigated the link between allergy tolerance and the novel therapeutic agent IRL201104, which is derived from M. tuberculosis. Whilst frustrating at times as we worked to develop a standard protocol, the challenge of troubleshooting why our experiments were not always working was exciting to me. The discovery that the inconsistencies were due to inaccuracies during sample collection was very satisfying and the resulting liaison work that I was able to be part of to help patients and healthcare workers understand the new process again helped to reiterate to me how important research is. This experience also allowed me to build on the laboratory techniques I was able to develop during my BSc as part of our extended laboratory projects (LabPod 1, in my first year, and LabPod 2 in my second year). I am currently undertaking a six-month project as part of my BSc. This project is data science focused and is helping me to learn another side to research which involves analysing large data sets to find patterns that could support diagnosis. While this is quite different from my previous research experiences, my dataset is of breast cancer patients, and it is exciting to see yet another way research supports new treatment development. I have only been working on this project for a few weeks at present but am enjoying learning new analysis tools, like R, and working with a multidisciplinary group which help me to see problems differently and consider challenges from a range of angles. My broad background within biomedical research is what attracts me to the general stream of this MRes. I chose the programme after talking to past students about the range of projects they were working on, including cancer, bioinformatics, molecular and circulatory medicine. I would like to undertake multidisciplinary projects that allow me to build my laboratory techniques and my analysis skills and after talking to Dr Wake, who was my mentor from the Careers Services mentoring programme, she suggested this programme would allow me to do this. I also realise that to advance within academia, I have to learn how to be a professional researcher. The grant writing project and having access to the Attributes and Aspirations online course will support my professional development and are unique to this MRes programme. Having been at Imperial for my undergraduate degree I understand and enjoy the university setting. The quality of the researchers that I have been lucky enough to work with, including Dr Hall who was our LabPod 2 supervisor, has challenged me to become a better student and the multinational nature of Imperial’s students (everyone was from a different country in my LabPod 2 group) makes me feel very comfortable and confident to speak out. By continuing my study at Imperial not only will I be able to take advantage of these things, but it will also allow me to focus on my research studies from day one. To help balance my studies I have recently joined Imperial Tennis club as both a player and a coach and I look forward to continuing this during my Master’s study. I hope the MRes Biomedical Science will begin my journey to becoming a respected researcher in the field and help me to build an international career where I can help patients from across the world improve their prospects through better health.

Public sector personal statement

Go to Shi En's CV for technical roles

Here is an example personal statement from Shi En Cheung’s CV used for applying to an Information Analyst role at an NHS Foundation Trust. Often these personal statements do not have a word limit as it is important that you provide evidence of each of the criteria from the personal statement. The easiest way to do this is to use headings then tell stories that follow the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) layout. For this example, the job advertisement and job description has been shortened. Most public sector roles will include a pack of information to help you write your personal statement.

Information Analyst at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust Are you looking for a fresh challenge in a new team? We are looking for an Information Analyst to join our Business Intelligence Team. This role will be in the corporate analytics team and will be responsible for ensuring we can submit all our statutory, commissioning and performance monitoring requirements. This role will be vital in ensuring that we deliver a high quality and innovative Business Intelligence service. The team have an ambitious data strategy and are an early adopter of the NHS National Competency Framework for Data Professionals. We have a great team ethos and are keen to ensure personal and professional development in a fast-paced environment.

Essential

Desirable

Educated to Degree standard or equivalent in a relevant subject

Membership of a relevant Fed-IP recognised professional body

Knowledge of one or more computer system(s), hardware or software and procedures to develop reports, documents and spread sheets

An understanding of NHS Data Standards and statutory returns

Qualifications

Knowledge and Expertise

Advanced knowledge of Excel, to obtain information

Experience

Working within an information analysis Working experience of business and reporting environment intelligence software both from a customer and technical viewpoint Using databases and spreadsheets to (particularly Power BI, SSRS) extract and analyse information Experience of extracting & analysing Working within tight deadlines complex and sensitive data to support monitoring requirements

I am a final year engineering student at Imperial College with a keen interest in healthcare, writing to apply for the information analyst role within the Business Intelligence Team at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust.

