How long should a graduate CV be?

One page is ideal. Two pages maximum if you have a placement year or multiple internships. With limited work history, there isn't enough relevant content to justify more, and recruiters won't read past it for an entry-level role.

What if I have no work experience at all?

Lead with your degree and mine it for transferable skills. Group projects show teamwork, your dissertation shows research and time management, presentations show communication. Include volunteering, society roles and any university enterprise activities. Frame everything around skills, not tenure.

Should I include a photo on my graduate CV?

No. UK CVs do not include photos, and adding one can trigger bias or look unprofessional. The same goes for date of birth, marital status and nationality, leave them off.

Do I need a cover letter as well as a CV?

Yes, if the job advert asks for one. A cover letter lets you explain why you want the role and how your degree and experience fit. Keep it to one page and tailor it to the specific job, don't just repeat your CV.

What if my degree classification is lower than a 2:1?

If you have a 2:2 or Third, you can still include it (some employers ask for it), but don't lead with it. Focus on relevant modules, your dissertation, work experience and skills instead. If you have mitigating circumstances (illness, caring responsibilities), you can mention them briefly in a cover letter.

How do I tailor my graduate CV for different roles?

Rewrite your personal statement for each application, naming the specific role and sector. Reorder your skills and modules to match the job description. If applying for a data role, lead with your Econometrics module and Excel skills; if applying for a content role, lead with your dissertation and writing experience.

Graduate CV Example

Updated 17 June 2026

A graduate CV flips the usual script. Without years of work history, your degree, academic achievements and transferable skills do the heavy lifting. This guide shows you how to write a graduate CV that sells your potential, with real examples and a structure that puts education front and centre.

Graduate CV examples

Recent Graduate (Business)

Junior

Recent business economics graduate with a 2:1 honours degree from Lancaster University. Strong analytical and communication skills developed through academic research and customer-facing retail work. Seeking a graduate analyst role in the healthcare or public sector.

Why it works: Leads with a strong 2:1 degree and relevant modules, uses part-time retail work to show transferable skills, and keeps it to one page.

Data analysis (Excel, SPSS)Statistical modellingReport writingPresentation skillsStakeholder communicationTime management

Jane Doe

Business Graduate

+44 7700 900123

jane.doe.grad@email.com

https://linkedin.com/in/janedoe

SUMMARY

EXPERIENCE

Sales Assistant

Meridian Retail Group

Sep. 2023

Jun. 2025

•

Served an average of 60 customers per shift, consistently meeting sales targets and receiving positive feedback for clear communication.

•

Trained 4 new starters on till procedures and stock management, demonstrating leadership and patience.

•

Resolved customer complaints calmly and professionally, maintaining a 95% satisfaction rating across 200+ interactions.

•

Collaborated with a team of 8 to reorganise the shop floor layout, improving product visibility and increasing footfall conversion by 12%.

SKILLS

Data analysis (Excel, SPSS)

Statistical modelling

Report writing

Presentation skills

Stakeholder communication

Time management

Teamwork

Problem solving

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science (Hons)

Lancaster University

Business Economics

2022

2025

•

Classification: 2:1

•

Modules included Econometrics, Healthcare Economics, and Public Policy Analysis.

•

Dissertation: 'The Impact of NHS Funding Models on Patient Outcomes' (awarded 68%).

•

Led a team of 5 in a consultancy project for a local charity, delivering a financial sustainability plan that was adopted by the board.

A-Levels

St. Anne's Sixth Form College

2020

2022

•

Economics (A), Mathematics (B), English Literature (B)

GCSEs

Oakwood Academy

2018

2020

•

10 GCSEs, grades 9-6, including Maths (8) and English Language (7)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Languages:

English (Native)

Spanish (Intermediate, B1)

Interests:

•

Volunteered with a local food bank for 18 months, coordinating weekly deliveries and liaising with 15+ donors.

•

Member of the university Economics Society, attending guest lectures and networking events.

Build your graduate CV →

How to write a graduate CV

Structure and length

A graduate CV should be one page (two at most). With limited history, there isn't enough relevant content to justify more, and recruiters won't read past it for an entry-level role.

