Creating your graduate’s CV can be a frustrating task.
It is usually frustrating because, often as a graduate you don’t have many ideas on what should go into your CV.
Everyone would have been a newcomer at some point in their lives to the working world. As a graduate, your CV needs to reflect not only your past accomplishments, but your untapped talent and future potential.
Ready to take the next step? Check these Post Graduate jobs and apply!
Structure of your CV
When structuring your graduate CV, take advantage of the internet.
The internet offers many CV templates which you can customize. These templates are often more modern and visually appealing.
Ensure the designs are likeable, yet professional. For example, you can use a design combination of blues, greys, black and white if you’re applying to a corporate post.
- Formatting your CV
Your format must allow the information on your paper to be well-positioned and organised to make reading easier. You can set indent margins around your paper to one (1) inch, or if your template already has a set border or margin. Arial or Calibri, size 11 is usually your most appropriate font option, unless stated otherwise in the job description.
Regarding your personal information, just your first and last name will be enough. Include your contact number and a professional sounding email – preferably your name.
When using headings to describe each section of your CV, ensure they are bold or in a larger font. This allows the interviewer to easily skim through the CV. If your CV’s format is confusing, it will ultimately be discarded.
What should a graduate’s CV include?
Start your CV with a professional statement using words from the job description. Words such as ‘driven’, ‘diligent’ ‘proactive’ or a ‘problem-solver’ can would captivate the reader. Furthermore, if the employer uses software to sift through applications based on key words, the mere fact that your CV reflects the job description gives you a competitive advantage.
Include at least one (1) hard skill such as computer operations, data analytics, project management or social media marketing. Hard skills demonstrate you have the ability to create, improve or fix something that may require a solution within the organisation.
Finally, in your professional statement, include your intent. How are you going to use your knowledge and skills to benefit the employer?
- Education & qualifications
Highlight your degrees, certificates, completed courses and other forms of training you would have taken. Mention any coursework performed, special projects that you were assigned. For example, did you write any research papers or dissertations? What was the topic or issue you were addressing? What forms of research did you undertake? What solutions you came up with and how did you communicate this to the company involved?
Reflect you educational experience as more than just the typical theory study and test. Demonstrate you were researching, seeking new solutions and ways to make a positive difference even before you graduated to communicate to the employer you are indeed a proactive problem solver as you described in your professional statement.
- Work experience
Your interviewer would ultimately understand that at this stage in your professional, your scope of work will be limited. Nevertheless, what they will be seeking to determine is if you have engaged in any legitimate activities that constitutes productivity and output. This includes:
- Freelance work – research, transcribing, data entry, social media marketing, computer or phone repairs
- Family business -you may not have been an official employee, but any part-time contribution you made in a business belonging to family, relatives or a friend, you should definitely include.
- Tutoring, event planning, transportation, catering, photography or any other services you would have provided on at least a semi-regular basis within your neighbourhood.
- Being part of On the Job Training (OJT) or any other State programs for graduates
- Philanthropy, volunteer work for political or environmental campaigns
- Campus activities – student clubs and organisations you may belong to and have organised events or executed projects for.
- Skills
It is crucial that you only include those skills you have a story to demonstrate how you use it. For example, if you were the leader of a student body in university, you can include leadership and people management skills.
- Hobbies and interests
The activities in your spare time should also help sell you as a candidate. Include hobbies that have a correlation with the requirements of the job description. For example, hobbies such as sports indicates to a potential employer you have teamwork abilities. Playing musical instruments, collecting keepsakes or charity work can demonstrate initiative, self-discipline and mental engagement.
How long should your graduate CV be?
If advertising a vacancy or interviewing graduate students, employers will anticipate one (1) page length for your CV. Focus on the main areas outlined and keep the content to one letter sized sheet.
Graduate CV template
Your name/Address/Email/ Contact number
Professional Profile
A recent graduate from the University of the West Indies, Barbados, with qualifications and skills to offer to the world of business.
These include communication, data analytical skills, problem-solving, and social media management. Seeking to leverage a first-class degree to provide operational solutions to private firms within the financial services industry.
Education
University of the West Indies (2017 – 2020) – Bachelors of Science Business Management, with minors in Finance. Coursework completed included:
- Quantitative Methods for Business
- Marketing management
- Management accounting
- Financial reporting & analysis
- Banking & risk management
Experience
Student related activities (2018 – 2020)
- Led and organised student body activities and events
- Served as chairperson for the UWI’s history & cultural society for one (1) year
- Assisted lecturers in organising course material and grading first-year papers.
Coursework – Final year dissertation
Conducted a thesis paper analysis on Company X and the challenges they were facing in developing an efficient and accurate financial reporting system. Duties performed included:
- Interviewing senior management about the state of the company’s financial reports and discrepancies between the corporate vision and the daily operations.
- Research multiple models for financial reporting and identified the best solutions for Company X.
- Compile findings in a comprehensive report with adequate figures, visuals and analysis
- Presented the findings of the research to boardroom on company executives
- Entertained questions from boardroom and illustrated how the findings identified a clear cut financial reporting strategy for Company X.
Hobbies & interests
- Football
- Hiking
- Playing piano
- Volunteering at local hospice
What should I read next?
- Read our article about How to create a professional profile
- Read our article about Find a job with no experience
- Read our article about How to write a resume in Trinidad
