How to write a new graduate CV for your first full-time job
Lead with a short profile, then your degree, result, dissertation and relevant modules above any jobs. Write the final-year project as a piece of work, with the question, your method and the result, on one or two pages.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
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Start from three graduate adverts, not from your transcript
Pick three adverts for the job you want after graduation and copy their requirements into one list. Next to each requirement, write the module, project, society role or job that shows it. Whatever has nothing next to it is either a gap you name honestly or a requirement you drop that advert for.
This list decides what the CV leads with. A graduate who has sat through thirty modules has far more material than one page holds, and the adverts tell you which five or six pieces matter. Prospects says graduate scheme applications should be tailored to the programme, with specific examples showing how you meet its criteria rather than reused answers.
What a graduate recruiter reads first
- Your degree, the result (or expected result) and the month you finished.
- The piece of academic work closest to the job: dissertation, capstone, design project or lab project.
- Any job, placement or society role, and what you were trusted with in it.
- A profile at the top that says which kind of role you want, so the reader does not have to guess.
Why your degree sits above your jobs for now
The National Careers Service says education can go straight after the introduction when you are early in your career or have little work experience. CareerOneStop, run for the US Department of Labor, gives the same rule for resumes: place education near the top if you are a new grad or the job requires it, otherwise after work history.
The reason is simple: the degree is the strongest evidence you have, and the reader is hiring for it. A bar job from second year is real experience, but on a graduate CV it supports the degree rather than leading it.
When a job or placement should go first
If you spent a placement year or a long internship doing the work the advert describes, that entry is stronger than a module list and can lead. Harvard tells students to order headings by what matters most to the reader, so the rule is about evidence, not a fixed template.
One page or two
Carnegie Mellon's career centre says a resume should be one page, with roughly one page for every 8 to 10 years of experience, which is the US norm a new graduate is held to. In the UK, Prospects quotes the University of Chester's careers team: no longer than two A4 pages. If you are spilling onto a third page, the modules list is the first thing to cut.
The graduate profile: under 150 words you can defend
Prospects says a CV profile should be no longer than 150 words: who you are, your key strengths, and the type of role you are looking for. It accepts first or third person if you keep to one, and lists bland lines such as 'I work well independently and as part of a team' among the mistakes, along with age, marital status, clichés and copied text.
Three sentences, three jobs
- Sentence one names the degree, the result and the field you want to enter.
- Sentence two gives the strongest single piece of evidence: the dissertation finding, the project you built, the placement task.
- Sentence three says what role you are applying for and, if it matters, where or when you can start.
Worked profiles for three degrees
Illustrative profiles. The people and numbers are invented to show the shape; write only what you could explain in an interview.
| Degree and target | Profile text |
|---|---|
| BSc Economics, 2:1, aiming for analyst roles | Economics graduate (BSc, 2:1, 2026) moving into data and policy analysis. Dissertation modelled bus fare caps against ridership in 14 towns using public transport statistics in R. Looking for a graduate analyst role in transport or local government from September. |
| BEng Mechanical Engineering, aiming for a design role | Mechanical engineering graduate (BEng, 2026) with a final-year design project on a lighter bicycle crank, tested to failure in the department rig. Uses SolidWorks and ANSYS. Seeking a graduate design engineer post in manufacturing. |
| BA English, aiming for publishing | English graduate (BA, 2:1, 2026) who edited the student newspaper culture section for two years, commissioning about 40 pieces a term. Wants an editorial assistant role in trade or academic publishing. |
Each one replaces an adjective with a fact. "Analytical" becomes a model and a dataset; "creative" becomes a tested design; "good communicator" becomes forty commissioned pieces.
