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University Student CV: What Recruiters Actually Check

Table of contents

  • University Student CV: What Recruiters Actually Check
  • Learn how to write a strong UK university student CV with recruiter insight, examples, structure, and mistakes that cost interviews.
  • What a University Student CV Needs to Do
  • The Best Structure for a UK University Student CV
  • Contact Details
  • Personal Profile
  • What Recruiters Look for in a University Student CV
  • How to Write Your Education Section
  • Should You Include A Levels and GCSEs?
  • How to Write Work Experience When You Have Limited Experience
  • Use Evidence, Not Empty Claims
  • What to Include If You Have No Paid Work Experience
  • University Student CV Template
  • Full University Student CV Example
  • How to Tailor a University Student CV for Different Roles
  • Tailoring for Internships
  • Tailoring for Part Time Jobs
  • Tailoring for Graduate Schemes
  • Common University Student CV Mistakes
  • Writing Too Generically
  • Making the CV Too Long
  • Listing Duties Without Showing Value
  • Overloading the Skills Section
  • Using a Fancy Design That Hurts Readability
  • What Makes a University Student CV Stand Out
  • How to Write Better CV Bullet Points
  • Should You Include Interests on a University Student CV?
  • How Long Should a University Student CV Be?
  • University Student CV Checklist
  • About the Author
  • FAQ
  • What should a university student put on a CV with no experience?
  • Should a university student CV be one page or two pages?
  • Do recruiters care about university societies on a student CV?
  • Should I include my university modules on my CV?
  • How do I make retail or hospitality experience sound good on a student CV?
  • What is the biggest mistake students make on their CV?

FAQ

If you have no paid experience, include university projects, group assignments, volunteering, society roles, sports leadership, tutoring, personal projects, online courses, and relevant achievements. The key is to explain what you did and what it proves. Recruiters are not expecting a student to have a long employment history, but they do expect evidence of responsibility, communication, initiative, and learning ability.

Most UK university student CVs should be one page. A two page CV is only worth using if you have strong relevant evidence, such as internships, placements, technical projects, research, leadership roles, or substantial volunteering. If the second page is mostly filler, it will weaken the CV rather than improve it.

Yes, if the society experience shows useful responsibility. Simply listing membership is not very powerful. A committee role, event support, fundraising, marketing, mentoring, sponsorship work, or team leadership can be valuable because it shows initiative beyond your degree. Explain the contribution clearly rather than just naming the society.

Include university modules when they are relevant to the role. For example, a student applying for finance, data, marketing, engineering, psychology, law, or technology roles can use modules to show useful subject knowledge. Do not list every module. Select the ones that help the recruiter connect your degree to the opportunity.

Focus on transferable skills and evidence. Retail and hospitality can show customer service, communication, teamwork, problem solving, resilience, cash handling, complaint resolution, and working under pressure. Avoid writing basic duties only. Show the environment, responsibility, and value you brought.

The biggest mistake is writing a generic CV that does not show relevance. Many students list education, jobs, and skills without explaining why those details matter for the role. A strong university student CV is tailored, specific, and evidence based. It helps the recruiter understand your potential quickly instead of forcing them to guess.

University Student CV: What Recruiters Actually Check

Learn how to write a strong UK university student CV with recruiter insight, examples, structure, and mistakes that cost interviews.

A university student CV should show more than your degree and a few part time jobs. In the UK job market, recruiters use it to judge whether you understand the role, can communicate clearly, and have enough evidence of responsibility, motivation, and potential. You do not need years of professional experience. You do need a focused CV that makes your education, skills, projects, work experience, volunteering, societies, and achievements easy to assess. A strong student CV answers one question quickly: why should this employer believe you are worth interviewing for this opportunity? That is the part many students miss. They write a list of everything they have done, when the real job of a CV is to help the recruiter make a confident decision.

What a University Student CV Needs to Do

A university student CV is not a life history. It is a positioning document.

That sounds slightly dramatic, but it matters. When I review student CVs, I am not looking for perfection. I am looking for signals. Can this person communicate? Have they made sensible choices about what to include? Do they understand what the employer cares about? Can I see evidence of reliability, initiative, learning ability, organisation, customer awareness, teamwork, or technical capability?

For UK internships, placements, graduate schemes, part time jobs, campus roles, and entry level positions, your CV needs to do four things:

  • •

    Show your education clearly

  • •

    Present your experience in a relevant way

  • •

    Prove transferable skills through evidence

  • •

    Make it easy for the recruiter to shortlist you

The mistake many students make is thinking, “I do not have enough experience, so my CV will look weak.”

