CV Examples for Students (How to Write a Student CV)

Let’s face it—unless you have a trust fund, you’ll need to get a job at some point. Maybe you’ve just graduated from college and hope to get the first full-time job of your life. Or you’re still a student and need a part-time job to upgrade your diet from instant noodles to Subway sandwiches.

No matter your reasons, finding a job can be quite stressful. But with a professional student CV, it will get much easier! Continue reading to see professional CV examples for students, and follow the guide to write your own.

This guide will show you:

• Real CV examples for students better than 9 out of 10 other samples out there.
• The best CV format for students of any major.
• Step-by-step guidelines for writing a student CV that stands out from the rest.

Need more student-oriented resume and CV guides? Check the articles below:

• Student Resume Examples
• Teens Resume Examples
• High-School Students Resume Examples
• College Resume Examples for High-School Students
• College Freshman Resume Examples
• Engineering Student Resume Examples
• Law School Student Resume Examples
• Student Teacher Resume Examples
• Scholarship Resume Examples

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Student CV Example

Continue reading to see other job-winning CV examples for students.

Undergraduate Student CV Example

Trying to crack the code of how to write such a sample? See here: How to Write an Undergraduate Resume

Ph.D. Student CV Example

Still in the dark when it comes to writing a sample like the above? Use this guide: How to Create a Ph.D. Resume

And this is how to write an excellent student CV:

1. Use a Professional Student CV Template and Format

Now, what does a professional student CV look like? Printed on the back of an old college assignment and handed in all crumpled? Well, it probably won’t land you an interview.

You don’t need to paste memes or print your student CV on parchment with gilded edges. Just keep it neat and include all elements that recruiters expect.

Here’s how to format a student CV template:

• Use easy-to-read fonts for your CV, such as Calibri, Times New Roman, and Verdana.
• Keep the document neat by setting the font size to 11–12 for the text and 13–14 for the headings.
• Add white space by creating necessary sections in your CV and leaving empty spaces between them.
• Set the line spacing as 1–1.5 to keep everything in order.
• Add even CV margins: 1 inch on all sides.
• Use bold and italics to highlight information in the text.

Save time for recruiters and arrange your CV details on one page only. Even if you print on both sides, they probably won’t read all of it. If you have much information to share, try using a two-column CV layout.

We’ve covered the looks of your CV. Now, it’s time to discuss the contents!

These are the sections you should include in a student CV:

• Professional header with your full name, the field of study, and contact information
• Career objective or summary that highlights the most relevant qualifications
• Education section that includes information about extracurricular activities and academic achievements
• Work experience (if you have any)
• Skills that match the job requirements
• Additional parts, such as volunteering, languages, certifications, and memberships

Throughout your CV, follow the reverse-chronological order to describe your relevant experience. That will make your most recent accomplishments pop.

2. Highlight Education in Your Student CV

Did you know that only 37.9% of people aged 25+ had completed a bachelor’s degree or higher? That clearly shows that getting a higher education can put you ahead of other job candidates—but only if you know how to present your education in a student CV!

If you don’t have any work experience yet, or your work experience is very limited, list the education section first in your student CV. It will immediately catch a hiring manager's attention and show your best qualities if you provide enough relevant information about your educational background. Mention all academic or extracurricular achievements, honors, awards, and activities that make you shine. And show that you already have some experience related to the job you want.

Follow these steps to create a powerful education section in a student CV:

• List your highest degree or qualification.
• Add the name of the institution or school.
• Mention the years of study or expected graduation year (if you haven’t finished college yet).
• Add the coursework relevant to the job you’re pursuing.
• Show off your GPA if it’s higher than 3.7.
• Highlight accomplishments such as awards, honors, memberships, and additional activities.

If you haven’t graduated from college or university yet, you can also list your high school in your CV.

Let’s see a few CV examples for students to see how to do it properly:

Student CV Examples: Education

This candidate has a B.Sc. and is working towards becoming a medical professional. Their education section mentions an impressive GPA, accomplishments, and additional activities.

This candidate has a pretty similar educational background to the previous one but clearly doesn’t know how to present it in a CV. The information is too vague, and there’s nothing unusual about it.

If you’re uncertain about what job you can apply for with your degree, check the Field of Degree pages of the U.S. Bureau of Labor. Here, you simply select your field of study, such as “business,” and check the top-employing occupations for people with that degree. You can also see what the entry-level requirements are and what the projected outlook for various careers is.

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3. Fill Your Student CV With Relevant Experience

Are you one of those people who started going for part-time jobs when they were 16? Or maybe you preferred to focus on other things, and you’re now worried that you lack the experience needed to get a job?

Don’t worry! Having an entrepreneur CV like Cory Nieves is unnecessary to become successful. Your student CV can land you a job, even if you haven’t had one before. You just need to use your relevant experience to show off your best qualities.

