Student CV Examples, Writing Tips, and Template (2023)

Whether you’re a:

• High school or college student that’s applying for a job or internship
• Recent college graduate that wants to use their degree to apply for a new position
• Seeking a teaching or research position in academia

You’ll need a great student CV to accompany your job application.

Below, we’ve included several CV examples, a template, and writing tips for students, each useful for different situations a job-hunting student may encounter while going to school.

Student CV example

You’re graduating from college soon, and you’ll need to put your university degree to work and get a great position within your field.

However, hiring managers will want you to submit a great student CV with your job application, complete with your academic background, qualifications, and skills to best assess how qualified you are.

Here’s a student CV example for a soon-to-be BA English graduate:

Download This Student CV Example

High school student resume example

As a high school student, you’re likely applying for your first job, which means you also have little to no work experience.

However, because you’re still a student, many employers won’t expect you to have a lot of experience or professional skills yet. If you can write a great high school resume for your job application, it should be enough to at least earn you an interview for entry-level roles.

Here’s an example of a high school student resume where the writer highlights the skills they do have, and makes the most of their extremely limited experience:

Download This High School Resume Example

Internship resume example

As a student, it’s ideal to have relevant internship experience in your field before you graduate, as employers ultimately want a candidate that has work experience so that they can trust the individual will be prepared to excel in the position they’re applying for.

If you know which company or firm you want to work at, having previous internship experience at that organization can also help you transition to full-time employment once you’ve graduated.

However, because many students recognize the value of internships in preparing them for the professional world, competition for the best ones is fierce. You’ll need to write a clear, targeted resume for your internship that displays your academic background, expertise, and skills if you want a hiring manager to call you in for an interview.

Here’s an example of an well-written internship resume:

Download This Internship Resume Example

Grad school resume example

Getting your master’s degree can be a great way to elevate your resume and career by providing you additional skills and knowledge, and it can provide fantastic networking opportunities.

But a lot of graduate programs have strict vetting processes. You’ll need a grad school resume that showcases your most notable, relevant accomplishments as an undergraduate to impress the admissions committee and secure a spot in your ideal master’s or PhD program.

Here’s an example of a grad school resume that earned its writer admission into their chosen graduate school:

Download This Grad School Resume Example

Academic CV example

Last, we have an academic CV. Academic CVs are used by students in higher education to apply for researching or teaching positions.

Academic CVs are different from other student CVs because they require more information and are thus usually longer than other application documents.

Regardless of length, however, teaching and research positions are hard to come by, often with several similarly-qualified students applying for a single position.

To ensure you include the essential sections and that your qualifications and skills are accurately displayed on your academic CV, follow the formatting of our example below:

Download The Full Academic CV Example

Student CV template

Here’s a Student CV template you can use for a variety of scenarios when applying as a student:

3 tips for writing a CV as a student

Finding a job after university can be difficult, especially if you lack the qualifications and skills necessary for the job you want.

However, you can still impress hiring managers and convey that you’re motivated to learn and the right person for the job with your CV.

To help you get started writing your CV, we’ve included 3 tips for undergraduate job seekers below.

1. Expand upon your education section

Because you’re a recent graduate, you’ll likely be relying on your academic background to land a job.

So ensure you expand upon your resume’s education section by listing any details that are relevant to the job and help you stand out among similarly-qualified applicants.

For example, show you’re a high-achiever by putting cum laude and Dean’s list, your GPA (3.5 and above), and listing awards or scholarships you earned during school. Additionally, make sure you list relevant coursework if it pertains to the position.

Here’s a great example of an education section for a journalist applicant:

2. Use a “relevant experience” section

Since you’re in school, employers won’t expect you to have a lot of experience and qualifications under your belt. But if you have relevant work experience it can make all the difference when searching for a job after graduation.

Instead of using a work experience section, create a “relevant experience section” and only list professional experience directly correlated with the position you’re applying for. This experience may be gathered in a variety of other ways, such as volunteer work or extracurricular activities.

If you have other work experience from when you were younger, such as working in fast food or as a cashier, simply omit those jobs because they’re probably not relevant to the job you want out of college (but if they are, you should list them).

3. Focus on your transferable skills

Regardless of your previous experience, you likely have transferable skills that you can list on your undergraduate CV, especially if you’re an older student going to school with a career change in mind.

Focus on these hard and soft skills when writing your CV. Whether gained at a previous company or during school, they can all help you come off as more qualified in a job application.

Additionally, you can list skills you developed not only in the classroom but also doing extracurricular activities or performing volunteer work.

Here’s a list of skills our entry-level journalist candidate honed in college and on-the-job: