Choose from a wide range of NEWCV resume templates and customize your NEWCV design with a single click.
Use ATS-optimised Resume and resume templates that pass applicant tracking systems. Our Resume builder helps recruiters read, scan, and shortlist your Resume faster.
Use professional field-tested resume templates that follow the exact Resume rules employers look for.
Create Resume
Use professional field-tested resume templates that follow the exact Resume rules employers look for.
Create ResumeA good college student CV is not about pretending you have years of experience. It is about showing that you are reliable, teachable, organised, and worth taking a chance on. In the UK job market, most employers hiring college students are not expecting a polished corporate CV. They are looking for evidence that you can turn up on time, communicate properly, follow instructions, handle responsibility, and fit into a team without creating extra work for everyone around you. That is the honest version.
The mistake I see many students make is trying to sound “professional” in a way that feels fake. Hiring managers can spot it quickly. Your CV should be clear, simple, relevant, and specific. If you have no paid work experience yet, that is fine. You still need to prove value through college projects, volunteering, responsibilities, achievements, extracurricular activities, part time work, work experience, or practical skills.
A college student CV is usually used for part time jobs, weekend work, apprenticeships, work experience, internships, volunteering, entry level roles, retail jobs, hospitality jobs, customer service roles, admin support, and early career opportunities.
The purpose is not to make you look like a finished professional. You are not supposed to sound like a senior manager trapped inside a student body. The purpose is to show that you have enough attitude, reliability, and basic ability for an employer to consider you.
When I review a student CV, I am not expecting a long career history. I am looking for signs of potential. That means I pay attention to things like:
Have they made the CV easy to read?
Do they understand what the employer needs?
Can they communicate clearly?
Have they shown responsibility in any setting?
Do they seem reliable?
Have they included relevant skills rather than random filler?
For most UK college students, a one page CV is enough. If you have strong work experience, volunteering, achievements, or relevant projects, two pages can be acceptable, but do not stretch the CV just to look more established.
A clear college student CV should usually include:
Name and contact details
Short personal profile
Education
Work experience, volunteering, or work experience placement
Skills
Achievements or extracurricular activities
Interests, only if relevant or useful
Is the CV honest, or does it sound copied from the internet?
That last one matters more than students realise. A CV full of phrases like “highly motivated individual with excellent interpersonal skills” tells me almost nothing. It is not wrong, but it is so overused that it becomes invisible.
A stronger student CV gives practical proof. For example, instead of saying “excellent communication skills”, it is better to say you helped customers during a Saturday retail placement, presented a group project at college, supported younger students, or handled enquiries at a charity event.
Recruiters and hiring managers believe evidence faster than adjectives.
References, usually stated as available on request or left out completely
The layout should be simple. Recruiters do not need fancy graphics, photo boxes, icons, skill bars, or colourful blocks. In fact, those can make your CV harder to read and sometimes less friendly for an applicant tracking system, also known as an ATS.
A good student CV should be easy to scan in under 30 seconds. That is not because recruiters are lazy. It is because most screening decisions start with a quick relevance check before anyone reads carefully. If your CV looks messy, vague, or overdesigned, you make that first check harder than it needs to be.
Use a clean font, clear headings, consistent spacing, and simple bullet points. Save the design energy for your actual work, not a CV template that looks like it was created during a Canva identity crisis.
Your personal profile should be short, specific, and relevant to the type of role you want. This is not the place for your life story. It is also not the place to describe yourself as “passionate” six times before breakfast.
A good college student CV profile should answer three questions:
What are you studying?
What type of opportunity are you looking for?
What practical strengths can you bring?
Weak Example
I am a hardworking and motivated college student with excellent communication skills. I am a team player and always willing to learn. I am looking for an opportunity to develop my skills.
This is not terrible, but it is generic. I have seen versions of this profile hundreds of times. The problem is that it could belong to anyone. It gives no context, no direction, and no proof.
Good Example
I am a Level 3 Business student looking for a part time retail or customer service role alongside my studies. Through college projects and volunteering at local events, I have developed strong communication, organisation, and problem solving skills. I am reliable, confident speaking with people, and comfortable working in busy environments.
This works better because it gives the employer something to work with. It tells them what the student is studying, what type of role they want, and why they may be suitable.
For apprenticeships, the profile should be slightly more focused on career direction.
Good Example
I am a Level 3 IT student seeking an apprenticeship in technical support or digital services. I have practical experience troubleshooting basic hardware and software issues through college projects and helping family members with device setup. I am keen to build my skills in a professional environment and learn from experienced technical teams.
That profile feels realistic. It does not oversell. It positions the student as interested, relevant, and trainable.
