Best CV Format for Fresh Graduates

As a fresh graduate, you are competing with hundreds of other candidates who also have limited work experience. The good news: your CV is not about experience alone — it is about potential, relevance, and how well you present what you do have.

Put Education First

Unlike experienced candidates who lead with work history, fresh graduates should place education near the top. Include your degree title, university name, graduation year, and your grade or classification if it is strong. You can also add a line on relevant modules, thesis topic, or academic awards.

Use a Skills-Forward Summary

Your summary should position you for the role — not apologise for lack of experience. Focus on what you studied, what you are good at, and what you are looking to do. Example: 'Recent BSc Computer Science graduate from the University of Manchester. Strong foundation in Python, data structures, and software development. Looking to apply problem-solving skills in a junior developer role.'

Make the Most of Non-Traditional Experience

Work experience does not only mean full-time jobs. The following all count and should be included:

• Internships and placements (even short ones)
• Part-time or casual work (retail, hospitality — shows reliability)
• Freelance or self-started projects
• University society roles (president, treasurer, events lead)
• Volunteering
• Hackathons, competitions, or research projects

Build a Strong Skills Section

List both technical and transferable skills relevant to the role. For technical roles: programming languages, tools, or platforms. For business roles: Excel, Canva, Google Analytics, project management tools. For all roles: communication, teamwork, and problem-solving are worth including — but only if backed up by an example elsewhere on your CV.

Keep It to One Page

A fresh graduate CV should almost always be one page. Remove secondary school results unless they are exceptional. Cut the objective statement if it is generic. Do not pad with filler. Whitespace is not wasted space — it makes your CV easier to read.