That is not always true. A weak student CV is usually not weak because the student lacks experience. It is weak because the experience is buried, vague, badly explained, or written as if the reader has unlimited time and patience. They do not. Recruiters scan quickly, especially for high volume student roles.

Your CV has to help them see the value fast.

Read more: What Relevant Experience Really Means to Recruiters

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The Best Structure for a UK University Student CV

For most university students in the United Kingdom, the strongest CV structure is:

  • •

    Contact details

  • •

    Personal profile

  • •

    Education

  • •

    Relevant experience

  • •

    Additional work experience

  • •

    Projects, societies, volunteering, or leadership

  • •

    Skills

  • •

    Achievements and interests

You can adjust the order depending on what you are applying for. A student applying for a marketing internship might place relevant projects above retail work. A student applying for a part time customer service role might lead with customer facing work. A final year engineering student applying for a placement might prioritise technical projects, software, and lab based experience.

Read more: Your CV Looks Busy But Hiring Managers Need Results

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What Recruiters Look for in a University Student CV

Recruiters do not read student CVs in the romantic way students imagine. Nobody sits there with a cup of tea, carefully appreciating every module and society membership. For competitive UK roles, recruiters often scan first, then read properly only if the CV passes the initial relevance check.

Here is what they usually check quickly:

  • •

    What are you studying?

  • •

    Which university are you attending?

  • •

    What year are you in?

  • •

    Are you eligible for the role timing?

  • •

    Do you have any relevant experience?

  • •

    Have you done anything beyond attending lectures?

  • •

    Can you explain your responsibilities clearly?

Read more: Short Job Stays on Your CV: What Recruiters Need to See

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How to Write Your Education Section

For a university student CV, education is usually one of the most important sections, especially if you do not have extensive work experience.

Include:

  • •

    University name

  • •

    Degree subject

  • •

    Expected graduation year

  • •

    Current grade or predicted grade if strong

  • •

    Relevant modules

  • •

    Dissertation or major project if relevant

  • •

    Academic awards if relevant

Example

University of Manchester

Read more: Why Recent Experience Matters More to UK Employers

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How to Write Work Experience When You Have Limited Experience

This is where student CVs either become strong or painfully generic.

Many students underplay their work experience because they think retail, hospitality, tutoring, babysitting, warehouse work, admin, bar work, call centre work, or campus jobs are not “professional enough.”

Recruiter reality: those jobs can be very useful evidence if you write them properly.

A part time retail role can show customer service, complaint handling, commercial awareness, reliability, sales, teamwork, stock control, and working under pressure. A restaurant job can show pace, accuracy, communication, resilience, and dealing with difficult customers without visibly losing the will to live. That is a skill, frankly.

The problem is not the job. The problem is writing it like this:

Weak Example

Worked in a shop serving customers and helping with stock.

That tells me almost nothing.

Good Example

Handled customer enquiries, processed transactions, supported stock replenishment, and helped maintain strong shop floor standards during busy trading periods. Trusted to resolve basic customer issues independently and support new starters with till processes.

This version shows responsibility, trust, communication, and operational awareness.

Use Evidence, Not Empty Claims

Instead of saying you have communication skills, show where you used them. Instead of saying you are organised, show what you organised. Instead of saying you work well under pressure, show the situation.

Strong student CV bullet points often include:

Read more: Make Your CV Look Commercial, Not Just Competent

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What to Include If You Have No Paid Work Experience

If you have no paid work experience, do not panic. But also do not leave the CV empty and hope your degree will carry everything.

You can include:

  • •

    University projects

  • •

    Group assignments

  • •

    Society roles

  • •

    Volunteering

  • •

    Fundraising

  • •

    Sports leadership

  • •

    Tutoring

  • •

    Personal projects

Read more: Position Your CV for Better Jobs, Not Just More Jobs

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University Student CV Template

Use this template as a flexible structure, not a rigid form. A good CV should match the role you are applying for.

Full Name

City, UK

Phone number

Professional email address

LinkedIn or portfolio link if relevant

Personal Profile

A short three to five line summary explaining your degree, target role, relevant strengths, and evidence.