Section headings Using section headings that correlate with those in the person specification helps you to logically structure the statement and the recruiter to see your evidence of how you match the criteria stated.

I became interested in the potential effective data can have on a community’s healthcare when I worked on a co-curricular engineering project challenge, designing a theoretical mobile hospital programme for use in developing countries. Being able to use various sources of data to analyse patient need and to plan provision, and how this can really maximise the impact of the medical support available brought meaning to what I was doing. To explore how data is used in the NHS, I attended a recent networking event where I was able to speak to a Senior Analyst from Chelsea and Westminster Foundation Trust. I was fascinated with how data-led insights play such a vital role in the Trust to ensure resources are optimally used to treat increasing patient demand, brought on partly by the challenges an ageing population brings. I am keen to start a career where I can contribute to society and would love the opportunity to improve lives by using my technical skills to ensure quality cancer care. Degree and professional affiliations I am currently in the final year of my integrated Masters degree in aeronautical engineering at Imperial College London. I will complete this degree in June 2027 and am currently on track to graduate with first class classification. My current professional affiliation is a student member of the Royal Aeronautical Society where I have learnt the value of networking and being part of a professional community. I look forward to working towards membership of further associations such as IHRAM or AphA in the future. Knowledge of one or more computer systems, advanced knowledge of Excel and using databases and spreadsheets to process information Throughout my degree, I have gained experience in data extraction, analysis, and visualization on a range of aeronautical projects. In my third year, I worked in a 2-month group project and used Python to analyse a large complex dataset to assess the stability of a hypersonic aircraft design. Firstly, I had to coordinate the data from a range of sources, including technical reports, Excel spreadsheets and databases including MySQL. I then created, tested and troubleshot code to ensure the data was clean and useable. By using Plotly to visualise the data I was able to ensure the design met an assigned target and was subsequently awarded a project mark of A. Building on this, as an Intern Analyst at ChinaGold, a finance company, I used advanced Excel techniques such as dynamic array formulas and macros to process large commercial data sets, and produced a report of investment recommendations, containing explanatory graphs. The report contributed to a client making a substantial new investment, following which I was commended by a Senior Manager.

Introduction and motivation for the role A great way to start your statement is to explain how you know you would like to do the role. Show the reader you understand what you are going to do and link it to activities you have done before to prove how you know you enjoy doing this.

Evidence motivation for the organisation ‘Improving lives’ is an NHS value. By incorporating this into their motivation for the role Shi En shows their research and understanding of their aims.

Working within an information analysis and reporting environment, working within tight deadlines and experience of business intelligence software both from a customer and technical viewpoint All three of my internship experiences have been within financial institutions where I have been involved in analysing large sets of information and reporting on these. During my internship at Blue Sky Securities, I was individually responsible for conducting international market analysis on a newly developed laser company to ensure due diligence was complied with before the initial offering. I had to work to tight deadlines as the rest of the team was relying on my report to enable them to complete the final paperwork and pitch. I developed a Power BI dashboard to allow for modelling of future profit forecasts dependant on market forces, collaborating with the marketing team to adapt my initial dashboard to include more useful elements for their role. This allowed me to understand both the technical side of building a dashboard and to understand how different customers might require adaptions to meet their needs. Communication both written and orally, work as part of a team, prioritise and manage workload In addition to my technical expertise, I enjoy teamworking, working on multiple projects at once and communicating with others. On top of my studies, I opted to work in a small team of students for a design competition for the Royal Aeronautical Society. This required me to prioritise my university workload, so I did not fall behind and manage other life commitments so that I did not let this extracurricular project team down. We were tasked to deliver a design for a small electric aircraft over a period of three months. Having put myself forward to model the wing aerodynamics to optimise performance, I ensured I regularly updated my teammates with my results at team meetings and through a WhatsApp group I created. This allowed them to progress efficiently with the remaining vehicle design, ensuring that we delivered this complex project within the tight deadline. I prepared and delivered a 15-minute presentation on the work, ensuring it was accessible to an audience of both technical and lay-people, achieving a prize of 3rd place. We also created two different reports, one technical and one designed for a non-technical audience to explain our design. Experience of extracting and analysing complex and sensitive data Understanding confidentiality is crucial in healthcare settings like the NHS, where patient data is sensitive and protected by law. When working at ChinaGold Asset Management, I worked with sensitive financial data, applying strict confidentiality measures while assisting the team to design financial products. This experience showcased my ability to handle sensitive information responsibly, ensuring confidentiality throughout my internship. I am wellequipped to apply these skills effectively as an information analyst, contributing to ethical and secure data monitoring practices. In conclusion, I am eager to apply my data analysis skills to the Information Analyst role at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust. Being able to develop my skills in line with the NHS National Competency Framework for Data Professionals would be an exciting way to build my career and through my previous project work with charities I know I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping others. Thank you for considering my application, and I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to The Clatterbridge Cancer Centres future success.