Write the dissertation or capstone as a piece of work
Harvard's student template puts degrees, GPA, thesis, relevant coursework and study abroad in the education section. For many graduates the thesis line is the only place where a full project, managed from question to finished result over months, appears on the page. Treat it like a job entry: a title, dates and two or three lines on what you did.
| Thin version | Written as work (invented example) |
|---|---|
| Dissertation: Bus fares and ridership | Dissertation, 2025 to 2026: tested whether a fare cap raised bus use in 14 towns; built a panel dataset from public transport statistics in R; found a rise in 9 towns; mark 72 |
| Final-year group project | Capstone, team of 4, Jan to May 2026: designed and machined a crank 18% lighter than the reference part; led the fatigue tests; presented to an industry panel |
| Relevant modules: lots | Relevant modules: Econometrics II, Public Economics, Data Analysis in R (one line, three modules the advert asks for) |
Under Education or under its own heading
Keep a single dissertation under the degree it belongs to. If you have two or three substantial projects (a dissertation, a hackathon entry, a research assistant task), a separate Projects heading lets each one have its own dated entry. Either way, use the same date format as the rest of the CV.
Numbers a student project really has
Sample size, number of interviews, lines of data, hours of recordings, test cycles, users in a trial, the mark it received, the size of the team. These are defensible because they are in your own files; invented percentages are not.
Example: the top half of a graduate CV
Illustrative example. Priya Shah is invented. The lines show where each piece sits, not facts to copy.
- Priya Shah · Leeds · priya.shah@example.com · 07700 900456 · linkedin.com/in/priyashah-example
- Profile: Economics graduate (BSc, 2:1, 2026) moving into data and policy analysis. Dissertation modelled bus fare caps against ridership in 14 towns in R. Looking for a graduate analyst role in transport or local government from September 2026.
- Education: BSc Economics, 2:1, University in Yorkshire, Sep 2023 to Jun 2026. Dissertation (mark 72): fare caps and bus ridership, panel data built from public statistics. Relevant modules: Econometrics II, Public Economics, Data Analysis in R.
- Experience: Student Ambassador, the university, Oct 2024 to May 2026. Led campus tours for groups of up to 25 visitors on 12 open days.
- Experience: Sales Assistant (part-time, 12 hours a week), garden centre, Jun 2022 to Aug 2025. Trained three new weekend staff on the till and returns.
- Skills: R (tidyverse, fixest), Excel (pivot tables, lookups), Stata basics; Gujarati (native), English (native).
Why each part is there
| Part | What it answers |
|---|---|
| Profile with the target role | Is this person applying for my job or for any job? |
| Degree with result and dates | The baseline most graduate adverts screen on; Prospects notes most schemes expect a 2:1, some accept a 2:2. |
| Dissertation in two lines | Can she run a piece of analysis from a question to a result on her own? |
| Ambassador role | Has she been trusted with the public on the employer's behalf? |
| Part-time job | Did she turn up for three years and take on more than the basic task? |
The first full-time application: dates and forms
In the UK the large graduate programmes recruit a year ahead. Prospects, in a guide posted in September 2026, gives this timeline for schemes starting in 2027:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| September to December 2026 | Applications open; some employers assess candidates as they arrive and close when places fill |
| October 2026 to early 2027 | Online tests, video interviews and other first assessments |
| January to March 2027 | Assessment centres and final interviews; some offers made |
| Spring to summer 2027 | Offers accepted |
| July to October 2027 | Most schemes start, with some January intakes |
Prospects says graduate programmes generally expect a 2:1 or higher, while some, such as the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme and MBDA, ask for a 2:2. Check each employer's own page for its requirement and closing date.
When the form replaces the CV
Many programmes start with an online form rather than a CV upload. Copy your degree dates, result and job titles from the CV exactly, so the two documents never disagree, and reuse the evidence from your profile in the motivation questions.
Proof: sources read on 13 October 2026
| Claim on this page | Source |
|---|---|
| Profile no longer than 150 words; first or third person, consistently; mistakes to avoid | Prospects, Writing a personal statement for your CV (May 2025) |
| Misstating a degree grade, such as a 2:2 as a 2:1, is degree fraud | Prospects, How to write a CV (May 2025) |
| Skills-based CVs suit recent graduates with limited work experience | Prospects, Example CVs (May 2025) |
| Education after the introduction early in your career | National Careers Service, CV sections |
| Education near the top for new grads | CareerOneStop, Resumes and applications |
| One-page resume in the US; two A4 pages at most in the UK | Carnegie Mellon Career and Professional Development Center; Prospects, How to write a CV |
| Thesis and coursework in the education section; headings in order of importance | Harvard Mignone Center, Create a strong resume |
| 2027 scheme timeline; 2:1 generally expected, some ask for a 2:2 | Prospects, Graduate schemes (September 2026) |
| Diploma Supplement: free, in a major European language, from your university | Europass, The Diploma Supplement |
Who this page is not for
- Students still in their degree who want term-time work or a campus job: the university student CV guide covers societies, campus roles and grades.
