Whether you’re thinking of applying for the Core Surgical Training in the future, trying to secure a research project or applying for grants, having a copy of your CV ready will definitely make the process easier and less stressful. If you don’t know where to start here are a handful of tips on (surgical) CVs:

Have a structure

• If you are just starting to draft your CV, organise and group your experiences and accomplishments. 
• An example structure might involve: Contact Details, Education, Publications, Presentations, Awards, Courses, Leadership, Teaching & Interests.
• Within each subsection organise your experiences chronologically or in order of importance to highlight your most prominent accomplishments. 

Collect evidence 

• Lines on your CV will not be worth much without the evidence to back them up – collect certificates, letters, feedback forms and everything that can be used to corroborate your achievements. 
• Make sure you have at least two copies of all your evidence (ideally paper and digital) to ensure everything will be at hand when needed.

Think about future applications to come 

• Although CV can sometimes be needed ad-hoc, most people will structure their CV with a future application in mind. 
• Make sure you familiarise yourself with the requirements of the position you are (or will be) applying for and tailor your CV accordingly.

Keep up-to-date and accurate

• Update your CV regularly, every three months or on a rolling basis if you can – it is much easier to make smaller adjustments than adding years worth of experience at once
• Proofread before sending or submitting – spelling and formatting mistakes stand out and can be easily avoided

Maximise your experiences

• If you are looking to improve your existing CV, make sure to identify the areas that need most work and focus on them.
• If you want to learn more about maximising opportunities, have a read of an article by STARSurg from 2018.