Education

University name

Degree title and expected graduation year

Current grade or predicted grade if relevant

Relevant modules, dissertation, academic projects, or awards

Relevant Experience

Job title, organisation, location

Dates

  • •

    Bullet point showing responsibility, skill, and impact

  • •

    Bullet point showing relevant task or achievement

  • •

Read more: The Real Reason Your CV Looks Too Junior for Better Roles

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Full University Student CV Example

This example is written for a UK university student applying for marketing internships, student ambassador roles, and entry level commercial opportunities.

Aisha Khan

Manchester, UK

07123 456789

aisha.khan@email.com

linkedin.com/in/aishakhan

Personal Profile

Second year Marketing and Management student at the University of Manchester, seeking a summer internship in marketing, communications, or commercial operations. Strong experience in customer facing retail, university society promotion, and academic market research projects. Confident creating clear written content, analysing customer behaviour, and working in fast paced team environments.

Education

University of Manchester

BA Marketing and Management, expected 2027

Current grade: First Class average

Relevant modules: Consumer Behaviour, Digital Marketing, Market Research, Brand Management, Business Analytics

Academic project: Developed a campaign proposal for a sustainable fashion brand, including audience research, competitor analysis, positioning, and social media content recommendations.

Relevant Experience

Retail Sales Assistant, Zara, Manchester

October 2024 to present

Read more: Why Your CV Looks Overqualified for Jobs You Want Most

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How to Tailor a University Student CV for Different Roles

Tailoring does not mean rewriting your whole CV every time. It means changing the emphasis so the employer sees the most relevant evidence first.

For a UK internship, placement, graduate scheme, or part time job, read the job description and identify what the employer is really asking for. Not just the obvious words. Look at the behaviour behind them.

When an employer says they want “strong communication skills,” they may mean:

  • •

    Can you speak clearly with customers, colleagues, clients, or stakeholders?

  • •

    Can you write professional emails or reports?

  • •

    Can you explain information without making it messy?

  • •

    Can you listen properly and respond with judgement?

When they say “attention to detail,” they may mean:

  • •

    Will you make careless errors?

  • •

Read more: Show Career Progression on Your CV Without Looking Messy

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Common University Student CV Mistakes

Most weak student CVs fail for predictable reasons. The good news is that these mistakes are fixable.

Writing Too Generically

Generic student CVs sound like this:

“I am a passionate and hardworking student with excellent communication skills.”

That sentence has been used so often it has lost all meaning. It does not make you sound bad, but it does not make you sound credible either.

Recruiters trust evidence more than adjectives. Show the situation, responsibility, and result.

Making the CV Too Long

Most university student CVs should be one page, especially for part time roles, internships, and early applications. Two pages can work if you genuinely have substantial relevant experience, technical projects, placements, publications, or leadership roles.

Do not stretch a CV to two pages because you think it looks more impressive. A padded CV is easy to spot. Recruiters can smell filler. It has a very distinct scent: “excellent team player with great interpersonal skills” repeated in slightly different outfits.

Listing Duties Without Showing Value

A duty tells me what the job involved. A strong bullet tells me how you contributed.

Weak Example

Responsible for social media posts.

Good Example

Created weekly Instagram posts for a student society, helping increase event sign ups by making speaker details, timings, and benefits clearer to students.

Read more: Why Your CV Needs Evidence, Not Just Responsibilities

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What Makes a University Student CV Stand Out

A strong university student CV stands out because it feels intentional.

It does not try to make the student look like they have ten years of experience. It makes their current level look credible, relevant, and employable.

The strongest student CVs usually have three things in common:

  • •

    Clear direction

  • •

    Evidence of responsibility

  • •

    Relevance to the role

Clear direction means I understand what kind of opportunity you are applying for. Evidence of responsibility means I can see where people trusted you to do something useful. Relevance means the CV has been shaped for this employer, not sprayed across every job board in a panic.

Students often think standing out means using bold design, unusual wording, or dramatic personal statements. Usually, it means being clearer than everyone else.

In high volume UK recruitment, clarity is underrated. A recruiter might review dozens or hundreds of student applications. The CV that explains the right evidence quickly has a real advantage.

Read more: Match Your CV to the Job Description Without Sounding Robotic

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How to Write Better CV Bullet Points

Good CV bullet points are specific, evidence based, and relevant. They do not need to sound inflated. In fact, inflated student CVs often make recruiters suspicious.

Use this simple approach:

  • •

    Start with the action

  • •

    Add the context

  • •

    Explain the skill or outcome

  • •

    Keep it relevant to the role

Weak Example

Helped with events.

