Students, graduates & first jobs CV guide
Education first: grades, relevant modules, dissertation or capstone. Part-time jobs, volunteering and projects all count as experience; show what you achieved.
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Sections to include
| Section (in this order) | How important |
|---|---|
| Profile | Recommended |
| Education | Expected |
| Projects & coursework | Recommended |
| Work experience & internships | Recommended |
| Volunteering | Recommended |
| Skills | Recommended |
Tips
- Education first: grades, relevant modules, dissertation or capstone.
- Part-time jobs, volunteering and projects all count as experience; show what you achieved.
- One page is ideal.
Questions
What should a student and graduate CV include?
A student and graduate CV needs your contact details, education, and usually profile, work experience and internships, skills, projects and coursework and volunteering. Lead with what employers in this field check first, and back it up with specific examples. Education first: grades, relevant modules, dissertation or capstone. The CV Atlas readiness check flags anything this field expects that your CV is missing.
What order should the sections of a student and graduate CV be in?
Use this order for a student and graduate CV: Profile, Education, Projects & coursework, Work experience & internships, Volunteering and Skills. Put the most important evidence for this field near the top, and list entries within each section with the most recent first. Contact details and your name always come first, in the header. Some countries change the order, for example Japan lists history oldest first, and CV Atlas applies that automatically.
How long should a student and graduate CV be?
One page. A student and graduate CV should fit on a single page: education first, then projects, part-time work and volunteering that show what you can do. Cut anything that does not support the job you are applying for, and keep the layout simple and easy to scan. Pick your target country in CV Atlas and it applies the local length and paper size.
How do I make a student and graduate CV stand out?
Part-time jobs, volunteering and projects all count as experience; show what you achieved. One page is ideal. Be specific: name the systems, settings and results, start each bullet with a verb, and keep it to one line where you can. Show the scale of your work with numbers where it helps. Tailor the first lines of your profile and each role to the job advert.
Which jobs does the student and graduate CV guide cover?
This guide covers 11 job titles, including Student, Graduate, School leaver, Intern, Graduate trainee, Apprentice, Working holiday and Summer job. They share the same CV structure and checks. If your exact title is not listed, type it into CV Atlas and pick the closest field. Country rules such as photos, length and references are added on top when you choose where you are applying.
Jobs this guide covers
Student · Graduate (any field) · School leaver · Intern · Graduate trainee · Apprentice · Working holiday · Summer job · Part-time job · Career changer · Returning to work
Country guides
Photo, date of birth, length and paper size change by country. Start with United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, or see all 200 countries.
Open the builderYour first CV is free. The builder applies these rules and checks your CV before you download it.
Guidance checked October 2026. General information for most employers, not legal or immigration advice. A job advert’s own instructions always come first. CV Atlas is not affiliated with any regulator or professional body named.