A template designed for students and graduates entering the workforce.
Students applying for internships, placements, or entry-level roles are competing on potential as much as experience. Recruiters understand that your work history is limited — what they are looking for is evidence of relevant skills, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to show up and contribute. Your education, coursework, projects, and extracurricular involvement all count as evidence. Whether you are applying for a summer internship at a bank, a graduate scheme at a consultancy, or a part-time role while studying, the goal is to show you are a fast learner who will not need hand-holding.
Final-year Computer Science student at Boston University with hands-on experience in web development and machine learning. Built 3 full-stack applications and completed 2 technical internships.
Student CVs are judged differently from experienced professionals. Recruiters know you do not have decades of experience, so they look for potential signals: internships, personal projects, academic achievements, leadership in student organisations, and the ability to articulate what you learned from each experience. Your projects section is especially important — it shows initiative and practical application of your studies.
Focus on skills relevant to your target role. For tech students: programming languages, frameworks, and tools you actually used in projects. For business students: Excel, data analysis, presentation skills, and CRM tools. Always include soft skills like teamwork and communication, but back them up with specific examples rather than just listing them.
Including every module you studied is unnecessary. Recruiters do not care about your second-year geography elective. Instead, highlight your GPA (if strong), relevant coursework, and your dissertation topic if it relates to the job. Another mistake is leaving out personal projects — side projects often impress recruiters more than coursework because they show self-motivation.
One page, no exceptions. Put Education near the top since it is your strongest section. Include a Projects section if you have relevant work. Use a professional email address and include your LinkedIn and GitHub profiles. Avoid listing "Microsoft Word" as a skill — it is expected of everyone.
Figures in USD. Ranges reflect mid-level experience (3–7 years). Senior roles and major metro areas typically sit at the top of these bands.
Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and Google run competitive graduate and internship programmes that receive thousands of applications — your CV needs a strong academic record, evidence of leadership, and any relevant project or society work. Consumer goods companies like Unilever or P&G value commercial awareness and data-driven thinking even at student level, so show any exposure to real business problems. Smaller companies and start-ups are often more willing to take a chance on students who show genuine curiosity and a portfolio of self-directed work.
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