Good Example

Supported planning and delivery of three university society events by coordinating room bookings, attendee lists, speaker arrival details, and post event feedback.

Weak Example

Worked in a restaurant.

Good Example

Served customers in a fast paced restaurant environment, managing orders accurately, communicating with kitchen staff, and resolving customer queries during busy evening shifts.

Read more: Why Generic CVs Get Ignored in the UK Job Market

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Should You Include Interests on a University Student CV?

Yes, if they add something useful.

Interests can help when they show commitment, achievement, creativity, leadership, discipline, or relevance to the role. They are less useful when they are vague.

“Reading, music, socialising, and travelling” does not say much. It is not offensive. It is just not doing any work.

Better interests might include:

  • •

    Member of university debating society

  • •

    Regular volunteer at a local food bank

  • •

    Completed a half marathon while balancing studies and part time work

  • •

    Built a personal finance blog focused on student budgeting

  • •

    Captain of university netball team

  • •

    Self taught beginner Python through online projects

The point is not to become artificially impressive. The point is to include interests that reveal useful qualities.

Read more: Why Your CV Sounds Good but Still Gets Ignored by Recruiters

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How Long Should a University Student CV Be?

Most UK university student CVs should be one page.

This is especially true if you are applying for:

  • •

    Part time jobs

  • •

    Internships

  • •

    Spring weeks

  • •

    Campus ambassador roles

  • •

    Retail or hospitality roles

  • •

    Entry level admin roles

  • •

    Student society roles

A two page CV may be appropriate if you have:

  • •

Read more: What Makes a CV Trustworthy to Employers in the UK

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University Student CV Checklist

Before sending your CV, check it like a recruiter would.

  • •

    Is the role target clear within the first few lines?

  • •

    Is your degree easy to find?

  • •

    Have you included your expected graduation year?

  • •

    Are your most relevant experiences near the top?

  • •

    Does each bullet point show evidence, not just duties?

  • •

    Have you removed generic phrases that prove nothing?

  • •

    Is the CV tailored to the specific opportunity?

  • •

    Is the formatting simple and ATS friendly?

Read more: How Hiring Managers Really Compare CVs Side by Side

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About the Author

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.

Read more: Why Your CV Gets Opened But Still Gets No Reply Back

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University Student CV: What Recruiters Actually Check

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This is where many generic CV templates become unhelpful. They assume one fixed structure works for everyone. It does not. Recruiters do not reward you for following a template beautifully. They reward clarity, relevance, and evidence.

Contact Details

Keep this section clean and professional.

Include:

  • •

    Full name

  • •

    Mobile number

  • •

    Professional email address

  • •

    City or region

  • •

    LinkedIn profile if it is complete

  • •

    Portfolio, GitHub, website, or creative portfolio if relevant

You do not need to include your full address, date of birth, marital status, nationality, photo, or National Insurance number. In the UK, those details are unnecessary and can make your CV look outdated.

Use a sensible email address. I know this sounds obvious, but recruiters still see student CVs with old school email addresses that should have been retired with MSN Messenger. Use your name or a professional variation of it.

Personal Profile

Your personal profile should be short, specific, and relevant to the role.

This is not the place to say you are “hard working, enthusiastic, and passionate about success.” Those words are everywhere and they prove nothing. A good student profile tells the reader what you are studying, what type of opportunity you are targeting, and what evidence you bring.

Weak Example

Motivated university student with excellent communication skills and a passion for learning. I am hardworking, reliable, and keen to develop my career in a professional company.

Good Example

Second year Business Management student at the University of Leeds, seeking a summer internship in marketing or commercial operations. Strong experience in customer facing retail, university society promotion, and market research coursework, with confident communication skills and a practical understanding of how brands attract and retain customers.

The second version works because it gives direction. It tells me what the student wants, what they have done, and why it connects.

A strong profile should usually be three to five lines. If it becomes a mini essay, it starts working against you.

  • •

    Are your skills backed by evidence?

  • •

    Does the CV match the opportunity?

  • •

    Are there avoidable errors?

  • That last one matters more than students like to admit. A typo will not always destroy your application, but several careless mistakes create doubt. Hiring is often risk management. Employers ask, “Can we trust this person with work, clients, deadlines, data, systems, or customers?” Your CV becomes the first sample of your judgement.

