
50+ Best CV Tips, Writing Advice, Dos & Don'ts, and More
Writing a CV is hard work, but with our best CV tips and advice, it's a piece of cake. Here are over 50 of our professional CV dos and don'ts, along with CV mistakes to avoid.
It's time to write your first student CV. It doesn't have to be hard, you just need to have the proper knowledge and the right tools. In this article, you'll find both.
Listen:
Before you get down to writing your student CV, there’s something you need to know.
Your education doesn’t matter that much.
Employers care more about what you can deliver.
How to show it to them?
Well, you’re about to learn how to make a perfect student CV.
And it doesn’t matter if you want to write an undergraduate student CV or make a CV for an A-Level student.
We’ve got you covered.
This guide will show you:
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Looking for a specific student CV example? See the list:
And here's a few of examples that can help you start on the job market:
Haven't found what you're looking for? Check all our CV Examples for Over 200 Jobs.
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A detail-oriented self-appetizer working towards an MA in Linguistics at University of Manchester. Eager to join TakeOff Media as Junior SEO Specialist to help execute data-driven campaigns, develop content, and optimise conversion rate. Strong background in statistics and language, internship experience with SEO and data-driven marketing.
Experience
Website Intern
Fragrance Unlimited
June 2018–September 2018
Education
MA in Linguistics, University of Manchester
2018—Present (Graduation expected June 2020)
Relevant coursework:
Key achievements:
BS (Hons) Cognitive Science, University of Manchester
2016–2018
Relevant coursework:
Thesis title: “Logical Reasoning—On the Border of Philosophy and Psychology”
Extracurricular activities and achievements:
Interests
Key Skills
Languages
Now you know how the perfect student CV look like.
Here's how to write one:
You might be wondering:
How to write a student CV that stands out?
Well—
Your CV format must shine. Make it relevant, navigable, and readable for humans and machines alike. Pick a visually appealing CV template, a free Google Docs CV template or a free MS Word CV Template.
Simple? Yes. Easy? Ummm.
Not to worry.
Start with this checklist for a CV format for students:
Consider additional CV sections to show off your certifications, interests or membership in student associations and organisations.
Expert Hint: Export your student CV to a PDF file. Its formatting will remain intact and ATSs (Applicant Tracking Systems) will be able to read it.
Cut to the chase:
Your student CV has 7 seconds to impress the recruiter.
So—
Make the most of the little time you have and start it off with a powerful CV objective.
This foolproof formula will help you nail it every single time:
And here’s how it looks in practise:
Mention the company you’re applying to by name. You don’t want your student CV objective to look generic.
And remember—
It simply has to be great. The opening statement sets the tone for the rest.
What about when you have no experience to put on your student CV?
Obviously—
You won’t be able to put a lot of professional experience in your student CV profile.
But don’t let this discourage you.
Leverage your passions.
There’s always something you’re great at.
Identify it, think how it can help you in the role you’re applying for, and boast about it in your student CV objective.
Expert Hint: Your student CV should start with the objective, but there’s nothing wrong with writing it at the very end. Once your entire student CV is ready, go through it, select the best parts, and arrange them in a snappy intro.
Reality check:
A recent NACE study revealed that hiring managers pay the most attention to internships and employment on student CVs.
Factor | Influence Rating (0-5) |
Has completed an internship with your organisation | 4.6 |
Has internship experience in your industry | 4.4 |
Major | 3.8 |
It means one thing:
Your student CV experience section must be anything but empty.
So—
If you’re serious about landing a job as a student, you need to show you’re not entirely green behind the ears.
Think of your:
All this counts.
Take a look at the example below.
It’s all about a summer internship. But reads like a summary of Jeff Bezos’ early years.
Website Intern
Fragrance Unlimited
June 2018–September 2018
Expert Hint: Not sure about the best jobs for students? Go right here to look for inspiration.
Here’s a heads-up for you.
Your student CV won’t get you anywhere if you’ve never heard of ATSs (Applicant Tracking Systems). ATSs are commonly used in large companies to help recruiters separate the wheat from the chaff.
To cut a long story short. ATSs screen your student CV template for keywords. If they’re missing from yours—
Say bye-bye to the job interview.
This is what you have to do:
When describing your experience (or education, or skills) tailor your CV by using the phrasing and vocabulary from the job ad.
In the student CV example above, the keywords are highlighted.
But it doesn’t end here.
Your key skills must be properly exposed.
According to the mentioned NACE study, the following skills are among the most valued in recent university graduates.
Mind you—
Even though these skills are the most desirable, they don’t have to be the best skills to put on a CV for a student.
So, what are the best skills to put on your CV?
Here’s the secret:
Make sure the skills on your student CV stay as close as possible to those listed in the job ad.
If the job ad refers to the ability to work in a team as collaboration go for the CV keywords used in the job ad.
Both the ATS and recruiters like it.
Expert Hint: Keep your list of skills for a student CV at bay. Put up to ten skills you feel confident about and leave out the others. This way you’ll avoid the so-called presenter’s paradox.
The ResumeLab builder is more than looks. Get specific content to boost your chances of getting the job. Add job descriptions, bullet points, and skills. Easy. Improve your CV in our CV builder now.
Nail it all with a splash of colour, choose a clean font, highlight your skills in just a few clicks. You’re the perfect candidate and we’ll prove it. Use the ResumeLab builder now.
It’s no secret—
Education CV section isn’t as important as experience on your student CV.
But it’s not unimportant either.
So—
If you’re serious about making the most of your student CV, don’t neglect this section.
Make sure you:
MA in Linguistics, University of Manchester
2018—Present (Graduation expected June 2020)
Relevant coursework:
Key achievements:
BS (Hons) Cognitive Science, University of Manchester
2016–2018
Relevant coursework:
Thesis title: “Logical Reasoning—On the Border of Philosophy and Psychology”
Extracurricular activities and achievements:
On a good student CV, the education section has every right to be more detailed than on a seasoned pro’s CV.
After all, this is what you do on a daily basis.
The rule of thumb is to only list the latest school/degree. But if you’re an MA student, do list your bachelor’s as well. And don’t go back more than five years.
If you’re preparing a student CV your education section could look like this:
A levels: English, French, Media Studies. September 2014–June 2016
King David School, Manchester
Expert Hint: If the experience section of your student CV looks meagre, do a little trick. Swap the experience and education sections, so that education comes first on your university student CV.
These little tweaks for your student CV can become a giant leap for your career.
Dazzle the hiring manager with a couple of strategically placed extras.
Expert Hint: You can easily double the impact of your student CV by writing a student CV cover letter. Did you know? More than half of the recruiters expect a cover letter to be part of your job application, but less than half of the candidates write them.
Double your impact with a matching CV and cover letter combo. Use our cover letter builder and make your application documents pop out.
Want to try a different look? There’s 18 more. A single click will give your document a total makeover. Pick a cover letter template here.
Time for a quick recap. To write the perfect student CV:
Do you have what it takes to win a scholarship? Write a scholarship cover letter that will make you stand out from the crowd.
Questions on how to write a CV? Want to share advice on how to prepare different kinds of student CVs (undergraduate student CV or GCSE student CV)? We’d love to hear from you. Leave your comment below.
Writing a CV is hard work, but with our best CV tips and advice, it's a piece of cake. Here are over 50 of our professional CV dos and don'ts, along with CV mistakes to avoid.
Recruiters only spend several seconds skimming your documents. That’s why your CV layout needs to be as clear and scannable as it can. We’ll show you how to get it right.
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