My CV and Me, one of the leading providers of graduate CV writing and interview coaching services in the UK, recommend including the areas below in your graduate CV.

Profile

Use this section to introduce yourself to your potential employer. The key is to emphasise the transferable skills you gained at university that will benefit a potential employer. Examples could be drawn from your educational achievements, travel, work experience and involvement in clubs and voluntary work. Mention your goals and highlight what you are able to offer the company.

Your Education

As a graduate, this is going to be one of the most important sections of your CV.  You should list your most recent education first and include the dates as well as your grades followed by the qualifications you gained at school. If you attained a particularly good degree then highlight this here.

Work Experience

The greatest problem most recent graduates face is that they have little or no relevant work experience. The key is clearly to make the most of what you’ve got. Pick out the skills you’ve acquired during your degree studies. Employers will be looking for evidence that you have made most of all opportunities afforded you at university. Getting involved and leading teams in clubs and societies, internships, voluntary or charity work will be well received. If you worked in a team on a project, how big was the team? If you were responsible for a student society budget, how much money was involved?

Interests

This is the place to say a little bit about you as a person, outside of work. Examples worth including are sports teams, societies/clubs, travel, hobbies and awards. These are particularly good as they can suggest a high achieving and competitive nature.

Technical Skills

This section should include IT skills that you are familiar with e.g. Microsoft Office Applications, databases and operating systems. Make sure you include the level you have achieved.

References

Two references are enough for a graduate CV. One can be academic and the other from work experience. You can choose to omit the contact details if one is a current employer or you would prefer to contact them first.