    When a CV is messy, vague, or overloaded, the concern is not just the document. The concern is what the document suggests about how you approach work.

    Fair? Not always. Real? Absolutely.

    BA English Literature, expected 2027

    Current grade: First Class average

    Relevant modules: Digital Publishing, Professional Writing, Modern Literature, Research Methods

    Dissertation focus: Audience engagement and digital storytelling in contemporary publishing

    Do not list every module you have ever taken. Choose modules that support the role. If you are applying for finance internships, include accounting, statistics, economics, financial modelling, business analytics, or quantitative modules. If you are applying for communications roles, include writing, media, digital marketing, research, audience analysis, or presentation based modules.

    This is not about pretending your degree is something it is not. It is about making the relevant parts visible.

    Should You Include A Levels and GCSEs?

    Usually, yes, but keep them brief.

    For first year students, A levels may still be useful because you may not have many university results yet. For final year students, your degree usually matters more.

    A simple format works:

    A Levels: English Literature, Psychology, Sociology

    GCSEs: 9 GCSEs including Maths and English

    If an employer specifically asks for GCSE Maths and English, include them clearly. Some UK employers still use them as screening requirements, especially for apprenticeships, graduate schemes, teaching related roles, finance roles, and regulated environments.

  • •

    The task you handled

  • •

    The people you worked with

  • •

    The outcome or impact

  • •

    The environment or pressure level

  • •

    The skill demonstrated

  • Good Example

    Supported a team of six during peak weekend shifts, balancing customer service, stock replenishment, and till responsibilities while maintaining accurate transactions and a calm customer experience.

    That one bullet tells me far more than “excellent teamwork and communication skills.”

  • •

    Online courses

  • •

    Freelance work

  • •

    Family business support

  • •

    Campus ambassador activity

  • •

    Hackathons, competitions, or challenges

  • The key is to treat these experiences seriously. Do not apologise for them. Explain what you did, how you contributed, and what skills they demonstrate.

    Example

    Group Research Project, University of Birmingham

    Analysed consumer behaviour trends for a retail strategy module, working in a team of five to design a survey, interpret responses, and present recommendations. Took responsibility for structuring the final presentation and summarising key findings for a non specialist audience.

    That is useful. It shows research, teamwork, communication, analysis, and presentation skills. Many employers care about those things more than whether the experience came from a paid job.

    The hidden issue with “no experience” CVs is often not lack of experience. It is lack of translation. Students do things. They just do not always recognise what those things prove.

    Bullet point showing teamwork, communication, technical skill, or commercial awareness

    Additional Experience

    Job title, organisation, location

    Dates

    • •

      Bullet point showing transferable skills

    • •

      Bullet point showing reliability, customer service, leadership, or organisation

    Projects, Volunteering, or Societies

    Role or project name

    Organisation or university

    Dates

    • •

      Bullet point explaining what you did

    • •

      Bullet point showing outcome, contribution, or skill

    Skills

    • •

      Technical skills

    • •

      Software skills

    • •

      Language skills

    • •

      Research or analytical skills

    • •

      Communication or presentation skills, only when evidenced elsewhere

    Achievements and Interests

    Include achievements that show discipline, commitment, leadership, creativity, enterprise, or resilience.

    •

    Support customers on a busy shop floor, handling product enquiries, fitting room support, stock checks, and till transactions during peak trading periods

  • •

    Develop strong commercial awareness by observing customer buying patterns, visual merchandising changes, and product demand across different seasons

  • •

    Trusted to support new starters with till processes, stock room routines, and customer service standards

  • •

    Handle customer complaints calmly and escalate complex issues when needed, maintaining a professional and practical approach under pressure

  • Marketing Society Events Volunteer, University of Manchester

    September 2024 to present

    • •

      Help promote student networking events through social media posts, lecture shout outs, and direct student engagement across campus

    • •

      Support event logistics including guest registration, room setup, speaker coordination, and post event feedback collection

    • •

      Contributed ideas for improving attendance by making event messaging clearer and more relevant to first and second year students

    University Project Experience

    Consumer Behaviour Research Project

    University of Manchester, 2025

    • •

      Worked in a team of five to research how UK students respond to discount led marketing in fashion retail

    • •

      Designed survey questions, reviewed competitor activity, and helped analyse responses from over 100 students

    • •

      Presented findings to seminar group with practical recommendations on brand trust, pricing, and social media messaging