If you have any work experience, here’s how you should list it in a student CV:

• Start with the most recent job.
• Name your job title first.
• Add the name of the company, location, and employment dates.
• Use action verbs to list your accomplishments in 4–6 bullets.
• List one key achievement at the end to impress the recruiters.
• Choose the correct tense for your CV to describe your experience.
• Add numbers, percentages, and other quantifiers to provide clear examples of your achievements.

Enough talking—check the examples below to see how it’s done:

Student CV Sample: Work Experience

That looks good, doesn’t it? The candidate included all the necessary information and used power verbs at the start of each sentence.

You might think that those with work experience have it pretty easy. What about those job candidates who haven’t worked anywhere before?

Students with no CV experience should expand their education section to show they’re not green behind the ears. But that’s not all.

Here’s what you can add to your experience section of a student CV:

• Internships: This is pretty obvious. An internship in a CV is the first step in your career. Describe it as you would describe a job. Many universities and colleges help to arrange internships for their students, so if you’re interested in doing one, start by checking your school’s website. For example, Cornell University runs its job board for students only.
• Freelance gigs: Many teenagers and young adults earn money in their free time by doing odd jobs, such as lawn mowing, handing leaflets, tutoring neighbors’ kids, designing a family business logo, etc. Use the freelance experience section to your advantage by showing the transferable skills you learned from these jobs. For example, listing babysitting in your CV can show that you are responsible, know how to care for others, and have empathy.
• Personal projects: Maybe you’re a passionate photographer who can use your knowledge of Photoshop to get an entry-level graphic design job? Or you’re running a successful meme fan page that taught you much about social media management? Think of any projects you can include in your CV which will do you good at the next interview.
• Community activities: Being a president of a local chess club requires certain organizational abilities and leadership skills. Don’t be afraid to mention being a part of the community.

Check the example below for inspiration:

CV Example for Students: Internship Experience

This example proves that the candidate didn’t just gossip by the water cooler but did some serious work during the internship.

The candidate above also did an internship. But did they actually learn anything? Or accomplished any tasks? It’s hard to say. That’s why their experience won’t impress a hiring manager.

4. List Professional Skills in Your Student CV

Students have many important life skills, such as sleeping two hours per night, surviving on $10 per week, and partying the night before finals. While those skills are valuable for college life, they might not be exactly what hiring managers look for.

When writing your student CV, you need to add a list of professional skills that make you a good job candidate. Including a mix of hard and soft skills is best, as they’re equally valuable in a workplace.

Student CV Skills Examples

Find inspiration for student CV skills, as it's impossible to name them all here. We divided the list into hard and soft skills because they're equally important.

Hard Skills for a Student CV

• Research
• Editing and proofreading
• Writing skills
• Presentation skills
• Analytical skills
• Budgeting
• Public speaking
• Customer service skills
• Administrative skills
• Management skills
• Project management skills
• Computer skills
• Microsoft Word
• G-Suite
• PowerPoint

Soft Skills for a Student CV

• Active listening
• Communication skills
• People skills
• Teamwork skills
• Adaptability
• Critical thinking
• Assertiveness
• Problem-solving skills
• Decision-making skills
• Time management
• Working with deadlines
• Personal skills
• Goal setting
• Collaboration skills
• Transferable skills

But how do you know exactly which skills to include in your CV?

Follow these steps to make the skill section of your student CV count:

1. Make a long list of skills you’ve got, including hard skills, soft skills, technical abilities, and interpersonal skills.
2. Scan the job advertisement for CV keywords that describe the required skills.
3. Pick the skills you’ve got that match the job requirements.
4. Select 5–8 key skills to add to your student CV.

See? It’s quicker than deciding on your major.

Check a few real CV examples for students below to see theory turned into practice:

Student CV Example: Skill Section

This candidate possesses a set of skills that many college students have. And luckily for them, they’re transferable skills, recognized as the key skills needed to succeed in life.

Pro Tip: The skill section of your student CV isn’t the only place to add skills. Remember to highlight them in other parts of your CV, too. For example, describe your academic accomplishments using skill-related action verbs like organized, collaborated, researched, etc.

5. Add Extra Sections to the CV Format for Students

Your student CV starts looking good. Don’t slow down! Continue filling your job application with the information that’ll impress recruiters. And no, I don’t mean writing about your unbeatable microwave cooking skills.

It’s time to stuff your student CV with additional information.

Here are the most popular additional CV sections:

• Certificates and licenses: It’s easy to find certificate courses about virtually anything. They can provide the knowledge you wouldn’t necessarily learn at college. If you often wonder what to do in your free time instead of scrolling through Instagram, try taking some free online courses and learn something useful, like business communication or project management.
• Publications: Maybe you write or co-authored a research paper in your spare time? Brag about those publications in your CV! Especially if it received positive feedback from readers.
• Memberships and associations: You can find many college clubs and organizations outside the academic world. Join one to strengthen the community, meet new people, and maybe even learn about available jobs! Active participation can also teach valuable skills, like organizing, teamwork, leadership, and more.
• Foreign language skills: Many companies need people who speak languages other than English. Also, include your bilingual skills on your CV—it’s impressive.
• Volunteering experience: Helping others shows that you care and proves you know how to use your abilities. For example, you may have textbook knowledge about coaching, but being a mentor to underprivileged teens is a totally different story. And much more unique.
• Interests and hobbies: It may sound silly, but it’s totally worth including them, as long as they’re relevant to the industry. For example, if you want a job at a restaurant, show that you’re passionate about food by mentioning you write restaurant reviews and learn how to bake sourdough bread from scratch.