For a college student CV, education usually comes near the top because it is often your strongest evidence. Employers understand that you may not have much work history yet, so your course, predicted grades, subjects, projects, and attendance can matter.
Include your current college, course, dates, and key subjects or modules if relevant.
Good Format
Level 3 Business Diploma, Manchester College, Manchester
September 2024 to Present
Relevant modules include marketing, business communication, customer service, finance, and enterprise planning.
If your GCSEs are relevant, include English and Maths clearly. Many UK employers, apprenticeship providers, and training schemes care about these because they are often minimum requirements.
Good Format
GCSEs, Oakfield Secondary School, Birmingham
Completed 2024
Including English Language, Maths, Science, Business Studies, and Media Studies.
If you have strong grades, include them. If your grades are still pending, say predicted or expected. If your grades are not strong, you can keep the section factual and focus more on skills, projects, and experience.
Here is the recruiter reality: most employers do not read your education section like a school report. They are not analysing every grade unless the role requires it. They are checking whether you meet the basics and whether your course makes sense for the opportunity.
For example, if you are applying for a childcare apprenticeship, your Health and Social Care course matters. If you are applying for retail, your Business course can support the application, but your availability and customer service attitude may matter more. If you are applying for IT support, your computing modules and practical projects become more important.
The education section should not just list your college. It should help the employer understand your direction.
No work experience does not mean no value. It means you need to show evidence from other places.
This is where many students panic and either leave the CV empty or fill it with vague personality claims. Neither helps.
If you have no paid work experience, use:
College projects
Volunteering
Work experience placements
Helping at family businesses
School responsibilities
Sports teams
Student ambassador roles
Charity events
Community activities
Personal projects
Online courses
Practical coursework
The key is to translate these into employer language. Employers are not just interested in what you did. They are interested in what it shows.
For example, a group project can show teamwork, communication, planning, presentation skills, and meeting deadlines. Volunteering can show reliability, initiative, customer interaction, and responsibility. Supporting younger students can show patience, leadership, and communication.
Weak Example
I have not had a job before, but I am willing to learn.
This is honest, but too passive. It tells the employer what you lack before showing what you offer.
Good Example
Although I have not yet had paid work experience, I have built transferable skills through college projects, volunteering at community events, and helping organise activities for younger students. These experiences have helped me develop confidence, reliability, teamwork, and communication skills that I can bring into a workplace.
That is still honest, but it gives the recruiter something to evaluate.
Here is what employers actually think: they do not reject students only because they have no experience. They reject students when the CV gives them no reason to believe the student will be reliable, useful, or easy to train.
Your job is not to invent experience. Your job is to show potential clearly.
The best skills for a college student CV are practical, relevant, and believable. Do not list every skill you have ever heard of. A student CV with 25 skills usually looks less convincing, not more.
Useful skills may include:
Communication
Teamwork
Time management
Organisation
Customer service
Problem solving
Reliability
Attention to detail
Basic IT skills
Microsoft Office
Google Workspace
Cash handling, if you have done it
Social media support, if relevant
Presentation skills
Research skills
Working under pressure
But do not just list skills in a block and expect the employer to believe them. The strongest CVs connect skills to evidence.
Weak Example
Skills: communication, teamwork, leadership, organisation, problem solving, IT, creativity, confidence, hard working.
This reads like a keyword pile. It does not help the recruiter understand anything.
Good Example
Communication: Presented group project findings to a class of 20 students and contributed to customer facing volunteering at a local charity event.
Organisation: Managed coursework deadlines across multiple modules while supporting a college enterprise project.
IT skills: Confident using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Google Docs, and Canva for college assignments and presentations.
This is much stronger because it gives context. Recruiters are not allergic to skill lists, but they trust skills more when they are attached to real examples.
For UK student jobs, the most valuable skills are often not dramatic. Reliability, communication, availability, and common sense carry a lot of weight. Employers hiring students usually know they can train you on the till, booking system, stock process, or admin software. What they cannot easily train is whether you will turn up, listen, and treat people properly.
If you have work experience, even a small amount, make it count. A weekend job, babysitting, tutoring, helping in a shop, volunteering at events, or doing a short placement can all be useful.
Do not just list duties. Show what you handled, who you worked with, and what skills you used.
Weak Example
Sales Assistant, Local Shop
I served customers and helped with stock.
This is too thin. It tells the recruiter almost nothing.
Good Example
Sales Assistant, Local Convenience Store, Leeds
June 2025 to Present
Serve customers in a busy local shop, including answering questions, handling payments, and supporting a positive customer experience.
