10 CV Tips For Terrified Graduates

10 CV tips to help terrified graduates bag the job they want after finishing university.

Every recent graduate knows the dreaded question – “So, what are you going to do now?” But take some deep breaths and dust off your CV, because we have 10 effective CV tips to ease your nerves and set you on the path to getting your dream graduate job!

1) What to include on your CV

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The jump from your student CV, to your CV as a fully-fledged graduate is a pretty big (and daunting!) one. Now you’re looking for more than a part-time job to top-up your student loan, you’re searching for the start of your career.

With that in mind, make sure your name, contact details & location are clear on your CV. HRS Recruitment say that you want your potential employer to know who you are and how exactly they can get in touch with you. The main trick here is to put yourself in your employers shoes – what information would you want to know about a potential employee?

2) Work experience

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Filling out the work experience can be a daunting task for new graduates – maybe you feel you don’t have much professional experience, or your work experience placements have only been for short periods of time, but worry not!

The main thing here is to highlight the abilities you gained from your previous work experience placements and jobs. Don’t forget, volunteer work can be included here too! Did you ever contribute to student media? Did your café job improve your time-management abilities? Acorn Recruitment advise graduates to keep experience and work history truthful as employers will ask questions and you don’t want to get caught out!

3) Skills

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As previously mentioned, skills are an essential ingredient for any good CV. Take the time to list your best skills – do this compactly and with context. Good CVs are concise and back-up any claims they make with context for evidence.

For example, you might say ‘I am a confident and competent public speaker’, this could be backed up with an example of a presentation you received a good mark for whilst at university.

4) Interests & Hobbies

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A lot of recent graduates make the mistake of packing their CV full of their academic and professional qualifications without making any room for details on who they are.

Remember, employers are looking to hire graduates who have the whole package – and that means personality too. That being said, be selective with the hobbies you include, this is still a professional document and a sentence on your passion for long distance running is probably better to include than a liking for binge watching Netflix (unless you’re looking to become a film & TV critic!)

5) References

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Many graduates are daunted by the prospect of including references on their CV, but they are a key element which – even before they’ve been checked – instil a reassurance in your employer that you are a trustworthy employee as you are happy to let someone else vouch for your character. Monster jobs suggest you do not use family or friends as references on your CV as biased sources appear less reliable.

Always check with referees before listing their contact details on your CV, and don’t be afraid to ask academics from university if you’re falling short on the professional front.

6) Don’t waffle

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Waffles are great…but only for breakfast. On your CV steer away from long rambling paragraphs and try and stick to concise points which say everything they need to without stumbling into irrelevant topics.

Remember, employers often receive a high volume of CVs from graduates and sometimes they only have time to quickly scan the CVs they receive – make sure they see the key things that make you employable by sticking to the essential points.

7) Design & style

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The look of your CV can be as important as the content – if your CV is typed in a too small font, or uses funky, unprofessional colours, you could be sending the wrong vibe. . Office Angels recommend that your font should ideally be size 12 and a maximum of 18 for headings.

Try Googling examples of good CVs in the line of work you’re seeking to be in – and don’t forget, put any skills you have to use. If you’re good with Adobe InDesign or Microsoft Publisher, why not use these applications to lay out a visually attractive CV?

8) Proofread

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This step is not to be missed! We know that sometimes it can be hard to motivate yourself to read through the whole of your CV when you feel like you’ve already read each section a million times already.

However, you’ll be amazed by the amount of typos your eyes can glaze over when they’ve been looking at the same page for a long time. The best proof reading tip is to give yourself a break, and come back to your CV later with fresh eyes. Use this time to look out for any grammatical or spelling errors, as well as any typos which may have slipped through the net.

9) Cover letter

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A good CV is the foundation of any job application, but never send it off alone! A cover letter is your chance to expand on your experience and specify how exactly it fits in with the specific role you are applying for. HRS Recruitment say writing to show how you meet the job requirements is one of the most important functions of a cover letter.

It can be tempting to simply copy and paste the contents of your cover letter, changing only the company name – but resist! Employers can usually spot a generic cover letter a mile off, and it makes you look lazy; not the vibe you want to give a potential employer!

10)Job interview

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If you’ve made it to the job interview then congrats, you’ve already stood out from a bunch of other graduate applicants! Still, here are a few things to remember going into your interview:

- Maintain eye contact, Michael Page Recruitment’s Human Resource officer, Adrian Dawson says, “Giving direct eye contact shows your interviewer that you are engaged and confident and suggests that you may be better at managing relationships and people.”

- Ask questions! Asking questions at the end of your interview shows your enthusiasm for the job and an eagerness to learn – two things employers love to see.

We know graduating university can be scary business, but using these CV tips are bound to make hunting for grad jobs less scary – and more successful! – so the next time someone asks you “So, what are you going to do now?” you can feel confident in your answer.