The section order for a graduate CV is:

Name and contact details
Personal statement
Education (before work experience)
Skills
Work experience
Hobbies and interests (optional)
References

Section	What to include	What to leave out
Personal statement	Degree, classification, university, career goal (2-3 sentences, under 150 words)	Generic claims without evidence, life story
Education	University, degree title, classification, dates, relevant modules, dissertation topic, academic projects	Every single module, GCSE grades listed individually (summarise instead)
Skills	Role-relevant technical and soft skills (8-12 items)	Vague claims like "hardworking" without context
Work experience	Part-time jobs, internships, placements, volunteering, framed around transferable skills and impact	Low-responsibility tasks with no achievement angle
Hobbies/interests	Activities that evidence leadership, teamwork or initiative, with specific examples	Generic lists ("reading, travelling")
References	One academic (tutor, dissertation supervisor), one work-related	"References available on request" (just list them)

Personal statement

Open with your degree and lead straight into what you offer. A strong graduate personal statement is 2-3 sentences: who you are (degree, classification, university), what you bring, and your career goal.

Experience

With limited professional history, include part-time jobs, internships, work placements, volunteering and even university enterprise activities (like Young Enterprise competitions). Frame every bullet around transferable skills, teamwork, communication, problem solving, and back them with numbers.

Skills

List 8-12 role-relevant skills. Mix technical (tools, software, methodologies) with soft skills (communication, time management). If you can't show a skill through work, show it through your degree: group projects, presentations, dissertation research.

Education

This is your strongest section. List your university, degree name, classification and dates. Then add:

Relevant modules (especially when they match the role you're applying for)
Dissertation or final-year project (title and grade if strong)
Academic achievements (group projects, presentations, awards)

For A-Levels and GCSEs, summarise older qualifications: "10 GCSEs, grades 9-6, including Maths (8) and English Language (7)" rather than listing each one.

Hobbies and interests

Only include these if they evidence skills you can't yet show through work: leadership (captain of a sports team), teamwork (society committee member), initiative (organising events). Be specific and back claims with examples.

Personal statement examples

Strong

Weak

Hardworking and motivated recent graduate looking for an opportunity to use my skills and grow in a dynamic organisation. I am a strong team player with excellent communication skills and a passion for learning. I am eager to start my career and make a positive contribution.

Writing your experience

The result-plus-metric pattern

Even part-time jobs and internships can show impact. Every bullet should follow the pattern:

Action verb + task + result (with a number)

Graduates often list duties ("responsible for serving customers") instead of achievements. Flip that.

Weak (duty-focused)	Strong (result-focused)
Responsible for serving customers in a busy retail environment	Served an average of 60 customers per shift, consistently meeting sales targets and receiving positive feedback for clear communication
Helped with organising society events	Organised 6 guest-speaker events attended by an average of 45 students, managing a budget of £800 and increasing society membership by 20%
Assisted with data entry and admin tasks during internship	Built a Python data-processing pipeline that automated the ingestion of 10,000+ records per day, reducing manual work by 12 hours per week

Mining academic experience

If you don't have much work history, your degree is a goldmine. Look for:

Group projects: teamwork, conflict resolution, meeting deadlines
Presentations: public speaking, stakeholder communication
Dissertation: research, analysis, report writing, time management
Leadership roles: society committee, course rep, mentoring

Action verbs for graduates

Research and analysis: Analysed, evaluated, investigated, researched, synthesised, interpreted

Communication: Presented, wrote, edited, liaised, collaborated, communicated

Leadership and initiative: Organised, coordinated, led, managed, trained, mentored

Problem solving: Resolved, improved, streamlined, automated, redesigned, optimised

Key skills & ATS keywords

Hard skills

Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)Data analysis (SPSS, R, Python)Research methodsReport writingSocial media managementContent management systems (WordPress, Drupal)Programming (Python, Java, JavaScript)Foreign languagesAdobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign)Project management tools (Trello, Asana)

Soft skills

CommunicationTeamworkTime managementProblem solvingAttention to detailAdaptabilityInitiativeLeadershipCritical thinkingPresentation skills

ATS keywords

Degree classification (2:1, First Class)University nameRelevant modulesDissertation topicInternshipPlacement yearVolunteer experiencePart-time workTransferable skillsAcademic projectsGroup workResearch skills

