How to Write an Amazing Student CV

How to Write an Amazing Student CV

Are you in school or university and thinking about writing a CV? Look no further, TopCourses has you covered.

Regardless of how much work experience you may or may not have, you can still produce a great CV. In essence, a student CV won’t differ that much from a professional one. The biggest difference will be that you won’t have as much experience as someone who has been working for years and you will focus more on your educational background.

Although lack of work experience is a drawback, employers will understand that students won’t have as much experience as fully-fledged professionals. Therefore, a student’s CV must make the most of his or her’s positive attributes rather than highlighting the relevant work experience.

First things first – what is a CV and what goes in it?

A CV is the biggest step to getting a job. It shows employers what you’ve done and what you’re capable of doing. In other words, think of it as a sales pitch explaining why you’re the best. This pitch must have several key components:

• Name and contact information – include your phone number, email and LinkedIn (if you have one). You can also include your address, although this isn’t always necessary.
• Personal profile – the personal profile is a short and succinct introduction to who you are. Here you must highlight the key facts about why you’re great. You should also always tailor your personal profile to what you’re trying to achieve.
• Education – include your degrees/(expected) grades and dates. You can include some key modules or projects but do not list everything you’ve studied. When faced with a long list, employers will just skip over it.
• Work experience – include your work experience, internships and volunteering. Make sure to add dates, titles and a brief explanation of your responsibilities and achievements. If you have data, e.g., improved sales by 30% definitely include it.
• Interests – this is the chance to make yourself seem more personable. Don’t go overboard, two or three sentences will do fine.

Your CV should be a maximum of two pages. If possible, try and keep it to one or one and a half pages.

Why do you need a CV?

Not only are CVs used for finding jobs, but they are also essential for applying to postgraduate degrees and volunteer positions. The current job and university market is incredibly competitive, so it’s important you put time and effort in to building a professional cv. It’s hard to get hired or accepted to a master’s degree without one.

What counts as work experience?

You may have never had a job before, but you likely have more experience than you think. Examples of work experience include:

• Work shadowing
• Work placements/internships
• Helping at university or school
• Volunteering
• Part-time jobs
• Summer jobs

Work experience can be in countless different forms but remember to always include the name of the place you worked, how long you worked there and what your main tasks were. Highlight what you learned and how it can benefit you in future positions.

Being a member of clubs or student societies can demonstrate your communication, leadership and organisational skills. Do not lie or invent work experience. Even though it may be tempting, employers will likely find out the truth.

How do I mention my skills and strengths?

Regardless of your amount of experience, you can still write a killer CV by focusing on your skills and strengths. Instead of just listing these traits, try and elaborate on where and how you acquired them. This can be through school projects, essays, teamwork or even dissertations.

Some top skills are:

• Time management
• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Teamwork
• Responsibility

What to avoid putting on your CV:

CV writing can differ from country to country; however, these tips definitely ring true in English speaking countries.

• Your photograph – they will see who you are in an interview.
• Age and date of birth – save this for any potential job offer.
• Gender – not their business.
• Religion – not their business.
• Relationship status – if an employer asks about your relationship status, they may be in breach of GDPR and anti-discrimination legislation.
• Nationality – save this for any potential job and visa offer.
• Weird colours, designs and fonts – keep your CV simple and ensure your font is readable, i.e., do not make your font size too small. In fact, the more difficult your CV is to read, the more likely they won’t even consider you as a candidate.
• A non-professional sounding email address – also, try and avoid using your university or school email address. When you graduate you will likely lose access to your email. An example of a good email is firstnamelastname@email.com.
• References – you need all the precious space possible, so give references when they ask for them.

How TopCourses Can Help

As always, TopCourses is here to help each and every one of you along your educational and professional journey. We offer bespoke CV editing as part of our postgraduate applications and careers services. Our experienced British tutors will ensure that your CV is edited to the highest possible standard, so you can rest assured of success. To learn more, book your free initial consultation today.