Help restock shelves, check product displays, and keep the shop floor tidy during peak trading periods.
Work with colleagues to complete tasks quickly while staying polite and professional with customers.
Developed confidence dealing with different customers and staying calm during busy shifts.
The difference is detail. Not fake detail. Useful detail.
For a work experience placement, write it like this:
Work Experience Placement, Admin Support, Local Accountancy Firm, Bristol
March 2025
Supported the office team with filing, scanning, data entry, and organising client documents.
Observed how staff handled client communication, appointment scheduling, and confidential information.
Used Microsoft Excel and Word to update simple documents under supervision.
Learned the importance of accuracy, confidentiality, and professional communication in an office environment.
This works because it does not exaggerate. It shows exposure, contribution, and learning. Hiring managers like honest CVs. They do not expect you to have transformed the business during a five day placement. Calm down, LinkedIn.
Below is a realistic UK college student CV example for a student applying for part time retail, customer service, or early work experience opportunities.
Name
Amelia Khan
Contact Details
Birmingham, UK
07123 456789
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ameliakhan
Personal Profile
I am a Level 3 Business student at Birmingham Metropolitan College looking for a part time retail or customer service role alongside my studies. Through college projects, volunteering, and customer facing work experience, I have developed strong communication, organisation, and teamwork skills. I am reliable, confident speaking with people, and comfortable working in busy environments where good service and attention to detail matter.
Education
Level 3 Business Diploma, Birmingham Metropolitan College, Birmingham
September 2024 to Present
Relevant modules include business communication, customer service, marketing, enterprise planning, and finance.
Current coursework includes a group enterprise project where I helped plan a small product launch, research customer needs, prepare presentation materials, and present findings to classmates.
GCSEs, Hillcrest Secondary School, Birmingham
Completed 2024
Including English Language, Maths, Business Studies, Media Studies, and Combined Science.
Work Experience
Work Experience Student, Customer Service Team, Local Community Centre, Birmingham
March 2025
Welcomed visitors, answered basic questions, and directed people to the correct rooms during community events.
Helped organise sign in sheets, event materials, and refreshments for local workshops.
Supported staff with tidying public areas and preparing rooms between sessions.
Built confidence speaking with members of the public and staying calm in a busy environment.
Volunteer Event Assistant, Charity Fundraising Day, Birmingham
November 2024
Assisted with setting up tables, organising donated items, and helping visitors during a local charity event.
Worked with other volunteers to keep the event organised and welcoming.
Helped answer simple questions from visitors and supported the team during busy periods.
Developed teamwork, communication, and problem solving skills.
Key Skills
Customer Service
Confident speaking with people politely and professionally, developed through volunteering and work experience in public facing settings.
Communication
Able to explain information clearly, ask questions when needed, and contribute to group projects and presentations.
Organisation
Managed college deadlines alongside volunteering and extracurricular responsibilities.
Teamwork
Worked effectively with classmates, volunteers, and staff during group activities and events.
IT Skills
Confident using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Google Docs, Google Slides, Canva, and basic Excel for coursework and presentations.
Achievements and Activities
Took part in a college enterprise project, helping with research, planning, presentation slides, and group delivery.
Supported a charity fundraising event that involved speaking with visitors and helping the event team.
Completed online customer service learning through college enrichment activities.
Interests
I enjoy business, fashion retail, social media content, and community volunteering. These interests have helped me understand customer behaviour, presentation, and communication.
References
Available on request.
The biggest mistake is trying to sound older or more experienced than you are. A student CV should be mature, but it should not read like it was written by a committee of bored executives.
Common mistakes include:
Using a generic personal profile copied from a template
Making the CV too long
Including irrelevant personal details
Using an unprofessional email address
Adding a photo when it is not needed
Listing skills without evidence
Leaving out volunteering or college projects
Writing “no experience” instead of showing transferable experience
Using messy formatting
Sending the same CV for every application
Exaggerating responsibilities
Forgetting to include availability for part time jobs
That last one is especially important. For many UK part time employers, availability can be the difference between being shortlisted and ignored. If you can work evenings, weekends, holidays, or specific days around college, say so.
Good Example
Available for evening and weekend shifts, with additional availability during college holidays.
This helps the employer immediately understand whether you fit their rota. It is not glamorous, but hiring is often practical before it is inspirational.
Another mistake is writing too much about what you want without showing what the employer gets. It is fine to say you want to learn, but every employer is quietly asking, “Yes, but what can you help with?”
A stronger CV balances ambition with usefulness.
You should not completely rewrite your CV for every job, but you should adjust it. A student applying for a retail job should not use exactly the same emphasis as someone applying for an IT apprenticeship.
