24 Jun 2025
How to write a student or graduate CV
If you’re a student or graduate applying for a role with lots of competition, how can you help your application stand out? A strong CV can highlight your skills, experience and potential, and help you get to the interview stage. But it’s not always easy to know what to include or how to structure it when you’re just starting out.
Whether you are applying for a part-time job during your studies, a summer internship, a graduate scheme or your first graduate role, your CV needs to make a strong first impression. This blog will take you through some important tips to help you write a CV that gets you noticed.
Understand your CV audience
What helps your CV stand out is understanding who will be reading it. When recruiters advertise a role, they write a job description based on their ideal candidate. It is thought that recruiters spend around 8 seconds looking at a CV at first, so you need to make it easy for them to see why you are a good match.
This means you may need more than one version of your CV. Every CV should be tailored to the role you are applying for. A well-written CV that matches the job description and uses similar language will get you further than sending a generic CV for every role.
Use a professional CV format
A well-presented CV shows that you’re organised and have taken care with your application. A clear, professional layout makes it easy to read and helps you stand out for the right reasons. It’s best to use a clean, single-column format that’s simple to follow.
Avoid using photos, logos, lots of fonts or colours, as these can look unprofessional. Word or Canva templates might look nice, but they do not always work well with applicant tracking systems (ATS). It’s better to use a simple, clear layout.
Your university’s employability service can provide a standard CV template for you to use.
One or two CV pages?
Whether your CV should be one or two pages depends on your experience. A one-page CV might work well if your most relevant information is your course and you have limited work experience. But if you have more to include and cutting it down means leaving out useful details, two pages is fine.
Ensure the first page gives a good overview of what you can offer, as this is where recruiters first focus their attention. You can also adjust the layout depending on the role. Most students and graduates list their education near the top, but it can be moved up if your experience is more relevant.
If you have limited experience, a skills-based CV might be helpful. This type of CV focuses on 4 to 6 key skills from the job description, with short examples to show how you meet them.
Every experience counts on your CV
As a student or recent graduate, you are constantly learning and building valuable skills that can be included on your CV. Make sure you highlight all of this, not just your academic work. Part-time jobs, volunteering, online courses, societies, sports clubs, extra-curricular activities, and memberships all show different strengths.
You might also have worked on group projects, independent research, or assignments during your degree. These can be great to include, especially if they relate to the role you are applying for. They show teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and time management skills.
Every experience helps the recruiter to build a picture of what you can offer. It is key to think about what you learnt and how it shows you are ready for the role.
Evidence your impact
Listing skills like communication or teamwork is one thing, but employers want to see proof. Instead of just telling them what you can do, show them how you have used these skills and the difference you made in your previous roles. If possible, include numbers or outcomes to bring your achievements to life. Ask yourself: What were you recognised for? What did you improve? What changed because of your input?
For example:
Instead of: Served customers on the shop floor
Try: Received 3 customer service recognition awards for providing personalised and effective service that went above and beyond customers’ expectations.
Small details matter
Your CV represents you, so it should reflect the communication and attention to detail skills you mention. Use tools like Grammarly or AI to ensure it is free from spelling and grammar mistakes.
If you are applying for roles in the UK, make sure you use UK spelling. Watch out for American spellings, such as writing ‘organized’ instead of ‘organised.’
It also helps to use the same vocabulary found in the job description. Fill your CV with action verbs showing what you have done and can offer. Words like managed, supported, led and improved can highlight the impact you made in previous experiences.
Using AI in the right way
AI can be a helpful tool when writing your CV, but it is important to use it carefully. If you ask tools like ChatGPT to write every section for you, your CV will likely sound the same as many other applicants.
AI works best when you use it to improve your ideas, structure your sentences or check for spelling and grammar. Always use wording that feels natural to you. If words like spearheaded or leveraged are not part of your usual vocabulary, do not include them just because AI suggested them.
Your CV should present you in a positive way, but it must always be honest. If you are invited to an interview and cannot back up what you have written, it could affect your chances of getting the job.
Ready to write a CV that gets you hired?
Writing a CV takes time and should grow with you throughout your career as you gain new experience and skills. One of the most important things to remember is that every CV should be tailored. It needs to speak directly to the recruiter of the role, so take time to make it relevant and specific for each position you apply for.
Your university careers or employability service can support you with templates, advice and CV reviews. If you choose to use a professional CV writer, ensure they have a good reputation and reviews.
With the right approach, your CV can open the door to new opportunities and help you take that next step with confidence.
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