As you see, there’s a lot you can add to your student CV. Now, check the examples below to see what others did:

CV Example for Students: Extra Sections

Looks like these candidates know how to spend free time constructively!

This candidate may not receive a phone call from a recruiter anytime soon. Why? Because the provided information is either too vague or just not impressive enough. A beginner level in French probably means that they can only say je t’aime, and Reddit has millions of members, so it’s not an exclusive club. Also, whenever mentioning certificates, it’s important to specify what organization released them—otherwise, it sounds more like a diploma for participation.

6. Create a Student CV Objective

Being off to a great start doesn’t mean you can slack off. And this is true not only for your dating life but also for your job hunt.

A career objective is the last section of your student CV. Instead of having it at the end of the document, the trick is to move it up to follow the header with your personal details and make hiring managers read it immediately.

There’s just one matter to clarify: besides the objective, you might’ve heard about a CV summary. Although it’s fair to have a choice, this one is particularly useful for candidates with plenty of experience. Most students don’t have that. So a career objective is much better, allowing you to refer to other valuable experiences.

What’s the point of adding the objective to a student CV? Both work as a short CV profile of you as a job candidate. You can use it to present your best abilities and summarize your qualifications for the job. And tell how your work can help the company achieve its goals.

Sounds neat? So, let’s see how to write a CV objective.

Follow this formula to write a student CV career objective:

1. Pick a personal quality, like motivated, goal-oriented, or personable.
2. Add your degree, field of study, or job title, depending on your professional experience.
3. Mention relevant experience or knowledge.
4. State the goal you want to achieve on the job you’re pursuing.
5. Highlight your most impressive accomplishments.
6. Use a third-person narrative and contain all the info within 3–4 sentences.

Let’s check a few career objectives from CV examples for students:

Student CV Example: Objective

The example above include the elements you just read about: personal qualities, the field of study, skills, relevant experience, and career goals. All in an easy-to-read portion that can attract the hiring manager’s attention.

This job candidate says what they want to get from the job. But this isn’t interesting to a potential employer. A potential employer wants to know what the job candidate can do for them, not the other way around.

Are you a recent college graduate looking for a job? We’ve got a guide that’s perfect for you. Check here: Resume for Recent Graduates

7. Write a Cover Letter to Match Your Student CV Template

Looks like your student CV is ready! Congrats!

But before you can apply for a job, there’s one more document you must write.

Don’t worry, it’s not as complicated as your college application essay, and you definitely don’t need to tell your whole life story in it. Just follow the right set of instructions and present your best qualities.

To write an effective student cover letter for a job:

1. Use a professional cover letter format, similarly to your student CV format.
2. Address your cover letter with the company’s information and the hiring manager’s name.
3. Write a catchy first line of your cover letter to keep the reader engaged.
4. Present the most relevant skills in the second paragraph.
5. Show your qualifications for the job by explaining how you can help.
6. Finish the cover letter with a hook and a call to action.

Remember that appearances matter, so use a good-looking cover letter template. You can either create one yourself or get a professional cover letter template online.

Creating your job application in Word can be a pain. You can make it easier with free templates. Check here: CV Templates for Downloading

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Key Takeaway

Need a tl;dr version? Here are the steps to writing a great student CV:

• Format your student CV to make it easy to read.
• Write an extensive overview of your educational experience.
• Add any relevant job experience you’ve got.
• Make a list of hard and soft skills that match the job you want.
• Include a few extra CV sections.
• Finish off your student CV with a career objective or summary.
• Write a matching student cover letter, and off you go!

Any thoughts you’d like to share? Maybe you could tell me:

• What’s the most difficult part of writing a student CV?

• What’s your advice for college students writing a job application?

• What academic accomplishments do you find the most impressive?

Let me know in the comments below!

About Zety’s Editorial Process

This article has been reviewed by our editorial team to make sure it follows Zety's editorial guidelines. We’re committed to sharing our expertise and giving you trustworthy career advice tailored to your needs. High-quality content is what brings over 40 million readers to our site every year. But we don't stop there. Our team conducts original research to understand the job market better, and we pride ourselves on being quoted by top universities and prime media outlets from around the world.

Sources

• https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2022/educational-attainment.html
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/
• https://studentemployment.cornell.edu/jobs/student-job-and-intern-service
• https://www.unicef.org/media/64751/file/Global-framework-on-transferable-skills-2019.pdf