How CV shortlisting typically works (quick overview)

• Application platforms: Most junior doctor posts recruit via Oriel (national recruitment) or occasionally NHS Jobs/Trac for local trust-level roles.
• Portfolio & evidence: Many specialties use a self-assessment portfolio scored against defined domains (e.g., audits/QI, teaching, leadership, research, postgraduate exams, courses). You claim points upfront and later evidence them at interview/verification.
• Scoring: Exact rubrics vary by specialty and can change yearly. Typically:
  • Qualifications/exams/courses (e.g., MRCP(UK) Part 1, ALS): points for relevant, completed achievements.
  • Quality Improvement/Audit: points scale with impact (closed-loop, dissemination, patient outcomes).
  • Teaching & Education: points for structured roles, curriculum development, feedback, and training in teaching.
  • Leadership/Management: committee roles, projects with measurable outcomes.
  • Research/Publications/Posters/Prizes: peer-reviewed output and national presentations score higher.
  • Additional skills: e.g., simulation, digital/clinical informatics, service development.
• Verification: Interviewers check that your evidence matches your claims. Inflated/self-assessment errors can lead to downgrading.

Action point: Always read the current Applicant Handbook/Person Specification for your specific specialty and recruitment round, then tailor your CV and evidence exactly to those domains.

1) Mirror the person specification—line by line

Take the latest spec and convert each essential/desirable criterion into a heading in your CV/portfolio (e.g., “Teaching Experience—meets ‘evidence of regular, structured teaching’”). This makes it effortless for assessors to award points.

How to do it:

• Use the exact wording from the spec.
• Put the highest-value, most recent items first.
• Add a one-line impact statement under each item (e.g., “Delivered 8-session near-peer teaching programme; median feedback 4.8/5; content adopted by dept.”).

2) Quantify everything and show impact

Assessors reward outcomes, not effort. Replace vague descriptions with numbers and results.

• Audit/QI: “2-cycle VTE assessment audit; compliance improved from 68% → 94%; poster at regional meeting; change embedded in ward checklist.”
• Teaching: “12 hours small-group OSCE prep; 48 students; median feedback 4.6/5; created reusable slide deck & question bank.”
• Leadership: “Rota lead for 18 juniors; cut locum spend by 12% by redesigning on-call swaps.”

3) Curate, don’t dump

A long CV isn’t a stronger CV. Use selective depth:

• Cap each section at the most point-scoring items.
• Move older, lower-impact items to “Additional experience (selected)”.
• Keep to 2–4 pages for the CV (the portfolio holds the evidence).

4) Make evidence packs assessor-friendly

For each self-assessment claim, prepare a single PDF (“Tab 3—Teaching.pdf”) with:

• A cover sheet summarising the claim and claimed score.
• Key evidence in order: certificates, feedback summaries, letters, emails, programme outlines.
• Highlighted passages and filenames that match the wording in the self-assessment.

Pro tip: Use consistent filenames like 03_Teaching_Summary.pdf, 03.1_Feedback_Aggregate.pdf.

5) Close the loop on QI/audit

Closed-loop QI almost always scores higher.

• If your project is mid-cycle, schedule data collection and dissemination before interviews.
• Add a brief PDSA summary with graphs and a one-page poster.
• If possible, embed change (policy update, EPR order set, safety huddle checklist) and document it.

6) Turn informal teaching into points

Casual bedside teaching becomes high-value once it’s structured:

• Create a teaching series (title, objectives, schedule).
• Collect attendance and feedback (simple Google Form).
• Obtain a supervisor letter confirming regular delivery and quality.
• Add “Training in teaching” (e.g., Teach-the-Teacher, PGCert modules) if your specialty awards points for it.

7) Showcase leadership with measurable change

Common examples: rota coordination, junior forum chair, guideline rewrite, simulation lead, wellbeing initiatives.

• Evidence with meeting minutes, role description, before/after metrics, testimonial from clinical lead.
• Phrase outcomes in terms of patient safety, training quality, or efficiency (e.g., “bleep rationalisation reduced escalation delays by 20%”).

8) Presentations, publications, and prizes—package smartly

You don’t need an RCT to score.