- Graduates looking for an internship rather than a full-time post: the internship resume guide has the one-page format and the Ulusal Staj Programı.
- Anyone who has never had a formal job and is not coming out of a degree: the guide to a CV with no experience uses a skills-based layout built on other evidence.
- PhD graduates applying for academic posts: you need a longer academic CV with publications and teaching.
Next steps after the CV
- Applying abroad? Ask your university for the Diploma Supplement. Europass says graduates in more than 40 countries can get it free, in a major European language, and that it describes the type, level, content and results of your degree.
- Write the cover letter from the same three adverts; the cover letter guide has the structure.
- Run the finished file through the free checker on this page. It needs no account and flags missing contact details, unrecognised dates and layout a parser may misread.
- CitedCV can draft the CV from facts you give it. When you set your level to student or junior, or have no jobs on file, it asks which project, thesis or internship task maps closest to the job you want and what you personally did, and it keeps a student or junior CV to one page.
Questions people ask
What should a new graduate put on a CV?
A short profile naming the role you want, your degree with its result and dates, the dissertation or final project written as work, relevant modules, any jobs, placements or society roles, and specific skills.
How do I write a personal statement for a graduate CV?
In three sentences and under 150 words, the limit Prospects gives: your degree and field, your strongest piece of evidence, and the role you are applying for. Avoid adjectives with nothing behind them.
Should education come before experience on a graduate CV?
Yes, in most cases. The National Careers Service and CareerOneStop both put education near the top early in a career, unless a placement or job is closer to the advert than the degree.
How do I put my dissertation on my CV?
Under the degree, with its title or question, the dates, your method and the result, in two or three lines. Add the mark if it helps. Several substantial projects can share a separate Projects heading.
Should I put my degree classification on my CV?
Yes, if you have it, and exactly as awarded. Prospects warns that changing a grade, such as writing a 2:1 for a 2:2, is degree fraud. If the result is not out yet, write expected next to it.
Can a graduate CV be two pages?
In the UK it can: Prospects quotes a limit of two A4 pages. In the US, Carnegie Mellon's career centre says a resume should be one page. Cut the module list before you cut evidence.
When do graduate scheme applications open?
From September or October for schemes starting the following summer, Prospects says, often closing by the end of the year or early January. Some close early once places fill.
What if my degree is not related to the job I want?
Lead the profile with the skill the job needs and prove it with the closest piece of work you have: a dissertation method, a society role or a part-time job. The degree still goes on, with its result.
Sources
- Prospects: Writing a personal statement for your CV (May 2025)www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/writing-a-personal-statement-for-your-cv
- Prospects: How to write a CV (May 2025)www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/how-to-write-a-cv
- Prospects: Example CVs (May 2025)www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/cvs-and-cover-letters/example-cvs
- Prospects: Graduate schemes 2027 (September 2026)www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/getting-a-job/graduate-schemes/
- National Careers Service: CV sectionsnationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/cv-sections
- CareerOneStop (US Department of Labor): Resumes and applicationswww.careeronestop.org/JobSearch/Resumes/resumes-and-applications.aspx
- Harvard Mignone Center for Career Success: Create a strong resumecareerservices.fas.harvard.edu/resources/create-a-strong-resume/
- Carnegie Mellon University Career and Professional Development Center: Resume quick tipswww.cmu.edu/career/documents/quick-tips/resume.pdf
- Europass: The Diploma Supplementeuropass.europa.eu/en/learn-europe/diploma-supplement