It's that time of year again when graduate jobs are being advertised and students are starting to think about their next step. If you're one of those students, then you'll need to make sure you have a good CV. A graduate CV is different from a regular CV - it needs to be tailored to the graduate job market.
In this article, we'll take you through the most important tips to building a strong CV that will get you noticed.
So, how do you write a graduate CV?
First things first: let's take a look at the graduate CV format. To make sure your CV is easy to read and looks great, keep it to only two pages of A-size paper. You can use a third page if there are more than ten years between your graduation and the present, but be concise.
Your graduate CV should include the following sections:
- Personal details
- Education
- Work experience
- Skills and achievements
- Interests and hobbies
Personal Details: Start with your name, contact details, and a link to your relevant professional social media profiles such as LinkedIn.
Education: List your education in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent. Include the name of the institution, your degree type, and subject, and the year you graduated. If you have any relevant modules or projects that stand out, be sure to mention them here.
Work Experience: This is where you list all of your work experience, starting with the most recent. Include the name of the company, your job title, and a brief overview of your role. If you have any notable achievements or responsibilities while working here, list them.
Skills and Achievements: This is your opportunity to demonstrate how awesome you are! List any relevant skills that you have acquired - such as language skills, IT skills, or project management experience. You can also list any awards or accolades you have received.
Interests and Hobbies: This section is important for demonstrating your personality and interests. It's a good opportunity to show that you're not just a graduate who wants a job - you're someone with passions and interests outside of work.
Although graduate CVs are quite different from regular CVs, there are still some things you should avoid doing.
- Don't use a generic CV template - graduate recruiters will be able to tell and it won't stand out.
- Don't include your personal information such as age or marital status unless asked for specifically as this could lead to discrimination.
- Don't include every single skill or qualification you have - graduate recruiters are looking for relevant skills and experience, not your high school grades from 15 years ago!
- Don't highlight negative points in the CV such as gaps in employment or poor exam results unless they can be explained.
If you follow these graduate CV tips, you'll be well on your way to success! We wish you all the best with your job search and hope that graduate recruiters will soon be knocking down your door.