Best CV Format for Fresh Graduates

Starting your career without much work experience can feel like a disadvantage, but employers hiring fresh graduates know that. They look for potential, skills and attitude, and your CV format can help show all three.

Which format should fresh graduates use?

A skills-based or combination format works well. Put education and skills first, then projects, internships and activities. Once you have more work experience, you can move to a reverse-chronological format.

Recommended sections

• Contact details and LinkedIn profile
• Career objective or short profile
• Education
• Skills
• Projects and internships
• Volunteering, societies and achievements
• Certifications and languages

Write a short, specific profile

Avoid generic lines like hardworking and motivated. Say what you studied, what you can do and what role you want. For example: Business graduate with strong skills in data analysis and presentations, looking for an entry-level marketing analyst role.

Make education work harder

• Degree, university and graduation year
• Final year project or thesis title, with a one-line description
• Relevant coursework for the job
• GPA or class honors if strong

Use projects and activities as experience

Class projects, internships, freelance work, volunteering and student society roles all show skills employers want, such as teamwork, leadership and communication. Describe what you did and what resulted.

Formatting basics

• Keep it to one page, two at most
• Use a simple font like Calibri or Arial at 10 to 12 pt
• Use clear headings and consistent dates
• Save as PDF and use a professional email address

Mistakes to avoid

• Padding the CV with irrelevant details
• Adding a long list of skills you cannot demonstrate
• Spelling and grammar errors
• Sending the same CV to every employer