Education & certifications

How to present your degree

Your degree is the centrepiece of a graduate CV. List it before work experience, and include:

University name (full official name)
Degree title (e.g. Bachelor of Science (Hons))
Subject (e.g. Business Economics)
Classification (First Class, 2:1, 2:2, omit if lower or still awaiting results)
Dates (start year and end year)
Relevant modules (especially when they match the role)
Dissertation or final-year project (title and grade if strong)
Academic achievements (group projects, awards, presentations)

Example:

University of Edinburgh | Bachelor of Science (Hons), Computer Science | 2021–2025

Classification: First Class
Modules included Software Engineering, Database Systems, Machine Learning, and Human-Computer Interaction.
Final-year project: "A Machine Learning Approach to Sentiment Analysis of Social Media Data" (awarded 82%).
Led a team of 4 in a group software-engineering project, delivering a web application on time and presenting the work to a panel of 3 academics.

A-Levels and GCSEs

Summarise older qualifications rather than listing every grade:

A-Levels: List subjects and grades (e.g. "Economics (A), Mathematics (B), English Literature (B)").
GCSEs: Summarise (e.g. "10 GCSEs, grades 9-6, including Maths (8) and English Language (7)").

Don't list every GCSE individually, it wastes space and recruiters don't care about your Year 10 geography grade.

Certifications for graduates

Most graduates won't have professional certifications yet, but if you do, list them in an Achievements or Certifications section:

Tech: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, Google Analytics, Microsoft Office Specialist
Languages: IELTS, DELF (French), DELE (Spanish)
Project management: Prince2 Foundation, Agile Foundation
First aid: First Aid at Work (if relevant to the role, e.g. care, education)

Only include certifications that are relevant to the role you're applying for. A lifeguard certificate won't help you land a graduate analyst job unless you're framing it as evidence of responsibility and quick decision-making.

Common mistakes to avoid

Omitting your degree classification or subject
Always include your classification (if 2:1 or above) and the full degree title. Recruiters screen for this. If you're still awaiting results, write "Expected classification: 2:1" or "Results pending (June 2026)".
Listing duties instead of achievements in work experience
Every bullet should show impact. Not "responsible for serving customers" but "served an average of 60 customers per shift, consistently meeting sales targets and receiving positive feedback."
Padding the CV with irrelevant course descriptions
Only list modules that are relevant to the role. A marketing graduate applying for a content role should mention "Digital Marketing and Social Media Strategy," not "Quantitative Methods for Business."
Devoting space to low-responsibility part-time work instead of academic achievement
If your part-time job was just washing dishes, keep it to one line and focus on your degree, dissertation and academic projects instead.
Writing a generic personal statement that could apply to any role
Tailor your personal statement to the role. Name the job title you're applying for and link your degree and skills to it. "Seeking a graduate analyst role in the healthcare sector" is better than "looking for an opportunity to grow."
Listing hobbies without showing how they evidence skills
Don't just write "reading, travelling, football." If you captain a football team, say so and explain what it shows: "Captain of university football team, leading training sessions for 20+ players and coordinating match-day logistics."

Junior vs senior: what changes

Aspect	Junior	Senior
Personal statement	Leads with degree, classification and university; focuses on transferable skills and career goal	Leads with degree but emphasises placement/internship experience and technical skills gained in real-world roles
Education section	Detailed: lists relevant modules, dissertation topic, group projects; may include A-Levels and GCSEs in full	Concise: degree, classification, dates; modules and dissertation only if directly relevant; A-Levels and GCSEs summarised or omitted
Work experience	Part-time retail/hospitality jobs, volunteering; bullets focus on transferable soft skills (teamwork, communication)	Placement year, internships, volunteer roles with technical responsibilities; bullets show measurable impact and technical skills
Skills section	Mix of soft skills (time management, teamwork) and basic technical skills (Microsoft Office, social media)	Technical skills dominate (programming languages, tools, methodologies); soft skills are evidenced in experience bullets rather than listed
Achievements	Academic awards, society roles, volunteering milestones	Hackathon wins, internship projects, technical certifications, open-source contributions
Length	One page (limited history)	One to two pages (placement/internship experience adds depth)