Conclusion Finish your statement by linking back to the job advertisement and emphasising your enthusiasm for the role. As well as reinforcing your fit for the position, it will make your statement memorable to the reader.

employer advert

Citadel | Citadel Securities: EMEA 2027 Roles

We are excited to invite you to apply for our upcoming 2027 Internship roles at Citadel | Citadel Securities. We encourage you to apply using the links below. Please be sure to apply with an up-todate resume so we can review your most recent experience. Quantitative Researcher – PhD Intern •

Quantitative Research

- PhD Intern

Quantitative Research Analyst Intern •

Quantitative Research Analyst

Software Engineer •

Software Engineering

Trading •

Trading

International Equities Associate – Intern (Europe) •

International Equities

(Investing Associate & Sector Data Analyst)

Operations Analyst •

Operations Analyst

Best of luck with your application! Larissa

Private sector personal statement Here is an example personal statement applying for the same science communications role that has a cover letter example. This statement follows a similar format to the cover letter however there is more information to prove that Chris can do the job. The easiest way to do this is to tell stories that follow the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) layout focusing on the skills mentioned within the job advertisement.

I am writing to apply for the role of STEM Futures Learning Coordinator as advertised on the Big Stem Communicators Network website. I am currently a final year MSci student studying Mathematics at Imperial College London and I have discovered, through my experiences, that I would like to use my knowledge to inspire others about the science around them. I would like to be the STEM Futures Learning Coordinator as the role encompasses many elements that I know I would enjoy. Through my tutoring role at Mathnasium, I was able to work with year 10-12 students, which are similar in age to S3-6 and I very much enjoyed being able to help them better understand the often quite complex teaching content. I frequently had to find creative ways to explain the content, including developing a simple computer programme to explain probability. Looking at the Futures Learning programme, I am excited about the diverse range of subjects and teaching methods used. I also very much enjoy collaborating with others to achieve a goal. While working for Gatwick Airport I was responsible for developing a programme to help secondary school students understand the environmental impact of air travel. Firstly, I had to speak with teachers and students so I could pitch the content correctly, then communicate my lesson plans with the online developers and the trainers (who taught the teachers to deliver the session). I see your role as an opportunity to combine these two elements of education and collaboration that I know I enjoy and want to form a large part of my future career. During my MSc I have been involved in a range of projects that have helped me to understand the value of good project management and being adaptable. My 2nd year group project I worked with four others to create safer journeys home for solo travels at night using statistical analysis of many factors like crime reports, council lighting maps and social media. We struggled as a group to work together initially as we stuck to meeting in person. This meant not everyone could always attend and so our group did not build up the trust or shared vision to progress. Once we all adapted our styles to meet online and I offered to coordinate the project, we were able to progress and meet our deadlines. This taught me that while a good plan is needed for a project, adapting that plan to meet the team’s needs is important and that working in a hybrid way is often just as beneficial as working in person.

