How to Write a Graduate CV: A Practical Student Guide

A graduate CV is a short evidence document, not a complete autobiography. Its job is to help a recruiter see quickly how your education, projects, work and activities relate to one particular opportunity. The strongest version is selected and rewritten for the role rather than sent unchanged everywhere.

CV conventions differ between countries, sectors and employers. Follow the vacancy instructions first, then check the local expectations for length, photographs, personal details and file format. The guidance below focuses on clear, honest and adaptable principles rather than promising one universal layout.

Read the vacancy before opening your CV

Highlight the responsibilities, required skills, preferred experience and practical conditions. Separate essential criteria from desirable ones. This gives you a working evidence list and prevents the common mistake of polishing a document that answers a different role from the one being advertised.

Choose a structure that supports the decision

Place the most relevant material where it can be found quickly. A recent graduate may lead with education and projects; someone with strong related employment may lead with experience. Use familiar headings and a consistent reverse-chronological order unless the employer asks for another format.

Write a concise opening profile only when useful

A profile can connect your degree, direction and strongest evidence in two or three specific lines. Remove empty claims such as hardworking or passionate unless the document immediately proves them. If the profile repeats the rest of the page, use the space for stronger evidence instead.

Describe education with appropriate detail

Give the qualification, institution, dates and status accurately. Add selected modules, projects or results only when they help the application. Do not crowd the section with every class taken. International applicants should make unfamiliar qualifications understandable without inventing an unofficial equivalence.

Turn responsibilities into evidence

A duty says what the position involved; an achievement-led bullet shows what you did, how you approached it and what changed. Begin with a precise verb, add relevant context and use a measured result where it is genuinely known. Never manufacture numbers merely to make a sentence sound stronger.

Use university work as professional evidence

Coursework can demonstrate analysis, writing, laboratory practice, design, coding, teamwork and deadline management. Select one or two substantial examples and explain the output, constraints and your contribution. Label academic projects honestly so they are not mistaken for paid client work.

Include experience beyond formal employment

Part-time work, volunteering, societies, caring responsibilities and independent projects can all provide relevant evidence. Focus on the skills required by the vacancy. A role does not need an impressive title to show reliability, customer awareness, organisation or thoughtful problem solving.

Tailor language without copying the advert

Use the employer’s terminology when it accurately describes your experience, but do not paste whole phrases or imply experience you lack. Tailoring should make the connection easier to see. It should not turn your CV into a collection of keywords that no longer sounds like you.

Make the page easy to scan

Use a restrained typeface, clear headings, consistent dates and enough white space. Keep bullets concise and avoid decorative graphics that compete with the evidence. Check how the exported PDF looks at normal size, not only while zoomed in on an editing screen.

Handle contact and personal details carefully

Use a professional email address and a phone number you monitor. Include location only to the level needed for the application. Do not expose identification numbers, passport details, signatures, private documents or unrelated personal information on a document that may circulate among reviewers.

Check links and digital work samples

If a role benefits from a portfolio or professional profile, use a short stable link and test it while signed out. Confirm the destination is current, accessible and appropriate for the employer. Remove private files, unfinished pages and projects whose ownership or permissions are unclear.

Use tools without surrendering accuracy

Spelling and formatting tools can help you review, but every line must remain true and recognisably yours. Automated suggestions can flatten specific evidence into generic claims. Recheck names, dates, technologies and results against your records before accepting any rewrite.

Ask for targeted feedback

Give a reviewer the vacancy and ask what evidence they found first, what remained unclear and which criteria appear unsupported. This produces more useful feedback than asking whether the CV looks good. Decide carefully which suggestions fit the role and local convention.

Export and name the final file professionally

Use the requested format and a clear filename that identifies the document without exposing unnecessary data. Open the exported file on another device, check selectable text and confirm no comments, tracked changes or hidden pages remain. Keep the tailored source version for interview preparation.

Final checklist

• The content is tailored to one role and its essential criteria.
• Every achievement, date and qualification is accurate and supportable.
• Headings, spacing, spelling and verb tense are consistent.
• Links work while signed out and reveal no private material.
• The requested filename, format and deadline are confirmed.

Use the Univs programme catalogue to understand the knowledge different degrees develop, compare institutes listed on Univs and review how Univs supports the student journey. The vacancy instructions and the employer’s stated requirements remain authoritative.