Graduate CV Example
A graduate CV leads with education and uses everything else, including placements, projects, societies, volunteering and part-time work, as evidence of the competencies employers assess. You are not expected to have a long work history. You are expected to show potential, motivation and an ability to reflect on what you have done.
This example follows UK conventions: one to two pages, British spelling, a degree classification and a personal statement at the top.
Example graduate personal statement
Business management graduate with a 2:1 and a twelve-month industrial placement in the supply chain team of a consumer goods company. Analysed supplier performance data, presented findings to managers and helped coordinate a product launch. Treasurer of the university hockey club. Seeking a place on a graduate scheme in operations or supply chain.
Key skills for a graduate CV
- Research and analysis
- Written communication and report writing
- Presenting to groups
- Teamwork and collaboration on group projects
- Time management across study, work and activities
- Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint
- Subject-specific software or technical skills from your degree
- Foreign languages, with your level
Example work experience bullet points
- Completed a 10,000-word dissertation on consumer attitudes to sustainable packaging, based on a survey of 200 respondents, awarded a first-class mark.
- Analysed weekly supplier delivery data during a placement year and presented a summary to the supply chain manager each month.
- Led a team of five on a final-year consultancy project for a local business, presenting recommendations to the owner.
- As treasurer of the hockey club, managed the annual budget, collected subscriptions from 60 members and secured sponsorship from a local firm.
- Worked 12 to 16 hours a week in a supermarket throughout university, training new colleagues on the tills.
- Volunteered as a student ambassador at open days, giving campus tours and answering questions from applicants and parents.
How to write your graduate CV
- Place education first and include classification, relevant modules and your dissertation.
- Write up placements, societies and part-time jobs with bullet points, exactly as you would a graduate job.
- Match your examples to the competencies or strengths the employer publishes.
- Keep to one full page unless you have a placement year or substantial experience.
- Ask your university careers service to review it; most support recent graduates as well as current students.
UK CV or US resume?
UK graduate CVs state a degree classification, such as a 2:1, and are aimed at graduate schemes and graduate jobs. In the US, the equivalent is an entry-level or new graduate resume: one page, with GPA where it is strong, honors, relevant coursework and internships, and American spelling throughout.
Frequently asked questions
What should a graduate CV include?
Contact details, a short personal statement, education with classification and relevant modules, experience including placements and part-time work, positions of responsibility, skills and, optionally, interests.
How long should a graduate CV be?
One page is ideal for most graduates in the UK, and two is acceptable with a placement year or significant experience. A US new graduate resume should be one page.
What if I have no work experience at all?
Use academic projects, your dissertation, societies, sport, volunteering and caring responsibilities. Describe what you did and what resulted, and consider adding short-term experience through volunteering or insight programmes.