For retail and hospitality, highlight:
Customer service
Communication
Reliability
Working under pressure
Teamwork
Availability
Confidence speaking with people
For admin roles, highlight:
Organisation
Accuracy
IT skills
Written communication
Confidentiality
Time management
Attention to detail
For apprenticeships, highlight:
Career interest
Relevant subjects
Practical projects
Motivation to learn
Long term direction
Any related experience
For childcare or care related roles, highlight:
Patience
Responsibility
Communication
Safeguarding awareness, if you have it
Empathy
Reliability
Relevant course content
Recruiters notice when a CV has been adjusted properly. I do not mean stuffing the job title into every line. I mean making the most relevant evidence easier to see.
If a job advert mentions customer service three times and your CV hides your customer facing volunteering near the bottom, you have made the recruiter work too hard. Do not make people dig for the reason to shortlist you. Put the strongest matching evidence where they will see it quickly.
When a recruiter or hiring manager opens a college student CV, they usually scan for immediate signals. The first scan is not deep reading. It is pattern recognition.
They are likely checking:
Does the student live within a realistic distance?
Are they studying something relevant?
Do they have any work experience or transferable experience?
Is their availability suitable?
Is the CV clear and professional?
Do they seem reliable?
Can they communicate properly?
Are there obvious mistakes?
This is why clarity matters so much. A good CV does not make the reader guess.
For student roles, small signals can influence decisions. A clear email address, tidy formatting, specific availability, and evidence of responsibility can make you seem more employable before the interview even happens.
On the other hand, a messy CV with vague claims creates doubt. Hiring managers may not say, “This CV has poor candidate positioning.” They will say something more human, like, “I am not sure about this one.” That usually means the CV did not give them enough confidence.
Your CV should reduce doubt.
An applicant tracking system is software employers may use to store, filter, and manage applications. Not every part time job uses a formal ATS, but many larger employers, apprenticeship providers, retailers, hospitality groups, and public sector organisations do.
ATS friendly does not mean robotic. It means readable.
To make your college student CV ATS friendly:
Use clear headings such as Education, Work Experience, Skills, and Achievements.
Avoid text boxes, icons, columns, and heavy graphics.
Use standard job titles and course names.
Include keywords from the job advert naturally.
Save the file as a Word document or PDF, depending on what the employer asks for.
Keep formatting simple and consistent.
Do not hide important information in images.
The phrase “ATS keywords” gets overcomplicated online. For a student CV, it usually means using the same normal language as the job advert. If the advert says customer service, communication, stock replenishment, cash handling, Microsoft Office, or teamwork, and you genuinely have those skills, include them naturally.
Do not keyword stuff. A recruiter reading “customer service customer service customer service” will not be moved. They may be slightly concerned.
Use this framework before sending your CV.
Relevance
Does the CV clearly match the type of role you want?
Evidence
Have you shown proof of your skills through college, volunteering, work experience, or activities?
Clarity
Can someone understand your background in under 30 seconds?
Honesty
Does the CV sound like a real student, not a fake corporate profile?
Usefulness
Have you shown what you can help the employer with?
Practical details
Have you included location, contact details, education, availability where useful, and relevant skills?
This framework works because hiring is not only about being impressive. It is about being understandable. A recruiter cannot shortlist what they cannot quickly understand.
Before you apply, read the job advert and ask yourself: “What would this employer worry about when hiring a student?”
They may worry about reliability, availability, confidence, lack of experience, training time, or whether you can handle customers. Your CV should quietly answer those concerns.
That is the real purpose of a strong student CV. Not to show off. To reduce risk.
A strong college student CV is clear, honest, specific, and relevant. You do not need to look perfect. You need to look employable.
In the UK job market, employers hiring students usually want someone who can learn quickly, communicate well, follow instructions, and be trusted with basic responsibility. Your CV should show those qualities through evidence, not empty claims.
Do not apologise for being early in your career. Everyone starts somewhere. But do not expect employers to guess your potential either. Show it.
Use your college work, volunteering, responsibilities, projects, hobbies, and activities properly. Connect them to the skills employers actually care about. Keep the layout clean. Tailor the CV to the opportunity. Be specific about what you can offer.
The best college student CVs are not the fanciest. They are the ones that make the hiring decision easier.
Written by Simar Malhi, a recruiter and headhunter with international recruitment experience. I write about CVs, job applications, hiring decisions, and the reality behind recruitment processes. My goal is to help candidates understand more honestly how employers, recruiters, and hiring managers actually select candidates.
Upload Resume
Import from Linkedin