Graduate CV Advice

Getting Started – A Guide to a Graduate CV

Key words

Create your CV

Suggested CV layout

Targeting your CV

References

Before you finish your CV

Example CV's

Curriculum Vitae – Latin for ‘the way your life has run’ or ‘life story’

The purpose of a CV is to get you an interview with the firm you’d like to work for – a CV alone will not get you a job but it is the first stage in the job hunting process.

Putting together a CV is a task many graduates have difficulties with because the words “Curriculum Vitae” are associated with previous jobs and skill sets. As most companies are ideally looking for graduates who have a degree combined with work experience, some graduates feel they are in a Catch-22 situation if they have a degree but little or no relevant work experience. However strong communication skills, computer and technical aptitude, problem-solving capabilities, leadership, teamwork, interpersonal skills and a willingness to learn are all exceptionally important and are very often gained at university.

Getting started – A guide to a graduate CV

You never get a second chance to make a first impression – this is a very small expression, but it says a lot. The focus of a graduate CV is your education, key achievements, skills and related work experience. CVs support job applicants by highlighting their qualifications and skills to employers. It is vital to pay attention to detail.

Keep your CV as simple and as short as possible but don’t leave out important information.  An uncomplicated CV will be simple to evaluate.

• When preparing your graduate CV it is unlikely that you will have a lengthy career history.  This may be daunting but focus on the positive areas of your experience and education to date.
• As a graduate, your education is the key focus of your CV.  Begin by stating your university qualifications followed by the qualifications you gained at school. 
• Employers do not want an exhaustive explanation of your school qualifications; a brief summery of applicable courses and grades will be sufficient.
• Make sure the language in your CV is powerful.  Use positive words to showcase yourself and your skills – accuracy is also very important. 
• Familiarise yourself with your potential employer’s website in order to understand their values.  Be certain that you match yourself and your CV to the criteria and principles that are expected from graduates joining that firm.

Key words:

back to top

Create your CV

• Your CV must look as professional as possible - you can ensure this happens by:
• Keeping it as short as possible - preferably keeping it to two pages and using strong phrases and bullet points.
• Printing it on quality white paper.
• Using a professional font (e.g. Ariel, Times New Roman) – stick to one font throughout your CV.
• Making sure the layout (spacing, font size and style, margins etc.) are correct.
• Checking your spelling.
• Checking your punctuation.
• Not including a photograph.
• Not using any covers or folders.
• Being honest – employers will check academic qualifications.
• Being clear.
• Having a positive tone to your writing.

Suggested CV Layout

The main areas that you should include in your CV are detailed below.  There is no exact format to use however a popular format used by graduates is the chronological CV. 

Profile – Use this section to introduce yourself to your potential employer.  Summarise your skills and experience but only include those that are applicable for the job that you’re applying for.  Mention your goals and what you are able to offer the company.

Achievements - List three to five accomplishments that you think correspond to the position which you are applying for.  Make sure that you put the strongest point first and that you use powerful words when explaining each of your achievements.

Education - As a graduate, this is going to be one of the most important sections of your CV.  You should begin by listing your education in reverse chronological order (i.e. most recent education first).  You should include the dates you attended each institution as well as your grades. For example:

• BSc (Hons) Computer Science, 2:1, Kingston University, 2003-2006
• GCE A Levels:  Maths (A), Chemistry (B), Biology (A) Tiffins Girls School, 2001-2003
• GCSEs:   Maths (A), Chemistry (A), Biology (A), English (A), German (B), Tiffins Girls School 1999-2001

Technical/Business Skills – This section should include a list of the technologies, languages or any other special IT skills that you are familiar with e.g. development methodologies, databases, operating systems etc.

Employment History – As a graduate, you may not have a strong employment history. This can be disheartening however it is important to still list the positions you have had.  This shows any potential employers that you are motivated (e.g. working whilst doing a degree) and have some work experience. You should include:

• Your position title.
• Your dates of employment (include full dates e.g. January 2005 – September 2006).
• The company name.
• An explanation of the company as well as your main duties and responsibilities whilst working there.
• An explanation of the skills that you gained in that position.

When you are writing your CV, make sure that you give examples of the duties that you performed that are most applicable to the position which you’re applying for.  Always put the most valid and strongest points first - make sure you emphasise your responsibilities and successes from every job.

back to top

Targeting a CV

Choose the key points in the job specification and make sure that you highlight them in your CV.

• Avoid simply saying things like “good communication skills” instead show examples of how you have good communications skills.
• After you write your CV, compare your CV with the job specification making sure you have covered all key points.

Speculative CV

If you send a speculative CV to a company who is not currently advertising any open positions, make sure you tailor your cover letter and CV to what you think that particular company needs.

• Research the employers who hire graduates with your qualifications and who might be hiring.
• Use a general CV and then target your cover letter to the specific company.
• Try to find out the name of the person who is responsible for recruitment either in HR or a manager in the area you want to work in – you should always address your cover letter to a named person.
• Make sure you tell the employer what kind of role you are looking for in the cover letter whether it that is work experience or a permanent job.
• Always follow up with a phone call – this will better your chances of being noticed.

References

It is typical to be asked for two referees – try to provide one academic referee and one work related referee.

• Choose referees who you have had a positive relationship with.
• Provide your referees’ telephone numbers, email addresses, work titles and contact addresses.
• If you feel uncomfortable leaving their details on your CV you can write “References available upon request” or “References will be provided upon an offer of employment”.

Before you finish your CV

• Be certain that the information you have provided is appropriate and meaningful.
• Reread and scan for mistakes – reading it aloud can help with this.
• Have your university’s careers centre or a friend evaluate your CV to make sure everything is clear and logical.
   

Example CV's

Here are three example CVs (degree level, MSc level and PhD level) to give you an idea on how to write your own.

Degree CV
MSc CV
PhD CV

back to top