Can you do the role? The central paragraph/s are what makes this different from a cover letter. Here you give the reader evidence that you can do the skills that are mentioned on the job advert. Tell structured stories using the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) format.

Why do you want to do the role? Like the cover letter and public sector personal statement, begin with linking yourself to the role. Provide evidence that you know what the role will include and link that to experiences you have had to show you know you enjoy doing that.

Go to cover letter for science communications Why this organisation? Use your experiences to link yourself to the organisation. Find something specific about the organisation such as their values, customers or products and prove that you align with this through your experience.

I have spoken with Stuart Meiklejohn after an interaction on LinkedIn and through this conversation and by researching GSC online, I know I would like to work for you. Your vision and values that focus on community-based engagement align with what I know I enjoy doing. I’ve always put myself forward to get involved in helping the community I am part of, from developing the social media strategy for the Engineering Change society to being an active participant in the social club during my internship. Throughout my degree I have been able to work on many projects with teams from a highly international background and I enjoy how different perspectives always improve the outcomes for a project. For example, as we were building a scale garden in my i-explore global challenge module, one of the contractors suggested including a sensory garden for children with different abilities. Researching this I found that not only would the garden support a wider range of the community, but we could lay it out to also provide added environment diversity and stability for the construction, improving the design for everyone. In a similar way I see by working for you with GSCs focus on inclusivity and accessibility I’ll be able to continue to learn and support the impact understanding science has on everybody.

Further resources There’s much more to our Careers Service than CVs, cover letters and personal statements. We offer a wide range of support services to help you with every step of the application process and to enhance your employment prospects.

Creating an international CV Use our GoinGlobal resource to find out how CVs are different in every country for non-UK applications. Creating an international CV with GoinGlobal

JobsLive Our online platform gives you access to our events and one-to-one appointments. We post thousands of jobs and internships each year from organisations keen to attract Imperial students and graduates. JobsLive

Applications and interviews resources CVs and cover letters are only part of the process to secure an opportunity. You may face a series of selection activities including psychometric tests, assessment centres and interviews. We’ve created webpages and resources to help you with each stage of the process. Applications and interviews

Student Circus You can use Student Circus to browse sponsored opportunities in the UK. Student Circus

Advice on working abroad With a degree from Imperial the world is your oyster! Many of our graduates seek employment outside of the UK. Use GoinGlobal and our support pages to internationalise your career. Advice on working abroad

Seminars, workshops and events We host a series of events throughout the year, from short introduction talks to more immersive practical workshops, covering a variety of career related topics. We also host several sector specific careers fairs and discussion forums. What’s on

Careers video library You can view recordings of various employer talks and events on our careers video library. This can help you to learn more about organisations and different career opportunities. On this webpage you can also view our ‘10 minutes with’ series of short conversations with recruiters from different sectors. Careers video library

LinkedIn Learning Students at Imperial have free access to this extensive library of online learning and currently our graduates can access material for one year after completion of their studies. You can use LinkedIn Learning to learn new skills such as MATLAB, AutoCAD, ArcGIS, SOLIDWORKS, Python or C amongst many others. LinkedIn Learning

What can you do with your degree? It can be hard to know what you’d like to do after you graduate. Check out our subject-specific webpages to explore career options possible from your degree programme. What you can do with your degree

Starting a buisness Entrepreneurship gives you the freedom to become your own boss, but it takes dedication and hard work. Fortunately, Imperial is a great place to help test ideas and seek support to pursue your business ideas. Get in touch with the Enterprise and Innovation Lab for more in-depth advice. Starting a business This is just a small selection of what we offer. Check out the Careers Service website for further details or get in touch with us on careers@imperial.ac.uk if you have a question. You can also follow us on social media to keep up-to-date with news, events and competitions @imperialcareers (X), @ic_careers (Instagram) or imperialcollegecareers (Facebook). 51

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