Graduate CV: Examples, Templates, and Writing Tips

Ensure your CV format is structured to best highlight your unique experience and life situation.

We’ve prepared eight more CV examples for you, so no matter what you studied and to which level, you can take inspiration from one of our graduate CV samples. Let’s get started.

1. Engineering graduate CV example

Engineering specialities differ: you may be a civil engineer, mechanical engineer, or aerospace engineer. Here’s a chemical engineering graduate CV example that should provide ideas no matter your field:

Here’s why this CV for an engineering graduate would make a great impression on employers:

• Uses elements that stand out: This example uses button elements to help key information stand out, like contact details and key skills.
• Has international experience: The candidate has worked in both the UK and Ireland, which highlights their dynamism and ability to adapt to new environments and situations.
• Makes use of a one-column design: Simple CV templates often use one column. These designs are much easier and less fiddly to fill in, saving you time.

2. Science graduate CV example

There are many fields of science, but here’s a bioinformatics science CV example for you to glean ideas from:

There are a few reasons why this science graduate’s CV is likely to get them the job they’re after:

• Rates each skill: This applicant includes six hard skills on their CV, and rates all of them objectively so employers can see where the applicant might hit the ground running and where they might need some training. This level of honesty can endear you to employers.
• Uses a bold colour scheme: Ensure employers don’t lose your CV in a pile of applications by using a bold yet professional colour scheme like this enticing red.
• Impresses despite short experience entries: With only voluntary work and internships under their belt, this applicant still manages to impress with strong bullet points that feature numbers.

3. Accounting graduate CV example

A career in accounting can be prosperous and fulfilling. To get onto that accounting graduate scheme you’ve been eyeing, consider how this applicant has written their accounting graduate CV:

Recruiters would scoop up this accounting graduate CV for a couple of reasons:

• Uses a conservative design: Accounting is a traditional industry, so keep your CV lowkey. Use black, grey, and/or white coupled with a simple design.
• Includes relevant interests: Team sports is a good hobby to highlight on any CV because it demonstrates good teamwork and communication abilities.
• Adds CV icons: Want your contact details to stand out? Consider using CV icons to draw the grad scheme recruiters’ eyes to them and get in touch with you for an interview.

4. Finance graduate CV example

Ready to enter the heady world of finance? Peek at our finance grad CV example to see how to write yours:

A few features of this finance graduate CV help it stand out from the competition:

• Uses a traditional design: Like accounting, financial firms prefer to see a conservative design. This CV uses mostly black with some green highlights — just to help it stand out.
• Is one page long: This candidate doesn’t have much professional experience just yet, so they’ve used a one-page CV template. That’s absolutely fine when you’re inexperienced. You can ‘graduate’ to a standard two-page CV when you’ve gained experience and skills.
• Includes a relevant hobby: This candidate mentions they read financial literature when they’re not working, showcasing their passion for the finance sector.

5. Marketing graduate CV example

Take marketing theory and put it into practice in a marketing job. Here’s an effective marketing graduate CV example to show you how to apply for one:

There are a few reasons why a marketing graduate would want to use this sample:

• Benefits from a modern CV design: This two-column, brightly orange CV design is perfect for marketing roles. Marketing firms tend to respond well to modern, creative designs, so use a template like this for your marketing application.
• Keeps your location private: Employers reach out to candidates primarily by email or phone, so it’s becoming more common not to list your address on your CV for privacy reasons. This candidate has just listed their city, but you can also just list your postcode, or even the first half of it (e.g., DL13).
• Includes a relevant dissertation title: This applicant wants a social media role, so they’ve listed their dissertation title, which fittingly is about social media trends.

6. Law graduate CV example

If the law beckons, you’ll need to make your case with your CV. Here’s a law graduate CV, edited and approved by legal recruiter Paul McGinn, that you can draw inspiration from:

Here’s what this graduate CV by a law student does right:

• Features relevant voluntary work: Although this candidate is only a graduate, they’ve made sure to impress law recruiters by including voluntary work, specifically for the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB).
• Includes key certifications: Gaining an LLB is only the start if you wish to become a paralegal, solicitor, or barrister. This applicant includes two key certifications that signal to employers they’re committed to their chosen legal career path.
• Mentions hobbies that utilise skills useful in the legal profession: Rowing demonstrates good teamwork skills, volunteering for the CAB shows client relation skills, and chess demonstrates strategic thinking skills — all vital CV skills for would-be lawyers.

