Keep the timeline factual and use the detailed box to map your evidence to the advert
Employment History and Previous Skills and Experience should not contain the same information twice. The timeline shows where you worked. The detailed section helps the sifter match your experience against the vacancy.
On this page
How the two CV boxes should work together
Employment History should usually be a plain timeline of employer, job title and dates. Add brief role descriptions only where the vacancy or form specifically asks for them.
Previous Skills and Experience should carry the main detail. Where the form allows, the heading Relevant Skills and Experience makes the purpose clearer. Use this section to create one evidence slot for every important point in the advert.
What the Employment History box is for
The purpose is to give the recruiter a clear chronological record. A simple entry is usually enough:
Customer Service Administrator, Northside Housing March 2023 to Present
Reception Assistant, Riverside College September 2021 to February 2023
Retail Assistant, City Market June 2019 to August 2021
If the form asks for responsibilities, keep them short and factual. Do not turn each job into a long personal statement.
What the Previous Skills and Experience box is for
This is the criteria-matching section. Pull out every important advert point, then create a separate slot that proves it. Include essential criteria, desirable criteria, responsibilities, person specification points and requested experience. Put the strongest and most heavily weighted matches first.
1
Criterion heading
Use the exact advert wording where useful so the sifter can locate the match quickly.
2
Specific setting
Name the role, customer group, process, system or task.
3
Personal action
Show what you checked, explained, organised, recorded, completed or escalated.
4
Relevant outcome
Add a practical result where it strengthens the evidence.
How ordinary experience can support an AO application
You do not need previous Civil Service employment. Retail, hospitality, warehousing, care, education, volunteering, call centres, office administration and community work can all provide useful AO evidence when the connection to the advert is clear.
Transferable evidence does not need to come from the same job title
Background
Potential AO evidence
Retail or hospitality
Customer communication, complaint handling, accuracy, following procedures, working under pressure and handovers.
Warehouse or logistics
Prioritising tasks, checking records, stock systems, safety procedures, deadlines and problem escalation.
Education or volunteering
Written communication, records, organising activities, supporting different needs and working with colleagues.
Care or community support
Confidential information, clear notes, safeguarding procedures, respectful communication and escalation.
Office or call-centre work
Case records, digital systems, customer queries, workload management, quality checks and service updates.
Short free example
Weak evidence
Good communication skills and experience of dealing with customers in a busy environment.
Stronger evidence
Clear written and verbal communication: Handled customer refund and delivery enquiries at a retail service desk, listened to the issue, checked order records, explained store procedures in plain language and recorded accurate handovers when another team needed to complete the action.
Common mistakes
CV mistakes that make matching harder
✓
Repeating the same job duties in both Employment History and Previous Skills and Experience.
✓
Using a generic personal profile instead of headings linked to the vacancy.
✓
Answering only the essential criteria while ignoring responsibilities or person specification points that may also be sifted.
✓
Writing vague claims without a task, system, customer group or personal action.
✓
Placing desirable criteria above stronger essential matches without a reason.
✓
Trying to make AO evidence sound strategic or managerial when practical delivery would be more credible.
✓
Ignoring a specific CV instruction in the advert because another department used a different format.
Members can unlock the full AO CV method below, including a complete sample advert breakdown, one evidence slot for every essential and desirable point, weak-versus-strong rewrites, full Employment History and Relevant Skills and Experience examples, alternative evidence by background and a final sift check.
Join our careers service to read more...
If everyone knew the best tricks and tips then they would no longer work! That is why the best guidance is for members only.
Subscribe to open the locked section on this page and get access to the full Civil Service Careers premium library.
Get help with applications, interviews, behaviours, personal statements, CVs, tests, workplace problems, promotions, and career decisions, all written for people who want a better result.