    Additional Experience

    Private Tutor, GCSE English

    Manchester, 2023 to 2024

    • •

      Supported two GCSE students with essay structure, revision planning, and exam confidence

    • •

      Adapted explanations to different learning styles and gave clear written feedback after each session

    • •

      Built strong communication, patience, and planning skills through one to one teaching

    Skills

    • •

      Market research and survey analysis

    • •

      Social media content planning

    • •

      Customer service and complaint handling

    • •

      Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Canva, Google Workspace

    • •

      Written communication and presentation delivery

    • •

      Urdu: conversational

    Achievements and Interests

    • •

      Completed a university enterprise challenge focused on sustainable retail ideas

    • •

      Member of Marketing Society and Women in Business Society

    • •

      Interested in consumer psychology, fashion retail trends, and inclusive brand storytelling

    This CV works because it does not pretend the student is already a senior marketer. It shows potential in a believable way. It connects retail experience to commercial awareness, society work to promotion, and academic projects to marketing thinking. That is exactly how a student CV should work.

    Can you handle data, documents, or processes accurately?

  • •

    Will someone need to check everything you touch?

  • When they say “proactive,” they may mean:

    • •

      Will you wait to be told every tiny step?

    • •

      Can you notice what needs doing?

    • •

      Can you ask useful questions instead of sitting silently confused?

    This is the part students often miss. They copy the words from the job advert, but they do not prove the behaviour behind those words.

    Tailoring for Internships

    For internships, employers usually want evidence of curiosity, learning ability, relevant academic or project work, and enough professionalism to trust you in a workplace.

    Prioritise:

    • •

      Relevant modules

    • •

      Projects

    • •

      Societies

    • •

      Technical skills

    • •

      Commercial awareness

    • •

      Part time work with transferable skills

    Tailoring for Part Time Jobs

    For part time jobs, employers often care about reliability, availability, customer service, teamwork, and common sense.

    Prioritise:

    • •

      Customer facing experience

    • •

      Shift work

    • •

      Reliability

    • •

      Cash handling or till work

    • •

      Communication

    • •

      Working under pressure

    Tailoring for Graduate Schemes

    For graduate schemes, employers often screen for academic performance, leadership, structured thinking, motivation, and evidence of achievement.

    Prioritise:

    • •

      Degree and predicted grade

    • •

      Leadership roles

    • •

      Internships or placements

    • •

      Projects with measurable outcomes

    • •

      Society responsibility

    • •

      Problem solving and analytical examples

    The good version shows ownership and impact.

    Overloading the Skills Section

    Do not list every skill you have ever heard of. If your skills section says communication, leadership, teamwork, Microsoft Office, problem solving, time management, creativity, and organisation, it becomes background noise.

    Include skills that are relevant and believable. Technical skills, software, languages, research methods, data analysis tools, coding languages, design tools, lab techniques, or sector specific knowledge are especially useful when relevant.

    Soft skills should usually be proved in your experience section rather than listed like decorations.

    Using a Fancy Design That Hurts Readability

    Creative CVs can work for design roles if they are still readable. For most UK student applications, keep the design clean, simple, and ATS friendly.

    Applicant tracking systems may struggle with columns, text boxes, icons, unusual fonts, graphics, and heavy formatting. Even when the ATS reads it, the recruiter still has to understand it quickly.

    A beautiful CV that hides the evidence is not a strong CV. It is a poster with career anxiety.

    Weak Example

    Did a group project at university.

    Good Example

    Collaborated with four students on a market research project, analysing survey responses and presenting recommendations on student purchasing behaviour.

    The good examples work because they do not just name the task. They show how the task was handled.

    For student CVs, this section can be helpful because early career candidates are still building professional evidence. Just keep it concise and relevant.

    A placement year

  • •

    Multiple internships

  • •

    Strong technical projects

  • •

    Research experience

  • •

    Publications

  • •

    Significant volunteering or leadership

  • •

    Relevant freelance work

  • •

    A portfolio based career path

  • The real rule is not “one page always.” The rule is: do not make the recruiter work harder than necessary.

    If the second page adds strong evidence, use it. If it repeats, pads, or explains things nobody asked for, cut it.

  • •

    Have you checked spelling, grammar, dates, and consistency?

  • •

    Would a recruiter understand your value in under thirty seconds?

  • That last question is brutal, but useful. If the answer is no, the CV needs tightening.

    A student CV does not need to be perfect. It needs to be clear, relevant, and credible.