Graduate CV Writing Tips

Writing your first CV after graduating can be a little tricky, you will more than likely have a CV template already but for your first professional position, there will be some subtle differences to the format and style. Here are our top tips for your Graduate CV.

Personal Statement
Starting your CV with a personal statement is always a good idea; this should be tailored to the role you are applying for. Who you are, what you can offer, and what you aim for in your career are great places to start when approaching this task.

Education
The bulk of a Graduate CV will be your education. You should include which universities/colleges you attended and which courses you studied, In this section pull out any modules you have undertaken which may be relevant to the role you are applying for.

Include your degree classification, A level/IB results and any other higher education diplomas.

Write in reverse-chronological order, with the most recent at the top.

Work placements
Here note down any work placement assignments you may have completed, highlighting relevant skills.

Other work experience
List here jobs you have undertaken whilst studying, with emphasis on responsibility and achievements whilst in your role.

Skills
This section can be bullet-pointed, showcasing skills you have attained either whilst studying (modules in your course) or working.

Hobbies and interests
Keep these real, people will want to know about your interests and it is a good talking point in interviews because it is about you.

CV Length
The length of our CV should be 2 pages, too short and it could come across as inexperienced and too long may seem wordy and babbling.

Formatting
Keep it simple, ensure you use a professional typeface, don’t overuse bold, italic and underline (not all at the same time!)  Use consistent spacing throughout your document.