How to prepare your graduate CV
With summer just around the corner many final year students around the UK are nearing the end of their university life and are eagerly awaiting their degree results. Thousands of graduates around the UK will be looking to put their degrees to good use and find a role within their chosen industry, but how can you make your CV relevant you’re fresh out of university with no experience? Writing your graduate CV straight out of university may seem like a daunting task when you have little to no industry experience, but there’s no need to worry. Below we have compiled some tops tips to help you create your graduate CV.
Personal Statement
When it comes to writing your personal statement it is always best to ensure it is tailor made for the specific role you are applying for, no one likes reading generic statements and people will probably be able to tell. It can be useful to read through the ‘desirable skills’ section of the job specification to see what kind of person the organisation are looking for and use this as a basis for you to write your personal statement.
Be sure to talk about your career objectives and how you’re looking to achieve them within the next few years, employers will want to see that you are focused and career minded.
Education
When listing your education details it is always best to list them in reverse chronological order, as follows;
- Degree
- A Level
- GCSE’s
As your degree will be the area that you have the most relevant experience in it is best to focus on that and only add the basic details for A Level and GCSE to allow for more space. For example with GCSE’s you can just write the number and your general grades; e.g. 11 GCSE’s grade A-C.
When writing about your degree give the reader an idea of your university course and the experience you obtained. For example, if you have experience of in areas such as project management, presentation skills or leadership make sure you include these as they are transferable skills that can be used in the workplace.
It’s not necessary to list all the modules you took whilst at University but if you feel they are relevant to the job role then be sure to include it.
Previous employment
At first glance you may feel that you don’t have enough previous work experience but don’t be dismayed, as a recent graduate potential employers will know that you will have limited industry experience.
Don’t forget to include any internships, work experience or voluntary work you may have undertaken, these are a great way of showing any relevant skills you have developed.
Layout example
- Company name, Job title, Dates
- A sentence outlining your role
- Bullet points summarising your specific responsibilities
- Any evidence you may have of any specific achievements within this role
Hobbies and interests
This isn’t a vital section to include but if you feel that you have hobbies or interests outside of work that you feel are relevant to your application then feel free to include them in your CV. It’s also nice to show a bit of your personality shine through.