How to Write a Student CV? – Step-by-Step Guide for Students What are the most common formatting errors in student CVs? How to Write a Student CV? – Step-by-Step Guide for Students
Learning how to write a student CV marks your first real step beyond the classroom. Whether you’re applying for internships, part-time work or graduate opportunities, your CV opens doors. This guide shows you how to write a CV as a student with confidence, from structure to content to the small details that make recruiters stop and read. These are CV writing tips for students ready to go beyond limits.
What is a Student CV?
A student CV is a professional document that showcases your education, skills, achievements and relevant experiences. Unlike traditional CVs packed with years of employment history, yours focuses on potential – academic accomplishments, projects, extracurricular activities and any work experience you’ve gained so far.
Your CV tells your story: where you’ve been, what you’ve built and where you’re heading. Even without extensive experience, you can demonstrate value, initiative and readiness to contribute.
What Makes a Good Student CV?
A good student CV is clear, focused and honest. It highlights strengths without exaggeration, uses concrete examples to back up claims and presents information in a format that’s easy to scan.
The best CVs are tailored. They speak directly to what the employer needs, emphasise relevant skills and demonstrate genuine interest in the role. Strong CVs also show attention to detail – zero errors, consistent formatting and professional presentation throughout.
Above all, authenticity matters. Present your real accomplishments and skills. Recruiters value honesty over embellishment.
What is the Difference Between a CV and a Resume?
In the UK and most of Europe, CV and resume mean the same thing – a concise one to two-page summary of your qualifications.
In the United States and Canada, they differ. A resume is brief and targeted (usually one page), highlighting relevant skills for a specific job. A CV is comprehensive – complete academic history, publications, research – often several pages long. In these countries, CVs are typically for academic or research roles, whilst resumes suit most other jobs.
For opportunities in the UK or Germany, you’re creating a CV – a focused document that showcases your qualifications.
How to Structure Your Student CV: Essential Sections
Structure matters. A well-organised CV helps recruiters find information fast:
- Personal details – name, contact information, professional profiles
- Professional summary/objective – who you are and what you’re seeking
- Educational background – qualifications and achievements
- Skills – technical and soft skills relevant to your target role
- Work experience/internships – any paid or unpaid work
- Projects, research and coursework – academic work demonstrating your abilities
- Achievements – awards, honours, notable accomplishments
- Extracurricular activities – clubs, societies, volunteer work
- Certifications – additional qualifications or training
Lead with your strongest section. Limited work experience? Place education near the top. Completed several internships? Start there instead.
Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Each CV Section
Personal Details
Start with your full name prominently displayed. Include phone number, professional email (firstname.lastname@email.com format), city and country, and LinkedIn profile link if you have one.
Skip unnecessary information like date of birth, marital status, national insurance number or photographs (unless specifically requested). Keep it clean and professional.
Professional Summary/Objective
This is your elevator pitch – 2-3 sentences capturing who you are, what you’re studying and what you’re seeking.
For those with some experience, use a professional summary highlighting key strengths. For those just starting, a CV objective works better, focusing on career goals and how you’ll contribute.
Be specific. Instead of “hardworking student seeking opportunities,” try: “Third-year Business Management student at BSBI with hands-on digital marketing experience, seeking an internship to apply analytical skills and creative problem-solving in a dynamic marketing environment.”
Educational Background
List education in reverse chronological order – most recent first. Include institution name, degree programme, attendance dates (or expected graduation) and grades if strong.
Add relevant coursework, significant projects or dissertation topics when relevant. Studied abroad or achieved something notable at BSBI? Highlight it – these demonstrate adaptability and international experience.
Skills
Divide skills into hard skills (technical abilities like software proficiency, data analysis, languages) and soft skills (communication, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving).
Often, lists of CV tips for students emphasise tailoring this section. Review the job requirements and highlight skills that matter most for that specific opportunity. Show proficiency levels for technical skills where relevant.
Internships
For each internship, include company name, job title, location and dates. More importantly, describe what you achieved using action verbs and quantifiable results.
Instead of “Responsible for social media,” write “Managed Instagram account, increasing follower engagement by 35% over three months through targeted content strategy.” Show impact, not just tasks.
Projects, Research and Coursework
This section is valuable when you lack extensive work experience. Highlight significant academic projects, research papers or group work demonstrating relevant skills.
Describe the objective, your role (especially in group work), skills used and outcome. Example: “Led team of four developing comprehensive business plan for sustainable fashion start-up, conducting market research and financial projections. Project received highest mark in cohort.”
Achievements
Spotlight your successes: academic awards, scholarships, competition wins, recognition for outstanding performance.
Quantify achievements and provide context. “Awarded [award] for maintaining top 10% academic performance across all modules” tells a stronger story than simply stating “high academic achiever”.
Extracurricular Activities
These demonstrate you’re well-rounded with interests beyond the classroom. They prove soft skills like leadership, teamwork, organisation and commitment.