7. Psychology graduate CV example

Whether you’re a Jungian or a Freudian, you’ll be ready to apply for jobs in the psychology field once you’re done looking over our psychology graduate CV example:

This psychology student is poised to land their first graduate job. Here’s a couple of things their CV does excellently:

• Includes a detailed education section: This graduate has an enviable academic background, and they detail it in full along with their relevant qualifications.
• Uses strong action verbs: Action verbs are strong starts to your bullet points and help you sound proactive, keep your sentences short, and focus on your accomplishments instead of your daily duties.
• Has a space-saving design: Instead of including your contact details on a separate line, this CV template lets you pop them next to your name.

8. PhD graduate CV example

If you’ve graduated with your master’s and are embarking on a PhD, you might be looking for side jobs or internships, so a CV is vital. Here’s a PhD grad CV sample you can take a look at for ideas:

This PhD grad’s CV has a few particularly compelling features:

• Includes relatively large amounts of experience: It’s uncommon for graduates to have a lot of experience, but this candidate’s done three internships and one voluntary role. Kudos to them — this’ll impress employers and gives the candidate the chance to fill their entire first page solely with work experience.
• Provides examples of job-relevant interests: This candidate says they like foreign film and writing poetry, showing they immerse themselves in languages when they’re not on the clock, and that they have a creative side — essential for a translator.
• Has copious international experience: The applicant’s language skills can’t be dismissed — not only have they lived and worked in France, but they’ve spent time in France and Spain as part of their bachelor’s course.

How to write an impressive graduate CV

With record numbers of undergrads and postgrads graduating every year, you might worry about standing out from the competition.

However, don’t worry needlessly: 9 in 10 graduates are in employment, and you have our expert tips to help you excel with a great grad CV.

1. Put your most hirable strengths in your personal statement

A personal statement begins your CV, so it should sum up your education, qualifications, and skills. Take a look at these five examples to get an idea of what to include in your statement:

2. Measure your achievements using hard numbers

Numbers leap off the page to catch recruiting managers’ attention, and they also put into context your capabilities. So add some numbers (e.g., percentages and amounts in pounds) to your CV, especially your work experience section. For example:

Including hard numbers when you write your CV shows that you’re goal-oriented and know how to track your progress.

3. Write a detailed education section

The more experience you have, the shorter your CV’s education section can be. At the start of your career, this section should be detailed to showcase the skills you gained in university.

As a graduate, your education section should include your:

• degree title
• classification (if it’s a 2:1 or higher)
• relevant units — that means any modules you studied that have a connection to the job you’re applying for
• dissertation topic: so employers can see you’re capable of undertaking a longer, in-depth project independently
• A-Levels/Scottish Advanced Highers, so employers can see what other subjects you specialised in during sixth-form college
• GCSEs/Scottish N5s (you just need to specify you passed Maths, English, and ICT as a minimum for most jobs)

Here are some examples:

4. Align your skills with the job requirements

If you’re not sure what skills to add to your skills section, check the job advert and add the skills you see that you’ve mastered. Here’s a list of some common graduate CV skills:

Sources

• House of Commons Library (UK Parliament)
• Department for Education (His Majesty’s Government)

Takeaways

To sum up, write a great graduate CV by:

1. looking at examples of graduate CVs
2. writing a compelling CV personal statement
3. adding numbers to your CV
4. formatting your education section so that it’s easy to parse
5. including skills from the job ad

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Our editorial process

These CV examples and writing tips were written in line with our editorial process. Each was written by a CV expert and approved by a certified professional CV writer (CPRW). Additionally, the law graduate CV example was edited and approved by an external reviewer, Paul McGinn, a recruiter at the law firm Irwin Mitchell.