How to Write a Good CV for Students – Resume Examples for Students (PDF)
How to Write a Good CV for Students – Resume Examples for Students (PDF)
When writing a student CV, things will be a whole lot easier if you prepare beforehand. It is necessary you start by jotting down notable achievements in a list, as this will help you identify the points that are worth mentioning, and what’s not quite impressive enough to include.
You also need to look out for resume examples for students to ensure that your CV is well structured and different enough to grab the recruiter’s attention, as a great CV can make you stand out in the heat of competition from other students or fresh graduates like you.
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Article Guide:
- What is a student CV?
- How to structure your student CV
- What you should not include in your student CV
- 7 tips to make your student CV stand out
- Sample student CV template
- Conclusion
How to Write a Good CV for Students – Resume Examples for Students (PDF)
What is a Student CV?
A CV (curriculum vitae) is a marketing document that depicts academic prowess and career growth, meant to persuade a person in authority that you are most eligible for a position.
A student CV or university student resume is typically a two page document that encompasses contents geared towards your interest and goals in the course of study of your choice. The resume of a student will include more scholarly content, such as research experiences, laboratory skills, and publications.
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How to Structure Your Student CV
To successfully build curriculum vitae for students, it is advisable for one to look out for CV samples for students to ensure that their CV is well structured and pleasing to the eyes of recruiters.
To write the best possible student CV, we recommend structuring it in this order:
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Contact details
Your full name should be in a large font at the top of the page. Below your name, include your current address (remember to keep it up-to-date if you’re moving soon), email address and contact phone number.
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Personal statement (optional)
This is not the place to write your life story. Your personal statement should simply state who you are and what type of work you are looking for, in not more than two sentences. For example, “I’m an undergraduate Business Administration student on track for a solid 2’1 degree. I’m currently looking for part-time work in retail to complement the skills and ambitions I can offer your company.”
Note: A personal statement in your CV is only relevant if you’re confident that it is a strong opening sentence.
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Education and qualifications
In this section, list your most recent education first (i.e. university), then A Levels (or equivalent). Remember to include the name of each school, university or other institution, as well as the years that you attended. If you’re an undergraduate, you can still include your expected degree classification and share any previous year grades if you have them. It can also be a good idea to list some key modules that you’ve taken, especially if they demonstrate your relevant knowledge, skills or interest in a certain job role. After this, you should include all of your A level subjects and grades.
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Employment history
When including your employment history, do that with your most recent job. You should include paid work (full-time and part-time), voluntary work, internship placements and shadowing roles. It is important to state the months and years that you worked at each place, as well as the company name and your specific job title. In order to show that you are suitabile for the job you’re applying for, highlight the key skills and responsibilities that you gained under each experience, making sure that they’re relevant to the role you’re currently applying for.
How to Write a Good CV for Students – Resume Examples for Students (PDF)
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Main achievements (optional)
This isn’t absolutely necessary, but it can help to give more insight into you as a person and set you apart from the competition. Remember to make these achievements relevant to the employer and always demonstrate the key skills you demonstrated to get them.
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Other skills
You might be called upon in an interview to defend whatever skill you put in this section, so don’t make anything up and have relevant examples ready in case you’re asked. If it’s relevant to the role you’re applying for, be even more specific and mention computer programmes you’re skilled in such as Adobe Photoshop. You can also mention any online courses you’ve taken, or even having a full, clean driving license can be included in this section.
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Hobbies and interests (optional)
You need to be selective about which hobbies to include in a CV, as this section is your opportunity to show what you do outside of work and give the employer another insight into your character. If you need to include your hobbies, keep it short and avoid obvious things such as “reading” or “socializing”. Hobbies such as playing instruments, and going on tour, are much better options that could make you stand out from the crowd.
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What You Should Not Include in Your Student CV
As an undergraduate or a postgraduate student, there are some errors that may be included in your CV or fresh graduate resume that can pose a great threat for your short listing to a particular position if neglected. Here are seven things you should not include in your student CV.
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Your age
Adding your age to your CV isn’t really necessary because it is better not to provide any information that could work against you. If the role you are applying for has age-related requirements, you can simply state that you meet them and don’t go into any more detail.