Include positions of responsibility in student societies, sports teams, volunteer organisations or community groups. Describe what you accomplished: “Social Secretary for [society], coordinating monthly networking events attended by 50+ students and local business leaders.”
Certifications
List additional certifications or professional qualifications earned outside your degree – online courses (Coursera, LinkedIn Learning), language certifications (IELTS, TOEFL), technical certifications (Google Analytics) or industry-specific qualifications.
Include only relevant, current certifications. Working toward one? List it as “In progress” with expected completion date.
How to Write a Strong CV Objective for Students
A strong CV objective is specific and tailored. Communicate three things: who you are (student status), what you’re seeking (role type) and what you bring (key strengths).
Formula: [Your year/qualification] + [Field of study] + [1-2 key skills] + [What you’re seeking] + [How you’ll add value]
Example: “Final-year International Business student at BSBI with strong analytical and cross-cultural communication skills, seeking a marketing internship to leverage digital marketing coursework and fluency in three languages.”
Avoid vague objectives like “seeking a challenging position where I can grow.” Be specific about goals and what makes you strong.
Tips for Showcasing Skills When You Have No Experience
Limited work experience doesn’t mean limited skills. Recognise where you’ve developed transferable skills through studies, projects, volunteer work and daily life.
Read the job description carefully. Identify valued skills. Think about where you’ve demonstrated them in non-traditional contexts. Leading a group project shows project management. Balancing part-time work with strong grades shows time management. Presenting research findings develops communication skills.
Building a strong professional online presence helps too. Many employers check social media profiles during hiring, so maintain a profile that highlights what recruiters look for.
Focus on academic achievements, relevant coursework, software you’ve learned and self-directed learning. Online courses, personal websites, open-source contributions or responsibilities in student organisations all demonstrate initiative.
How to Highlight Internships, Projects and Academic Achievements
Show value created, not just tasks completed. Recruiters want to see impact and understand how you approach problems and deliver results.
For internships, focus on specific accomplishments. What problems did you solve? What processes did you improve? What results did you achieve? Quantify impact: “Reduced invoice processing time by 25%,” “Contributed to team securing £50,000 in new business,” “Supported event attracting 200+ attendees.”
For projects, provide context. What was the objective? Your approach? The outcome? In group projects, clarify your specific role.
For academic achievements, go beyond listing awards. Explain what you did to earn them. “Received highest grade in Marketing Strategy module among 150 students” is more impressive than simply listing the award.
Formatting Tips: Font, Layout and Length for a Student CV
Professional presentation matters. Keep your CV to one or two pages maximum. For most students, one page is sufficient.
Use clear section headings and maintain consistent formatting throughout. Choose professional fonts (Arial, Calibri, Helvetica) in 10-12 point size. Use 14-16 point for your name and section headings. Maintain 2-2.5cm margins on all sides.
Use bullet points rather than paragraphs. Keep consistent spacing between sections. Avoid excessive bold, italics or underlining – use sparingly for emphasis. Stick to one or two colours maximum.
Save as PDF to preserve formatting. Name your file professionally: “Firstname_Lastname_CV.pdf” not “My_CV.pdf.”
Common Mistakes Students Should Avoid in Their CV
Spelling and grammatical errors get CVs rejected immediately. Proofread multiple times, use tools like Grammarly and ask someone else to review it.
Generic, one-size-fits-all CVs rarely succeed. Tailor each CV to the specific role, highlighting relevant skills and experiences.
Never exaggerate or lie about qualifications. It’s unethical and will likely be discovered during interviews or after hiring.
Don’t include irrelevant information. Reading and listening to music won’t set you apart – but leading a book club or organising music events might.
Ensure consistent formatting throughout. Dates should follow the same format, bullet points should align properly and there should be no jarring font changes.
Focus on achievements, not just responsibilities. Show what you accomplished, not just what you were supposed to do.
Best CV Examples for Students
Strong student CVs share common traits regardless of field: clear structure, quantified achievements, tailored content and professional presentation.
A business student CV might lead with a strong objective about consulting or financial services, followed by relevant coursework in strategy and analytics. Projects could highlight market analysis or business plans with clear methodology and recommendations.
An engineering student’s CV emphasises technical skills and projects – perhaps a capstone project detailing design, principles applied and testing results. Relevant internships feature prominently.
Regardless of your field, make your CV reflect your unique journey whilst following best practices for clarity and professionalism.
Conclusion
Learning how to write a student curriculum vitae is a skill that serves you throughout your career. Your CV evolves as you gain experiences and develop skills. Start building yours today.
This CV writing guide gives you the tools to create a CV that opens doors. Focus on clear structure, quantifiable achievements and professional presentation.
At BSBI, we prepare you for professional success beyond academic excellence. Take advantage of career services, attend CV writing workshops and continuously refine your CV as you progress. Your career begins with the CV you write today – and the courage to go beyond limits.