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In Part 2 of our series on how to succeed after graduation, we discuss how graduates can write a stellar CV, even without a great deal of work experience.
Some graduates might be wondering how they can start writing a CV. This problem is especially acute with young people, who might not have had anything more than a Saturday job to this point.
But the truth is that you’ve done a lot of work over the last few years of university, whether paid or not! All these experiences deserve to go on your CV.
List your paid work on your CV
Set aside some time to think about all the Saturday jobs you had. Did you help out at a one-off event? Have you ever filled in for someone? Did you ever have a summer job? List them in a document you can keep aside from your CV. You never know which experiences will become useful later on!
Extra-curricular activities are also important!
After you’ve listed these, think about all the clubs and societies that you were a part of. Maybe you presented something on the university’s radio station, or you supported the university sports clubs, or you were a member of the college’s theatre troupe—these all have great potential to go on your CV.
Always take care when describing your role on your CV
Make sure that, whatever you include, you’re prepared to talk about all your experiences at an interview. This means: Don’t exaggerate your role on your CV, however tempting it may be!
Some believe that to fill the space on the page of a graduate CV you need to exaggerate, but you can amplify your position in other ways. The key is to be specific. You weren’t just
“Assisting the Stage Manager of a university play.”
You were:
“Assistant Stage Manager, who managed administrative and creative tasks like organising company wardrobe and providing spotlights for key scenes.”
Being clear about what you did will also help you at the interview stage when you come to talk about your experiences.
Keep your CV clear and use simple formatting
Certain rules apply to CVs, and we strongly recommend sticking to them. It should be 1-2 pages (ideally keep to one page at this early stage in your career; you don’t want it to get bloated), written in a clear font, and with neat formatting. We recommend keeping frames and tables to a minimum, if at all. Lots of companies use electronic methods to sort through CVs, and information in tables can be harder to recognise.
Take action with volunteering
If you’re able to give your time, volunteering is a great way not only to add to your CV but also to give back to your local communities, help others, expand your network, and refine your skills.
It’s not easy to secure volunteering positions as they’re often extremely competitive, so even though you might be eager to try the UN, we suggest starting with local charities for a foot in the door. You should find a good list if you google “Charity + [Your Location]”. If there is a particular cause you want to champion, we suggest including that, too.
One of our favourite London charities is IntoUniversity! IntoUniversity helps disadvantaged young people gain places in higher education establishments, and they are sometimes looking for mentors to help their students. If you have the extra time and knowledge and you are based in London, consider signing up as a mentor. Volunteering can have a major positive impact on you as an individual.
Aldrich & Co success story: Anda Krasniqi
Aldrich & Co candidate Anda Krasniqi was inspired to become a mentor for IntoUniversity because she grew up without a mentor to support her. She was first generation in her family to go to university, and her parents understood very little of what it meant to study for a degree. This made the start of university life difficult, as she lacked the basic knowledge about how to secure a student loan, how to structure a university paper, where to find the information she needed to do her research most effectively, and what to prioritise at university. Now, she can share all this information with her mentees so that they avoid the same pitfalls on the way to getting a degree.
For a short period of time afterwards, Anda worked with us at Aldrich & Co! At the time she said, “I am beginning my career in a role where I am fully involved and really am enjoying learning and being in the front line, helping others build their careers!” She has since moved onwards and upwards to begin a fantastic career in the City.
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If you’re still struggling with what to put on your CV as a new graduate, we can help. Ultimately, companies want to see commitment, an enquiring mind, and the confidence to ask questions. Contact us, or send us a DM on Instagram, and we’ll be glad to help show you and your work in its best light.