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CV Tips For Graduate Jobs

CVs
Seeking employment as a graduate can be extremely difficult due to the sheer level of competition you will be facing from other recent graduates with similar skills to yourself. As a result, it is essential that your CV is very carefully prepared to ensure that your individual personality traits and your own specific experiences shine through to give you an advantage over the other candidates.
What to Include
Your CV should be a clear and concise summary of your qualifications, skills and experiences that also allows key aspects of your personality to shine through. There is a generally accepted standard of what a CV should contain and this information is usually separated into clear sections.
  • Contact Details
    These should be up-to-date so potential employers can easily reach you by phone, email or even post
  • Personal Profile
    Some say this is the most important part of the CV as it is a summary of your individual qualities and attributes whilst others prefer not to include such a section. Our recommendation is to include it.
  • Objective
    This should clearly state that you are seeking part-time or holiday employment, if only make your intentions clear to the reader
  • Education and Qualifications
    Details of all academic qualifications since secondary school in reverse chronological order
  • Additional Skills
    An optional section highlighting your proficiency in the use of computers, your knowledge of foreign languages, etc.
  • Achievements
    Another optional section detailing academic, sporting or professional achievements
  • Career Summary
    Include all part-time, full-time, temporary and voluntary employment, again in reverse chronological order
  • Personal Details
    Your date of birth, your nationality and whether or not you can drive can all be included in this section
  • Interests and Activities
    Although some argue that this section is not necessary, and it is generally omitted in the US, it is a good opportunity to reflect something of your personality, showing that you can maintain a healthy balance between your work, your studies and your personal life
Layout and Length
How you present your CV is clearly of vital importance and the key points here are to:
  • Type your CV rather than handwrite it
  • Use good quality paper that is not flimsy but not too thick either
  • Be creative with your presentation and choice of font
  • Keep it to a maximum of two or three pages
  • Put the most important information on the first page
Top Tips for a Graduate CV
A graduate CV should clearly emphasise your qualifications and all of the other invaluable skills and experiences you acquired as a result of your time at university. Here are some useful tips to help you to get your CV noticed out of all the other graduate CVs that people will be sending out:
  • Include full details of the course that you have recently completed, the grade you obtained (if it was an upper second class or a first), the modules studied in your final year and details of any thesis or dissertation
  • Provide information on any industrial placements or internships undertaken during your studies or any time spent studying overseas
  • Include information on any work experience that you have gained including all voluntary, part-time and temporary work and details of a gap year if relevant
  • Highlight any extra-curricular activities you were involved in at university such as membership of societies or sporting teams
  • Specify any academic achievements or awards you may have won and any significant achievements in your personal life
What you have achieved at university is of real significance and you should not be afraid to effectively boast about it in your CV. Graduating is no mean feat and something you should feel very proud of and this should come across in the profile of your CV.

These CV tips were produced with the help of The CV Centre to ensure only the most useful and up to date advice was provided.

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