How to Write a CV as a Fresh Graduate (With No Experience)

Recruiters spend a few seconds on the first look at a CV. As a fresh graduate you cannot win on experience, but you can win on clarity. Here is how to write a CV that makes those seconds count.

Keep it to one page

A fresher's CV should fit on one page. Use a clean layout, one font, and clear headings. Fancy designs with photos, bars and icons often break when a company's software reads your CV.

The sections to include

• Name, phone, email, city and LinkedIn link
• A two-line summary of the role you want
• Education with your degree, university and year
• Projects and internships, with what you did and the result
• Skills that match the job advert

Write achievements, not duties

Instead of 'Responsible for recruitment', write 'Screened 60 CVs and shortlisted 8 candidates for a sales role'. Numbers and results show what you can do, even for a small project.

Tailor it for every job

Read the job advert and use its words in your summary and skills. If a company asks for 'MS Excel' and 'recruitment', those words should appear on your CV if you have the skill.

Check before you send

• No spelling mistakes, and the same date format everywhere
• Save as a PDF named 'Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf'
• Ask someone to read it and tell you what role you are applying for. If they cannot tell, rewrite the summary.