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Burying important information
Make relevant information stand out on your CV, because your CV will have little time to impress and convince a recruiter into calling you for an interview in person.
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Bad review about a former employer
When writing your resume, omit any details about why you left a job or, if still employed, why you’re dissatisfied with your current position. You might include a statement about the kind of role you are looking for, but keep it positive.
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Spelling or grammatical errors
Ensure that you double-check the spelling on your CV, and also ensure that you are writing in the correct tense. If you are using the third person, stick to it throughout. You can also use spell-checking software or ask a mentor or friend to look over your CV to be absolutely sure you are on the right track.
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Passive language
Your resume is your chance to make an impression on a recruiter, so make sure you take full advantage of that with strong action words and a roundup of all the things that make you a great choice for the job.
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Too much information
Avoid giving out lengthy information when writing your student CV. Include only positions that are relevant to the job you are applying for. When listing job duties, limit the list to three or four brief examples and include a skill you developed to add relevance.
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Miscellaneous extra content
Focus your CV on what you can bring to an employer, and leave out anything that doesn’t contribute to that, including; photographs, unexceptional academic results, non-business social media or websites, etc.
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7 Tips to Make Your Student CV Stand Out
- Keep your CV within two pages of A4, an employer is unlikely to read anything longer than this.
- There is no required format, do not be bothered if your CV looks different from others you’ve seen. Instead, this will help you to make your CV stand out.
- Keep sentences and paragraphs short and snappy, and avoid being vague.
- Be mindful of coloured fonts, keep everything consistent and easy to read.
- Highlight key skills and examples throughout, and keep them up-to-date.
- Back up skills with relevant experiences.
- Always proofread and spell check the document before sending it off.
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Sample Student CV Template
Curriculum vitae formats for students are designed to guide you into creating your own student CV. For the purpose of ease and effectiveness, there are websites available that can generate resume format for students and as well provide simple resume format for freshers. Let’s take an example with one simple resume format for students and a pdf template attached:
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Jennifer Roberts
Bluesea Estate, Lagos – 08081734967 – jenniferroberts@gmail.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY –
A progressive professional who is always looking for opportunities to take on a new challenge and effect change in the society with her work. Contributor to a number of blog sites, freelance content consultant, and newspaper correspondent.
EXPERIENCE –
Content Creator – July 2020 – Present
- In house content writer / consultant.
- Partnered on external and internal projects designed to enhance learning and problem solving.
- PR consultant for our social media and community outreach programs.
Content Writer – August 2019 – July 2020
- Researched relevant topics and wrote content for the company’s websites, using SEO techniques.
- Generated and pitched new content ideas.
- Provided support and collaborated with the company’s SEO specialist, and other members of the content team.
Content Intern – March 2019 – August 2019
- Wrote articles for the lifestyle segment of the company’s news app.
- Provided support to the content team.
- Co-wrote a 10 episode web series with the content lead.
Admin & Accountant – January 2019 – March 2019
- Managed the daily running of the office.
- Acted as a liaison between the company and clients.
- Handled basic accounting for the company.
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EDUCATION –
Jain University, India – July 2015 – April 2018
Programme: Bachelor Of Arts In Journalism, Psychology, and Optional English
- Majored in Journalism, Psychology, and Optional English.
- Acted as secretary for Psychology club,
- Acted as financial secretary for the college’s association of African students.
SKILLS –
- Soft Skills: Leadership, Public speaking, Adaptability, Creativity
- Professional Skills: Editing and proofreading, Content marketing, Social media marketing, Graphic designing, Video editing, Scriptwriting, Research, Business development, and Public Relations
INTERESTS –
- Writing, books, movies, mythology, history, music, travelling, playing guitar
CERTIFICATIONS –
- Beginners Google Analytics
- Advanced Google Analytics
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Download Student CV Template here
The CV example for students’ pdf template above is a document that will direct you on how to design your CV to your own taste. You can also visit Resumelab for further guidance and templates to help create your student CV.
Conclusion
Following the tips, dos and don’ts in this article on creating a student CV, as an undergraduate, postgraduate and fresh graduate seeking a role in several organizations, you can use the template provided in this article as a base to build up and help structure your CV.
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