• Posters: aim for regional/national meetings; include acceptance emails and conference programme pages.
• Publications: PubMed link or DOI; brief line on your contribution.
• Prizes: trust/regional awards count—attach citation/announcement.

9) Professional courses & exams—be strategic

• Include ALS/ILS/ATLS/APLS/NLS (as relevant) with current validity dates.
• If your specialty awards points for Part 1 exams (e.g., MRCP(UK), MRCS), clearly show pass date and candidate number (if requested).
• Prioritise courses with clear clinical relevance to your target post.

10) Design matters: make it skimmable

• Clean, consistent headings; 10.5–11pt font; ample white space.
• Use a two-column achievements panel on page 1 (e.g., “Closed-loop QI x2 | 2 national posters | 120+ teaching hours | Rota lead”).
• Keep contact details and GMC number simple; avoid photos, dense blocks, and jargon.

Common portfolio scoring domains (and how to lift your score)

• Audit/Quality Improvement: Run at least one closed loop with demonstrable change and dissemination.
• Teaching & Training: Structured programme + feedback + supervisor sign-off; add training in teaching.
• Leadership/Management: Hold a named role; deliver a project with outcomes.
• Research/Academic: Aim for at least one peer-reviewed output or regional/national presentation.
• Courses/Exams: Relevant life support + any Part 1 exam if points are available.
• Prizes/Distinctions: Include trust/regional recognitions.
• Additional contributions: Guidelines, pathways, simulation, digital/innovation.

Note: The weighting of each domain differs by specialty and year. Always cross-check the current round’s guidance and don’t over-claim: verification will adjust scores down if evidence doesn’t match.

Interview-day tips (portfolio stations & clinical/communication stations)

Before the day

• Rehearse aloud: 60–90 sec answers for common prompts—“Tell us about yourself,” “Most impactful QI,” “A time you led change,” “Managing a difficult colleague,” “Significant clinical error and learning.”
• STAR and SPIES frameworks:**
  • STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for achievements.
  • SPIES (Seek info, Patient safety, Initiative, Escalate, Support) for probity/dilemma scenarios.
• Know your portfolio cold: If you claimed it, you must discuss it confidently. Create flash cards for each claim (what you did, why it mattered, lesson learned).

On the day

• Set-up: Test your tech (for virtual), have PDFs open and labelled; for in-person, use a slim, tabbed folder.
• First 30 seconds: Clear introduction, smile, steady pace. Anchor answers to patient safety, teamwork, and NHS values.
• Portfolio station: When asked, summarise the claim then point to the evidence. Use “headline → proof → impact.”
• Clinical/ethical stations: Prioritise safety and escalation. Share thought process and guidelines you’d consult (e.g., NICE/Trust policies) without getting lost in minutiae.
• Timekeeping: Aim to finish 10–15 seconds early; if interrupted, pause, acknowledge, and land your key message.
• Closing: Prepare a 15-second “Why this specialty/trust?” aligned to local priorities (teaching opportunities, QI culture, patient population, research themes).

Mindset & communication

• Be authentic and reflective—own gaps and show a plan (e.g., “Haven’t led simulation yet—joining the sim faculty next rotation”).
• Keep language non-defensive (“In hindsight, I’d escalate earlier to the med reg and involve sepsis nurse”).
• Professionalism signals: punctuality, camera at eye level, neat background, clear file naming, and knowing the interviewers’ titles.

Quick checklist (copy/paste)

• CV matches current person spec; domains mirrored as headings
• 2–4 pages; strongest evidence on page 1; metrics everywhere
• Evidence packs: single PDFs per domain; cover sheet + highlighted proof
• At least one closed-loop QI with sustained change
• Structured teaching series + collated feedback + supervisor letter
• Named leadership role with measured outcomes
• Poster/paper/prize included with acceptance proof/DOI
• Life-support course(s) current; relevant Part 1 exam where helpful
• Interview answers rehearsed with STAR/SPIES; portfolio flash cards ready
• Tech checked; “Why this specialty/trust?” mini-pitch prepared

Final word

Think of your CV and portfolio as a scoring document first and a narrative second. Make it trivial for assessors to see how you meet—and exceed—the criteria, then back it up on the day with structured, patient-centred answers.